The folks at Comet Gold mine museum told us to take a
bucket with us and wet the rocks to get the real perspective of the colours and
they were right. It was amazing – unfortunately I was wearing white pants and
someone couldn’t help but splash water over me. We had been told that the road
from MB through to Pt Hedland – Newman road has just been graded and apart from
last 5 Klms was very good. Didn’t occur to me that newly graded dirt roads are
full of dust and did we have some dust. It was very nice driving along not much
traffic and lots to see so didn’t take much notice of what was behind us.
Couldn’t find anywhere to stop for the night so we kept going and as the sun
blinded us at a dip in the road we hit a stone and broke a fitting on water
tank and electric brake cable to van, so we just pulled over and did some quick
repairs to water tank. Deciding to stay where we were we opened the van to find
everything covered in red dust. We breathed, smelled and tasted dust all night
and couldn’t wait to get on the road in the morning to get away from it.
22/7 Couldn’t find the parts we needed at Auski roadhouse, but decided not to go down to Newman to do the repairs but go into Karajini NP and have a quick look, which was lucky as J was able to swap the tap fitting with another but couldn’t get the brake drums off the van to solder up the broken cable. At first we thought Karijini wasn’t a patch on Kalbari, but quite stunning. The rocks of the Hammersley ranges are as awe inspiring and there are lots of different wattles. My book says that there are 80 different varieties but I don’t think we would have found 20, and they are all different to the ones we get back home.
We wandered into Fortescue falls but naturally during dry times they weren’t flowing very well, circular pool was quite amazing though – how they get enough water to force it into such an eddy to have eroded the rocks circular is mind boggling. According to the sign the cliffs here are 100 meters high and we found lots of new plants. The Mulla mullas were in flower and looked so much better that the poor dust covered thirsty ones we found in Millstream NP. Off Bamjina drive we went into Kalimima Falls but since it is very dry at the moment they weren’t playing the game, however we did find a lizard basking on a rock. Knox gorge was also spectacular with it’s sheer cliffs, trees and more plants.
Hancock gorge has a gap between the gorges 1 meter wide. We watched some canoeists get out and walk through the gap before heading up stream. Hancock, Weano, Red and Joffre gorges all meet here so it is quite spectacular. It is amazing the spots you find trees growing – in cracks in rock walls where the white trunks look stunning against the red rock. We spend some time there soaking up the view and chatting to a couple of ladies from SA who are travelling around in a caravan. One is a widow and the other’s husband doesn’t like travelling so they go off together and have a ball.
Tuesday 24/7 we head off towards Tom Price, and just past Mt Bruce (2nd tallest mtn in WA and about as big as Gowrie Mtn) we stop off at the Marandoo mine site we watch one iron ore train leave with its 20,000 tonnes ore heading the 270K to Dampier as another empty train arrives. They now have 2 x 4500 horsepower diesel engines pulling the load. On our way into Tom Price we manage to stop at a tourist sign and discover a rock memorial to loved ones from all over the country. A moving idea but really spoilt by all the rubbish lying around. You paint your message or loved ones name on a rock and just add it to the pile. There were lots of flowers growing amongst the base rocks which I thought looked a little like snapdragons but have since learnt that they are a weed. Along from the extravagant prices you have to pay for food and accommodation here WA is very dirty (rubbish wise). There are some neat tidy little towns but all the highways, rest stops, reserves, picnic areas and most towns are covered in litter. The Keep Australia Beautiful people give out large bags and long handled tongs to caravaners so that we can pick up all the rubbish when we stop somewhere – as if! After lunch in ‘nameless coffee shop’ we check all emails and try to ring Beth to see how she got on with doctors, but can’t get her so ring Barb instead. Mother is getting very tired and her Parkinsons is very noticeable.
Heading into Hammersley gorge we change our views on
Karajini as this was special. The rocks have been squashed as they were pushed
upwards and have wonderful wavy lines in various colours through them. The spa
pool in here is a fair walk but worth every bit as the rocks take on an ice
blue tinge. There are about 10 different walks you can do ranging from easy to
abseiling stuff for the intrepid, so you really can explore lots of the area.
Heading home we go through Wittenoon where they used to mine asbestos and there
are big signs telling you that it is in the air. There are still a few houses
in the town but it looked very dismal. The excitement on way back to Auski
roadhouse at Munjima was J overtaking all these big gravel trucks. Looking into
the western sun with great clouds of dust billowing out you couldn’t see inside
the ute let alone anything outside and he was overtaking them at full speed. It
was nearly a case of if I survive there will be a divorce but we made it out
ok. Word of warning – do not go down dirt roads when truckies are heading home!
26/7 and we pull out of Karajini heading through Newman –
just another mining town – looks as big as Karratha only a little nicer and we
have a night on the road at the Gascoyne River before Meekatharra. At lunch
time we see a road sign for a café and decide to stop – the sign said not open
Saturdays so we guessed they were SDA’s. Karalundi is an aboriginal boarding
school and was immaculately clean, tidy and very friendly. The café is open to
the public and has a small shop attached. They have also built a caravan park
with new toilet and kitchen facilities in the front of complex. They have green
grass, trees and some gardens and it looked lovely so we have made a note in
the book to stay there next time through. While we were eating they had a
silent video playing of an end of year trip the children went on to Brisbane so
I got homesick – but the kids really enjoyed themselves once they got over the
terror of getting onto the plane. As all the tyre shopkeepers in Meeka had gone
away for the weekend we end up staying till Tuesday. The people were friendly
enough but the town itself is filthy – I’ve never seen so much rubbish lying
around even at a tip. We couldn’t find an Anglican church, the former one is
now a Baptist church and they weren’t having a service, and the catholic
service was at 6.30pm Saturday night which was in the middle of the football so
of course we weren’t going. Saturday morning had the main street closed off for 2 wide loads - couldn't work out what they were but maybe Steve can enlighten us. Eventually get a new tyre on ute so we can head
south to wildflower country which I have been waiting for since we left Qld.
31/7 There are two huge salt lakes that you have to cross
and at each one we heard truckies advising ones following to overtake on the
flats. I did a count of the vehicles we passed (ie heading north) for 1 hour
and there were 17 semis with 2 dongas on board, 4 single dongas, 13 x 3 trailer
freight trucks, 5 B doubles, 9 caravans, 7 mining utes and 2 sedans. After
lunch I did a count of the dongas heading north and there were another 11. Mind
you there were very few trucks coming south and only a few mining utes. (we
know they are mining utes because they have a little flag on top) Paynes Find is a
little town, where as Mount Magnet and Cue were bigger and were lovely – clean,
tidy, looked after and though some shops were empty they were in reasonable
repair. We pull into the Mt Gibson rest area for the night and are the only
ones there. As we are eating dinner a triple loaded with dongas pulls in with
his escort vehicle. They were a bit late as they are supposed to be off the
road before dark. Before long another road train pulls in, and another, and
another. By 6.30am when the first one turns his engine on to warm up there are
5 different loads in our camp ground. The bloke who pulled up 6 feet from our
van sleeps in till 8.30 - he must have been late arriving. We had stayed up
late playing backgammon and didn’t hear a thing. We had 2 very close games with
a win each so we had to play a decider – which I won! Unbeknown to us there is
an iron ore mine here and the road that the truckers take to deliver the ore to
rail at Perenjori is the road where we find the wreath flower in 2 days time.
But we head south to Wubin where we meet the wildflower trail. The lady at
Wheat bin museum is full of info and we wander through the displays marvelling
at how they had bulk grain terminals here in the 1930’s and Dad was still
carting bagged grain in the 1960’s! The bulk shed has curved walls like tanks
cut in half so that they didn’t buckle under the force. They had a miniature
model of what happens from the truck arriving at dump to grain entering the
ships hold with you operating each section with levers which was fascinating
for John – he went through the process twice. As we were out of chutney and
pickles we stocked up with some of their homemade goodies – Chilli, Fig &
Ginger chutney, Green Tomato relish, Pickolo, Rhubarb, Fig and Ginger Jam,
Quince jam – 5 bottles for $19.50 and it has all been very moreish.
The museum also had a chevie truck and a twin city tractor which reminded me of Broxburn so we captured some photos for old time sake (and in the hope Beth can tell me whether they are the same).
Now
we are on Wildflower Way heading north to Buntine Rocks (granite outcrop),
Maya, Latham and Caron Dam. The local council has erected steel statues to
promote various places and get you to stop and admire the wildflowers. At Caron
dam we meet a couple from Tabulam who tell us that there are some orchids on
left side of channel and after much searching we eventually find some and they
are gorgeous. Tiny little ones around the base of trees. The pioneers dug
several drainage channels to funnel the rainwater into the dam (covered with a
tin roof) to supply water to the towns and steam trains. It is an amazing feat
when you consider what tools they had to work with.
We
spend the night here and head off to Perenjori next morning where the lady in
Tourist Bureau said that her husband had seen some wreath flowers on the
Wanarra road (one that went through to Mt Gibson) so we headed off. A few
k’s out of town driving slowly and a
truckie guessed what we were looking for so he called up on the two way and we
had a chat and followed him. His mate going in the other direction heard our
conversation and came on air asking where they were as he had heard all about
them and never seen them. Eventually the wildflower sign came into view and we
parted company and stopped and marvelled at the display along both sides of the
road. For about 200 meters there was a wealth of different plants in various
stages of flowering all interspersed with the famous wreath flowers. The ground
cover plant grows out in a circle and flowers at the end of branches with buds
starting red going pink then cream – absolutely gorgeous. The array of plants
growing there was a sight to behold. We must have spent 2 hours wandering
around taking photos. Heading back we stop off at Mongers Lake lookout for
lunch – nothing much as you couldn’t really see the lake in the distance.
According to the brochure further along this road was Camel Soak so we go for a
look and decide to stay the night.
There is a spring at a granite outcrop where they used to
water the camels carting sleepers to build the railway line and it has been
cleared and toilets, picnic tables, camp sites etc installed so we share it
with a tour group ‘Wilderness Adventures‘ who left from Broome heading to Perth
and bush camping along the way. Don’t know what they would have smelt like by
the time they got there if they spent ten nights in bush without a shower.
Anyway they packed up very quietly next morning because they had gone when we
emerged and we didn’t hear anything. Our brochure had a spot marked orchid
ridge so next morning we go exploring and only find some buds on the tiniest
orchids. I take a photo of the sign so I know what they should look like. The
rabbit proof fence is along this road and was in quite good repair though I don’t
think it keeps too many rabbits out nowadays. Perenjori has the record for
having 56 combine harvesters working in the same paddock at same time. Cutting
560 metres wide they stripped 500 acres in 24 minutes producing 495 tonnes of
wheat – would have been something to see. We head back through Perenjori, a
very pretty little town where the caravan park is $100 per week so it gets a
tick for next time, and go north. The brochures say that Mullewa has lots of
wildflowers so we are heading there, but if I had known how dirty the town was
we would have stopped in Morawa instead. However, we don’t know so we go on.
The caravan park in Mullewa is very nice and clean and the caretaker is
friendly – pity about all the litter everywhere else.
Sunday
5th and as there is no Anglican church service today (it is a first
Sunday of month only) here we go for a walk (2.850 Klm) around the wildflower
reserve opposite the caravan park instead. It has lots of wattles and other
interesting plants though a lot of them are not in flower yet. Their wildflower
show is on the last weekend in August so I guess that is when everything is in
bloom. As the park cost $97 per week with free Laundromat J booked us in for
the week (council owned park).
Monday sees us driving again and we head north west to the Tenindewa town site
and a stone well from days gone by. We can’t find the Bindoo glacier beds and
have our damper lunch at Noondamurra Pools on Greenough river. The tree nearby
has a large beehive in it which takes our photographers fancy – it is a
pleasant spot if a little chilly.
We do manage to find the Bindoo Hill Nature reserve and
what a place – it was wonderful – the array of plants flowering, bird life and
views across the plains.
Heading
back towards town we cross the Geraldton road and find the Butterabby grave
site, where 5 aborigines were hung in front of their families as a deterrent to
others not to kill any more shepherds and surveyors. Talk about gruesome but at
least they had marked graves and there is a shelter shed detailing the events.
The next place on our tour map is Wongoondy Hall – once the centre of social activity in the area – now still there but with just a gate hanging where door should be. Tardun townsite where the old store and hall were supposed to be reminders of a once thriving community – all we saw was a dump. The roadsides were more interesting with the diversity of flowers.
The next place on our tour map is Wongoondy Hall – once the centre of social activity in the area – now still there but with just a gate hanging where door should be. Tardun townsite where the old store and hall were supposed to be reminders of a once thriving community – all we saw was a dump. The roadsides were more interesting with the diversity of flowers.
It
is getting dark as we head into Pindar where there was supposed to be another
patch of wreath flowers, but all we found was a big flock of Lincoln parrots on
the road to Beringarra. The wool wagon pathway (a tourist route following the
path of wool wagons) which we looked at in Exmouth starts in Pindar and travels
1160 Klm to the coast at Exmouth. There is the Kingsford Smith Mail run taking
800 Klm between Carnarvon and Meekatharra and a Miners Pathway around Mt Magnet
also, which we thought we might like to do sometime – but they are all dirt
roads so I’ll have to reconsider the dust angle. Coming over the hills heading
into Mullewa we witness another amazing sunset. As it is 6pm and we haven’t eaten out for a
while we decide to brave the Mullewa hotel and see if they do dinners. Yes –
because they have miners living there so we have a very nice meal and chat to
an elderley couple from Donnybrook who had sold their caravan when he had a
stroke and were having their first holiday for a few years. They stay in old
pubs or caravan park cabins and were enjoying themselves.
The next morning we visit the Priest House Museum built
by Monsignor Hawes and attached to his church. He was formerly a C of E
minister in England before converting to RC and spent 22 years in Mullewa
designing churches and cathedrals. We watched a video from a Compas program
about him and it seemed to me he was a bit strange – got bitter and twisted
when the Bishop wouldn’t use his designs for Geraldton or Perth cathedrals. He
found a large rock outside town where he held mass for the aborigines and
travelled to many outlying places (in 1920’s) ministering to his flock to his
credit. The house is very tiny with built in benches instead of chairs, but the
church is typical RC with lots of paintings and decorations. It just didn’t
seem to fit in with the local surroundings.
Wednesday 8th and we head back to Dongarra to
visit with Mike & Loris and have a great time relating tales. Calling into
the little starfish café we learn that it has been sold along with the farm and
Macki and that Paul & Chris leave on 1st September to go
travelling. We wish them well and head home a different way and this time find
Ellendale Pool. It gets a big tick for us to return to as it is a lovely spot
along the Greenough river and very popular judging by all the other campers
there.
Thursday sees us go back to Morawa as they have
a windmill museum with 40 in various states. We get a guided tour and meet with
some of their members who were starting to build another shed so they can
display more mills. It is astonishing what people collect – owls, stubbie
holders, cars, windmills!! Morawa was a lovely little town who also got a tick
in the box.
Heading home we stop at War rock where there was a small war with some aborigines, Bilya rock where John Forrest erected a cairn when he was exploring the area and Canna where they have turned the old school into a hall and have a Lutheran church next door. While taking photos a local came over for a chat and told us about the upside down pea at the back of church. It is quite strange as the flowers come out at ground level with leaves and branches above it - very different.
The De Grey stock route ends in Mullewa so as a tribute
they have as their steel statues a mob of cattle with drover and dog. The mob
and drover are on eastern side of street with the dog chasing a stray bullock
on traffic islands which was rather fun.
Friday 10th sees us head to Mingenew where
they have some giant wheat stalks, Three Springs, Carnamah, Coorow and into
Moora. This area was once part of a big glacier and a rock is on display in the main street. It seems unusual until you think that all the rocks around would have been here during the last iceage. Here is another council owned caravan park with free laundry facilities
– don’t know why we couldn’t have found them when I was paying $5.00 per load
to get rid of all the Pilbarra red dust when we were in Meekatharra – alongside
the Moore river where there are numerous trees housing Carnaby Black Cockies.
Moora is another lovely town with a church designed by Hawes and the smallest
presbytery you will ever see. The whole building wouldn’t have been 8 feet
square and the top of pointy roof maybe 12 feet off ground. J would have had to
really bend over to get in the door and I doubt he could have stretched out
inside. This area played host to numerous army campsites during the war and
they all seem to be signposted even though there doesn’t seem to be anything
there to see.
The
western wildflower farm is really what we came to the area for so on Saturday
morning we head up to Coomberdale to see some flowers. What an array they have
drying in the shed where you get a free coffee while you watch a Mal Leyland
video on the area – bit dated but still interesting. What is better is some
large pictures of wildflowers with their names on so I now have the names for a
few of my photos. After exchanging some dollars we leave with a small dried
flower posy for the caravan, a book on WA wildflowers and some postcards to
send off. The previous day we had seen a sign for wildflower drive so that was
our next port of call. Clive and Maureen Tonkin were weeding their front garden
when we drove in so we were given the brochure and directions for the self
drive tour in exchange for $20. We thought it a bit exxy but thoroughily
enjoyed the drive around their paddock. The 2000 ha sheep farm has a large
natural bush area as well as stands of trees grown for timber and sandalwood
nuts. The native orchids were just starting to come up – we will get to see
some in flower one day (I hope). We found some very old Zamia palms along with
a bush caper which gave off a very distinct smell – not unpleasant.
There
were more of the woody pear trees that we saw in Margaret river area, common
and feather smoke bush which we guessed at sago, stirlingia and red verticordia
grandis which we had no idea but may discover one day. Heading back to the
house Maureen invites us over to the shed to see where they preserve the
flowers before sending them off to japan. It is really interesting what the
Japanese want – lots of different colours so the flowers are placed in a
container of preserving gel and then dried. Then they are put into drums of dye
and coloured to order. Banksias are generally left natural but most of the
other flowers are dyed – seemed a shame but heh my little posy has dyed flowers
in it. They were a lovely couple and we spend an hour talking to them about the
area, farming, politics, etc etc.
Sunday
sees us in church at a traditional service which was the first for WA and a
woman rector. The subject for discussion was the retaining/disposing of the
church in Miling so after morning tea we head out to find Miling and it’s poor
church. We can see why it is not economical to keep it going but it still
seemed a bit sad. Heading through Bindi Bindi where someone has painted a face on a very large rock in the middle of a cultivation paddock, towards Piawaning we stop at a
reserve for lunch and find some orchids amongst the rubbish lying around. Miss
the turn to Gillingarra and end up in Mogumber (only has a pub which opens on a
Sunday but we don’t stop) It has been raining all afternoon and of course we
find lots of different plants and I have to wind down the window and get wet
photographing them.
Monday
13th and we head back out on the Dandaragan road and go to
Badgingarra another very small town before heading for Watheroo National Park.
It was disappointing as there weren’t many flowers out only wattles so we end
up having lunch at a lookout which had lots of flowers and wonderful views
across the paddocks of canola and wheat. It was here I saw my favourite flower for the first time - a Eucalyptus maculata - grey leathery leaves spiralling along the branch interspersed with flowers - a really stunning plant.
Crossing the Midland highway we head home along the old
Geraldton road and find the Berkshire Valley museum which we couldn’t find on
Sunday. We drive around looking at the old buildings only to discover it was
closed. Evidently this was one of the first settlements in the area (1869 in
marked on a doorway) and resembles a village in Berkshire. Moora has murals
painted on some of the large walls in centre of town – one on the wool
industry, the 1999 floods are on side of hardware store, the council chambers
mural depicts the damage caused by rising water tables and steps made to
reverse the damage and in federation park is a mural showing draught horses and
kelpies in action with life size bronzes statues in front. A tin soldier in
their war memorial park adds to the enjoyment of the town.
Lunch on wednesday 15th is at the Bindoon Bakery – we have to come back here. The variety of pies and cakes is mouth watering and we eat far too much. On through Toodyay (drop the d to pronounce it) to the Avon Valley Nat Park where we stop for the night and have the Homestead campground all to ourselves. We find a few new plants to photograph on our afternoon walk and a lot that we have seen before. Moving on after a very late breakfast we stop in Northam for lunch and a walk around town. It is bigger than most of the towns we have been through of late and seems quite old, as is York – we must come back here to explore further. Beverley is our stop for the night so we can get to Lakeside by 10am, and is a lovely little town with free laundry at the caravan park.
After
following Glennis’ mudmap we make it to Lakeside on Friday 17th
without any mishaps. Both Wally & Glennis seem very nice and after morning
tea Glennis takes us off for a guided tour. We will meet up again at 3pm for
the afternoon feed routine. We have 4 orphan lambs that are bottle fed and we
can start weaning them – I really didn’t want that noise all over again!! Along
with 2 kangaroos, 2 ducks in their own garden, 2 Lincoln parrots in 1 cage and
2 with a regent who wolf whistles and 3 galahs in another cage, 2 Llamas who
look after themselves but are in paddock next to caravan, numerous turkeys,
hens and roosters in 1 fowl yard and more turkeys, geese, roosters, ducks and
bantams in another yard, Silkie bantams live in an enclosed orchard next to
aircraft hanger, and Forest Gump the emu is in a paddock across from 2 very old
horses – Moonfire is 34 and Starfire is 37. Moonfire is a gelding who is a
little incontinent but very quiet and starfire a pony mare who looks a bit
motheaten at the moment but with all these hens we should find some eggs for
her to improve her coat. We are supposed to start feeding the lambs at 6.45am
but I can’t see that happening. We haven’t been out of bed at that hour since
John finished at the council in December 2010. We visit everyone twice a day
and if we don’t have to feed them let them out of their night pens or lock them
up and check feed and water. The horses are rugged every night and keep their
rugs on if the temperature is going to be below 18 !!! or raining. Anyway
nothing is going to be too difficult as I’ve done it all before. Saturday sees
us meet Terry the farmhand who seems a great bloke so we should have some fun.
On Sunday we go off to the local Aldersyde church with
Glennis. They don’t have a minister – members of the congregation take the
service and they have someone come to preach. It is quite different but
enjoyable and they actually sing the hymns. Ted and Dianne arrive in the
afternoon so it’s old home week for John and lots of stories are told and a few
beers knocked back. We decide to take them to Wave rock on Monday and while
they are climbing the main rock we wander around to Hippo’s yawn where we catch
up. There are lots of little orchids beside the track so I can rest while we take
happy snaps. My ankle is killing me at the moment – think it must be coming
back into cold climate after the heat up north. The Lace museum takes up too
much time so we have to hurry back for the afternoon feeding. I would love to
go back and really look at the lacework that is on display – it is fantastic.
They have all sorts of different laces from the last 150 years some of it
displayed in drawers, other pieces are mounted behind glass. Other modern
Knitted lace dresses are openly displayed but it is all wonderful. The women of
19th century who handmade their lace collars, shawls and dresses
were very talented and had very good eyesight.
Tuesday 21st and another birthday rolls
around. Glennis has invited all of us to dinner which is lovely and we stay
chatting till 10.30pm. She is going up to Perth on Wednesday to do the school
taxi run, so we will be on our own for a few days. Ted is having such a
relaxing time that they decide to stay on, he wants to eat some oranges but
won’t go into the yard with the carnivorous kangaroos so I go in and pick us
some. They are a little tarty but edible and Alice wouldn’t hurt a fly
especially when you have some apple cores or skins as a treat. We feed them
some greens and apples, and they get hay every other day and we keep their
wheat tin topped up as the galahs like to help themselves. I’ve also found that
if Forest Gump doesn’t eat all his wheat at once the galahs come and eat it for
him so we have started giving him ½ at night and the rest in the morning. Ted
and John fix one of Wally’s trucks – think it had light problems and we go into
town for some supplies, lunch and Dianne and I visit the art and crafts in old
railway station. Everything is so cheap I get a scarf for Michelle for her
birthday, one for Narelle for Christmas and a poncho and beret for Zahra’s next
birthday. It is absolutely gorgeous in a pink toned tasselled fabric and should
look very smart on the little mischief miss. Mark and Linda ring on Thursday
morning to say that they are in the area because it is so cold down south, and
coming to visit. I certainly hope Wally doesn’t mind it seems a bit rude to me.
Thursday night is party night with all 6 of us in the cottage for dinner and
drinks. Friday morning Terry gives Mark some tips on where to go and they head
off towards Wave rock and will be back for dinner. Ted and Dianne also head off
down south so we are all alone for a few hours. Saturday sees Mark and Linda
head off down south, they seem to have enjoyed their short stay and may come
back to farm sit if they ever come back to WA. Sunday and we head into Brookton
to the Anglican church and meet Father Norman – an absolute treasure. He is 87
and has recently lost his wife and seems quite crippled but is very informative
and his sermon is punctuated with stops to check out maps of the ancient holy
land. They are having a Blessing of the Fleece service in a shearing shed on 16th
October and we have been invited so that should be different. We learn
subsequently that Father Norman was the rector at Merridin when he was attacked
walking to church one evening and his lameness is because of all the stab
wounds in his back – I hope they caught the perpetrators.
Glennis comes home on Monday with her youngest daughter
Julianne and 2 small grandsons Maximus and Harley who love life on the big farm
– they have a few acres on outskirts of Perth. Julianne has also brought home a
filly she is training, 2 chooks and 2 guinea pigs. Wednesday morning Moonfire
is well and truly off his tucker and behaving very strangely so we report it to
Glennis – we decide that he has stuck his head over the fence to get to new
horse and has been zapped by the electric fence and is now too scared to go near
the fence. Unfortunately his feed trough is an old set of concrete laundry tubs
that aren’t going to be moved in a hurry so he’ll have to get over it.
Wednesday is also Wally’s 71st birthday so we are invited in for
morning tea with birthday cake. Wally says he is going to keep farming till
he’s 80 and then retire to the house they are building on the river at
Yallingup. Terry reckons he isn’t going to work for another 9 years (he is 61)
and did National Service so has a lot in common with J and they get on like a
house on fire. Saturday night Terry & Gwen invite us for dinner and we have
a great evening and end up playing cards (500) till 12.30am!!!
Sunday 2nd is Father’s day and we
head off to Aldersyde to church at 9am only to find out that the service is at
11am so we decide to go driving. Terry had told Mark about the Tin horse
highway and they loved it so we headed off in that direction. On our way into
Kulin we drive through the Kulin Nature reserve and see some lovely flowers but
John takes a wrong turn and we end up driving through the car graveyard. At
some point in the recent past lots of people dumped their cars in here and set
fire to them so it was a bit different; when we eventually get to the fence
along the main road the gate is locked so we turn around and try to retrace our
steps. Fortunately we get back to the bitumen before we are attacked by the
gremlins lurking in the woods and make our way into Kulin. 
The tin horse highway was easy to find – it is the start of the road to Lake Grace and for 15 klms on both sides of the road people have erected horses in various poses and mediums, though mainly iron. It is fantastic and a credit to the imagination and ingenuity of the locals. There were horses playing golf, hockey and tennis, driving carts and wagons, planes and spaceships, even shearing sheep and pumping weights.
A mare and foal in several layers of corrugated iron with a stallion chasing a mare were quite good as was one reading playhorse magazine, and dad and kids on a motorbike.
There were 3 representing the Aust Defence Horses and a seahorse in a dam. It was really an amazing drive.
After lunch in the local café we wander off to look at
Albert Facey’s cottage across the road. He wrote “A Fortunate Life” – a good
book. The gardens in town were great, very well kept and had some interesting
plants in them – the purple native hibiscus was in full bloom and looked great.
Wickepin was our last port of call before home.
This weeks tripping takes us north to Dungin and then
east to Quairading. The pub advertises lunch so we venture in to find two very
weary girls behind the bar. It seems that the night before they had the girls
from Perth in to entertain the boys and had done 96 meals. With the number of
shooter glasses stacked up on the bar still to be washed they had poured a lot
of drinks as well. The girls come up every week for scantie nights – in summer
it is on Thursday nights as that is when cricket training is and in winter it’s
Wednesday night when footie training is on. This week it was also the night of
a local ag expo so all the cow cockies were also in town. All very interesting
and they served a great meal. They told us to go off and see Kokebin rock as it
would have some wild flowers around which we did and on the way home got caught
behind a man bringing sheep along the road. He was shearing and taking the mob
to shed but had been travelling and loved motorbikes – he was a Harley man –
and was in for a chat so an hour later the rouseabout came looking for some
sheep to shear and we bid farewell. While winding our way back towards
Yenyenning lakes, through lots of cultivation we come across the South Caroling
Hall and then later a small stone church. Like most places this must have had
lots of small farms in time gone by and now they have been swallowed up by the
neighbours.
Thursday night is Lions night and as Terry was an Albany
Lion he decides to join us on our trip into Beverley. As normal we are made
feel very welcome and enjoy dinner and fellowship with them. They have 14 members
and do a lot of catering as well as looking after their Lions Park. As they are
holding a golf day and need non golfers to help cook lunch we volunteer and
then they are catering for the West Fly Airshow and need help that day as
several of their members will be away so we are roped in again. It’s all fun
and we get to see something different and meet new people so should be fun if
my ankle holds up. The Lions hold their meetings in the RSL Hall where they have a wonderful bronze soldier to greet you.
9/9 After church today we head to County Peak and get
lost and end up in Beverley but that’s ok we have lunch in the Country Kitchen
where the folks are very friendly, and check out the Lions park along river
bank. Seems the Avon (as in avon cosmetics is not the way this avon is
pronounced it is av-on) but the park is quite nice with picnic tables and free barbeques
and the river has water in it. We go over it in several places where it is just
a few puddles. Finding County Peak I manage to scramble half way up to get a
view of Lakeside from a different angle. The lakes have a little water in them
but with the dry season about to start I can see them being empty quite soon.
Along the Dungin-Meares road we see a farm shed that has a giant lion painted
on it – wish I could take it home – the owner is a staunch Subiaco lions’
supporter. The ducks feeding along the drive into Lakeside decide to stay still
long enough for me to get a few photos so now I should be able to find out what
they are. There are heaps of them but they are pretty skittish. Have since discovered they are shellducks.
In the Kimberly area they have transplanted a huge boab tree that was in the way of a new road so I hope it survives. The whole area has wonderful views over the swan river and the city centre. A couple of hours later we head to the café for lunch and John gets his freshly cooked fish and chips and I wait and wait and wait. Eventually my spinach and feta burger arrives – cold. It would have been nice if it was hot but oh well gives me an idea for later.
Whilst waiting for lunch we marvel at a tree in front of us – it has a twisted trunk and you really wonder how it happened. They have an avenue of honour for fallen soldiers also but used SA gum trees which they say are starting to die – didn’t look like it to me – the trees are huge and looked wonderful – but they tell us that when they die they are being replaced with WA natives. We found 2 trees with 3 plaques underneath. One lot were the Curlewis boys aged 23, 29 and 31. 2 were killed at Galipoli on 2nd and 9th May 1915 and the other one in Egypt on 15th August 1915. One can’t imagine what their poor parents must have gone through.
We drive around KP and then head north as we (J) want to find a Bunnings and camping store for bits and pieces that I am told are essential for our wellbing!!? I hate Bunnings you tramp along endless concrete floors looking at crap till you find what you want and then queue up at the checkout for an eternity. I usually take my kindle and sit in the car reading – much more enjoyable. Fortunately we park near a bazaar so I wander in there and find some bits and pieces for my scrapbook and fillers for some Christmas stockings, while John goes off in his aimless search of Bunnings. We drive up along the coast for a distance looking for a Motel and turn around and come back to Scarborough Beach because they all look expensive. We phone one place who are full but they tell us they have a room in an associated motel so we head there. Someone complains about the price ($120.00) and nearly gets an earful. It is clean and tidy and must be double glazed as we can’t hear the traffic noise. Next door is a resort with a restaurant so we head there for dinner which is very nice. They told us we had to book and that they could fit us in at 7.15pm. We work out that it is because they only have 2 staff on duty and by staggering their diners they can get by with reasonable service – there were 3 tables in use when we arrived and 1 other table with 4 men came in after us. Seemed strange but whatever. Breakfast next morning was down at the beach at a lovely café which had some unusual artworks. I took a photo of 1 piece for future reference. It looked like small balls on strings – balls were round pieces of material and the surrounds were thick blobs of oil paints to define the lines - very effective. I could see something similar as a bedhead. My pancakes with fresh berrys were even tastier.
Dragging ourselves away we go looking for the 10th Light Horse Trail and wander around there for a few hours – we got lost at one stage. I don’t mind getting lost?, when we are driving but not when I am walking so 5 Klms later we get back to the start. It is quite informative as far as they could be – everything is overgrown but there are signs around telling you what used to be there and we find lots of orchids and different plants. We loved the sign for the quartermasters’ store. It was trying to rain but the black cockies thought it was all quite amusing. We found a green flowering small shrub and a pink hardenbergia that were quite unusual.
Saturday 15th and the local paper advertises
an art exhibition in Wandering so we head off. Nine acre rock is just that –
nine acres of granite rock but there don’t seem to be many flowers so we move
on to Boyagin Rock which is much higher and has some interesting plants as well
as a picnic area. While waiting for the billy to boil (we have home made
vanilla slice for morning tea) we find an interesting blob on the side of a
tree. It turns out it is a sap that the aboriginals used to eat as a sweet – it
was too high up for us to try so we took their word for it. At Pumphreys bridge
we find a whole section of the old bridge has collapsed – glad we weren’t
driving over it at the time. This area was settled very early on and the
original stone homestead is still there on the banks of the river. We find the
cultural centre in Wandering but there is no art exhibition on so we head off
towards Pingelly. We have been to Pingelly a few times (they have the chemist
shop) and had seen a sign for the “Cross on the Hill” but couldn’t find it.
Coming into Pingelly we see it in the distance but do you think we can actually
get to it – no way so we give up and head home to feed the animals.
16th and it is Blessing of the Fleece day so
it is off to the shearing shed for church. We meet the rector, a woman, for the
first time and renew our acquaintances with the folks from Brookton church.
They have people from their Beverley church and their sister church in Perth
join them as well so we fill this part of the shed. The shearer is a born again
Christian who we chat to afterwards – seems he once shore for Wally &
Glennis. Glennis and Father Norman had also done some Pastoral care work
together so the world is getting smaller. As usual when everyone brings a plate
to share for lunch there is heaps of lovely food and desert so we will probably
skip dinner. We have a lovely afternoon and chat to an elderly couple from a
farm outside Beverely who invite us to call in for coffee if we are in the
area.
17/9 Two weeks ago Wally & Terry took a double decker
and ute and trailer load of lambs off the Katanning to the abattoir and John
couldn’t go as we were off to Perth, so as they have another semi load to go
today he joins Terry and heads out. Wally sells his dorset/cross lambs direct
to works when they reach 50kg. There is a little leeway either side before you
start getting penalised so hopefully todays 273 will be the correct weight as
there were some big boys in the last load which brought the price down – still
over $100 each. Tuesday sees Peter the shearer come in to shear some stud ewes,
admittedly they were dorsets and the wool is crap but they don’t skirt it –
everything, even locks and stain, is baled up together – I was horrified.
Wally’s brother and nephew bring some merino sheep over for classing by a
professional classer so we go to watch. The classer’s wife puts the small
snippet onto a tray and into the machine and it is micron tested before your
eyes – for me it was fascinating and the classer checks teeth, shape etc and
decides whether to keep the animal or cull it. About a third were culled out
while we watched.
22/9 There is an open garden in Beverley - Johns Rustic Native garden which sounded intrigueing so we after our morning chores we go in search. John has incorporated all sorts of farm junk into the new garden and my John was very impressed - says he would like to do a wall at home whenever we settle down again. It remains to be seen but there were lots of quirky bits and pieces as well as a white flowering native hibiscus and a blue lessenalteur in a wringer washing machine bowl. John is a bit of a character - aren't they all - and spends time giving us a guided tour and explaining various bits and pieces.
Deciding to go home via Mawson we find the bears have all come out for some tree climbing.
The next day Terry and Gwen's son Tim is racing his motorbike in Perth so we go along to watch. It is quite interesting but the wait between races ( every 5th one was Tim's) gets a bit boring so Gwen crochets and I read. Tim has 2 bikes a Honda and a Yamaha and broke both of them that day - guess it comes with the territory. The riders are well kitted out to help prevent injury if they come off. One bike was so well covered with grafitti it always came last. Any relevance between sidecar racing and touring is fanciful and if John ever thinks I'm going to get into a sidecar he will be committed to a mental institution quick smart. The passenger in side car isn't actually in it he hangs out the sides desperately trying to keep the bike upright. However we had a lovely day and Terry stopped at the strawberry farm we found when we left 10th Light Horse Park, so we could all stock up. (4 punnets for $12.00)
24/9
Terry has been telling us about the Quandong, rare Banksia and Sandalwood trees
in the area so after feeding the animals their dinners we go searching. We find
what we think are the Quandong trees with their red fruits but don’t seem to
find anything that resembles the Sandalwood. The rare Banksias are along the
road between Lakeside and the Corrigin road and look lovely in flower. After Terry's inspection next morning we find that the red fruit is actually an insect gall on the sandalwood tree - so we still don't know what the Quandong tree looks like.
While
driving home and with no other vehicles in the area the driver’s window
smashes. John says it was a stone but I am not so sure. The stone had to bend
around to get from under the wheel, under the mirror and do a 90* angle to hit
in the corner where it did. I still think it was a bullet that was at the end
of its projection and didn’t have enough power to go right through the glass
just shatter it. The tinting was the only thing holding it together –
fortunately because it was drizzleing. Next morning we phone the insurance
company who promise to sms the claim number – but don’t, and then the glass
repair people in Narrogin who promise to get a window overnight from Perth
which they do – so in the freezing cold and wet we head down south. Narrogin is
the largest town in the area and has some lovely shops – crafty, gift, and
nursery/homewares so it is easy to fill in the 2 hours. Whilst looking around we talk to a woman in Steptoe and sons
antiques about getting my opal set into some jewelry. The woman who makes the
jewelry on display isn’t in today but will be the next when it just so happens
we will be back to get the car serviced. You wouldn’t believe it but she came
from Pittsworth and I knew her older sister and brother and they lived across
the railway line. We have a good chinwag about Pittsworth and leave as she
didn’t have anything in the size to fit my opal. It is the most miserable day –
sleeting every half hour so you have to run between shops and stay indoors for
as long as possible. Morning tea in a homewares/nursery spot with a fire going
is very pleasant and we find a gorgeous pink hat with a spray of flowers on it
that would suit Lilly - unfortunately it is too small and they don’t have any
others. We chat to Lilly and she wants to know when we are coming to visit
again – it is heart wrenching when we have to keep saying not till Christmas –
maybe we will change our plans and get there earlier. After not being impressed
with lunch at the café yesterday we go to the pub for lunch and it is much
better and quite full – so it fills in a bit more time. On our way back to the
car we find another craft shop and buy some letters for the Sydney kids for
Christmas. A big L, J & Z which we will paint and decorate for them to put
up on the doors or walls of their bedrooms. The previous day I had bought some
wool and knitting needles from another craft shop to make scarves for presents
and today I found a different material – netting that I bought to make one for
June, so I am going to be busy. It is getting so cold that we head back to the
Mitsubishi dealer to wait. At 4.15pm and with no sign of the car I walk up to
Coles to get the groceries. At 5.15pm John gets the car back - 7 hours to do a
service so it had better be right. It is our last fixed price service –
60,000Klms or 4 years and we have done it in 15 months. As it is still light
and the heater in the car is working well we head home via the Dryandra
woodland – another nature reserve with lots of flowering trees and shrubs. This
one also has a Lions camping ground which is very neat and tidy and the tanks
have been painted with flowers, birds and aboriginal motifs and look great. It
is so cold and still raining occasionally so we drive around instead of going
off on walks.
The caravan park area looks ok so we mark it off as a
place to come back to – maybe a bit later in the year. Coming home through
Pingelly we once again see the cross on the hill but can’t find it. There is a
big patch of pink flowering shrubs along the side of the road in one spot that
look lovely – don’t know what they are or why they are only in the one spot.
29/9 Terry and John head off to the West Fly Airshow to
help Beverley Lions out and I get into the cleaning, washing and packing and
then get to do some more of my blog. They have a good day and come home full of
beans. It was relatively slow sales wise, and the display was disappointing but
the friendship was rewarding, even if it came at the expense of not watching
the Grand Final. He also realised that he will never be able to afford a plane.
Terry & Gwen were coming for dinner but Terry’s twin sister Lorraine and
their Aunt are staying the night so we head up the hill for dinner instead.
Have a great night Aunt Ruth is 91 and going great – still lives in her own
home in Narrogin. Lorraine does very fine bead work where she knits small dolls
dresses with loops of beads around the skirt. Very intricate, detailed and
extremely well done – don’t know whether my eyes would be good enough. They are
all very crafty so we check out their current projects and some pattern books
and bid goodnight about 11.30pm.
Sunday morning and we go back to Aldersyde church with
Glennis and then her and Wally come for a farewell lunch. We have a long chat
and will be sad to leave as they are wonderful people. It is so late when lunch
finishes that we don’t have time to fill up all the wheat tins tonight so will
have to do it in the morning.
Monday
1st October and we finish all our jobs and have lunch before hitting
the road, up through Bruce Rock to Merridin. We decide to keep going and stop
at Burracoppin at a freebie camp in park in front of the hotel. Burracoppin has
seen better days, the park was potholed and overgrown and the hotel closed for
renovations? And the noise from all the roadtrains travelling the Kalgoolie –
Perth highway keeps me awake most of the night – it was compensated for with a
glorious sunrise. The water pipeline to Kalgoolie was next to the park so you
could get a really good idea of the size of it – how they ever keep enough
water in the dam in Perth to keep supplying that amount to K is amazing.
With
nothing to keep us there we head towards Southern Cross and find some
imaginative people had transformed their haybales into works of art. There were
lots of flowers along the roadside and I get someone to stop for a short Kodak
moment before we get into Coolgardie where there were some lovely old buildings
but nothing in the way of flower gardens.
An open air museum in the main street has some quirky bits in along with the smallest National Bank Building you will ever see. We arrive at the pub for lunch as a bus load were leaving so things were a bit chaotic but they let us stay. There is an old house here that is now a museum, that the Bunnings' boys built before they made a name for themselves in the retail game – it was closed but we will have to come back one day.
With nothing much else here we head towards Norseman and
our overnight camp in the bush about 40 klms north. Wednesday is a looooong day as we don’t stop for
anything but fuel and a quick lunch, and a very short kodak moment along the road near Mundrabilla to take some more flower photos and make it to our overnight stop at
Moodini Pass just on dusk. We don’t go into the lookout as it is late and we
have the caravan on but will have to another time as it is amazing. You think
you are travelling along a flat plain and I guess you are but the next minute
you are wizzing down the mountain side. Tomorrow will be a much shorter day
(hopefully) as we will cross the border and spend the night somewhere on the
Bight.
As we can’t take any fresh food into SA we cook up all
the potatoes, pumpkin, carrots and onions we have leftover and put them in the
freezer. Heading down the longest straight stretch of road doesn’t seem
anywhere near as long as it did coming across and there didn’t seem to be as
many RFDS airstrips as there were – must have dozed off. You don’t have to stop
at the quarantine station in Eucla when travelling east so our first stop is at
the 12k peg for a walk along the cliffs of Bight. It never ceases to be awe
inspiring – it is so steep and the water is so blue. It was very hazy today as
there was quite a cold southerly wind blowing. We have lunch at our favourite
133k peg and then go on to the 256k peg for our overnight camp. It was quite
popular and in our endeavour to get away from everyone else we? Managed to get
bogged in the sand and had to unhook the van, move the ute out onto hard ground
and then hook up again. Would have been fun if it hadn’t been so cold, and we
both had filthy feed and had to have a mini bath before bed. This isn’t as easy
as it once did because we now have a twin tub washing machine in the shower
recess. While wasting time one day J found a washing machine on the internet
that was very cheap so he bought it – which is nice except that it makes life
quite difficult going to the toilet nowadays.
The man on quarantine duties in Ceduna passed us
through after a quick look in the fridge and we hit the caravan park showers in
record time and then go down town for some groceries and a trip to the oyster
bar. Tonights’ tea will feature 2 dozen oysters as entrée – yummmmmmm. The
couple in the next caravan tell us that there is a fish factory at Thevenard
that sells oysters at $7.50 dozen so on Saturday afternoon we drive down there
to seek them out. No such luck but we do find some lovely snapper and some
smoked snook that we have to try. Our drive around to the wharf has us waiting
for a trainload of gypsum to go past. There was a large cargo ship tied up –
don’t know if it was waiting for the gypsum or not. There is no church service
tomorrow – hope our stressed friend is ok – so we decide to head towards
Minnipa.Now you will have to click on SA revisited to get the next installment. I have also placed the last of the photos from WA somewhere unknown.
