Burning rubber

I feel slightly guilty admitting it but hiring a car is the best thing I’ve done so far on this trip. I may pretend to be the intrepid traveler but the truth is that travelling with my own vehicle is far more comfortable (it has air con for a start), involves much less lugging of suitcases and means I can see so much more than if I braved the public transport network.

Since picking the car up in Perth on Monday I’ve travelled over 500km and spent my days zigzagging around the area south of the city to Bunbury, Margaret River and Nannup, getting to know the region so much better than I could have ever done by bus (unless I had weeks to see it in, of course). I’ve been to out-of-the-way wineries, side-of-the-road food producers and am now staying at a rural B&B near Nannup which feels a whole lot less isolated when I remember the shiny gold Holden Omega sitting just outside.

The past two days have been spent on the Munda Biddi cycling trail, a new long-distance cycleway which begins in the outskirts of Perth and is being extended all the way down to Albany on the south coast. I’ve seen large chunks of the trail from the saddle (plus lots of its access points from the road) and it really is beautiful. It winds through the karri and jarra forests, sometimes emerging into hot, dusty scrubland, at other times plunging into thick woodland. Birdwatchers would be in their element here – I’ve seen dozens of different species including cockatoos, galahs and wrens and am told that my home for the night, the Blue House, perched on top of a small hill overlooking fields and forest, is the perfect place to spot lots of dazzling blue wrens.

Considering the dry landscape and unrelenting sun it’s amazing to see anything alive at all out here, but there have been numerous wild flowers of all different colours, including some wonderful orchids, poking their heads through from the gravel and a whole host of lizards, snakes and goannas have crossed my path (or rather, darted from it) as I’ve cycled or walked by.

I wish I had a bit longer here but, as is the curse of the travel writer, I have other places to get to. I’m starting to feel the pain of my itinerary with its 6am starts, long drives and endless new faces but that open road feeling is getting me through and I’m loving the constant thrill of the new. And besides, tomorrow includes chocolate and wine tasting – what could be better than that?

Dartmoor rocks

Having spent many an unhappy childhood holiday doing what I considered to be "trudging" up tors on Dartmoor, I was excited to head back to Devon's moorlands for a visit last week to write a piece on cycling for the Guardian and challenge my perceptions of a place I used to think miserable.

Not generally the most outdoorsy of people I was slightly nervous about the prospect of spending a full blustery February day on the moors with nothing but a bike for company but I needn't have worried - amidst the rolling hills and striking tors are numerous cosy self-catering cottages, luxurious hotels and five-star restaurants to sooth those weary limbs and make the great outdoors a little bit greater.

I stayed in two very different places, both of which were luxurious in very different ways. Old Tavistock Railway Cottages were a revelation. As soon as I saw the website I knew I had to stay there - three five-star luxury self-catering cottages carved out of the old railway station, a listed building which has been lovingly preserved, retaining its original platform canopy and station doors. Everything was very new and all mod cons were in place, but the charm remained and I was really taken with the original fireplaces, restored stained glass windows and beautiful antique furniture. This is a place with true character but that doesn't compromise on modern facilities - I could have cooked a full Sunday roast in the kitchen and the rolltop bath was a heavenly addition to the otherwise very modern wet-room bathroom.

My other accommodation was the Kingston Estate, where I slept in what felt like a stately home with all the red velvet cords removed from the doorways. The fantastically old-school owners Elizabeth and Michael Corfield made me feel thoroughly at home - something which was helped by the fact that I was the only person staying there! No TV in the rooms, all open log fires and a wonderfully traditional attitude to dinner made me actually slow down for once - a refreshing change in pace I was sorry to say goodbye to when I eventually dragged myself away the next morning.

It wasn't just accommodation where Dartmoor impressed me either. The wonderful Two Bridges Inn right in the centre of the moor was serving up fabulous local produce including the freshest of lamb and the local Jail Ale from the brewery down the road in its warm lounge. I sunk a bit too far into the sofa in front of the log fire but sadly didn't have time to stay the night. I did have a peek in the rooms though and found just the right blend of the luxury and the traditional. For those who like a celebrity connection, one was even a favourite of Vivien Leigh's who stayed here a few times.

Of course, the main attraction on Dartmoor is the superlative scenery and I was truly taken aback by its beauty. Clearly as a child I had my eyes shut because I never appreciated it, I just remember a lot of moaning! There was no moaning on this trip though, just lots of pulling up at the roadside, mouth open, to take in the view. It seems there really is a fine line between love and hate and for me, this time, that line was a cycle path. I'll be back.