After a very quiet night we had a slow start to the day , packing up and getting on the road at 10am . The road today took us north then northwest , through wheat , lupin and canola fields , past some very large lakes , small towns and following the railway tracks north .
The soil varied from orange to red to brown and then to white sand as we got closer to Walkaway . Yellow daisies started to appear beside the road , then increased to be several acres of them .
Stopping at Walkaway for some lunch and a break , before we headed into Geraldton .It was an interesting drive today over some average roads , and some very good roads , best of all they were all quiet . We had wanted to see this area when things are green , well with the rain they've been having , we got our wish . It's a completely different landscape from the way we saw it in October last year . Travelling through Mingenew was an eye opener - we drove here last year in December when we were at Port Denison , the wheat fields were huge and today we found some that are even bigger . Farmers are busy at the moment getting their Lupins and canola in the ground - big 6 wheel teachers pulling their seeders and a seed bin , sewing a 20m wide row . Others are busy spraying their fields , killing off weeds and anything else unwanted , before ploughing and or seeding them .
Arriving in Geraldton , it was nice to feel some warmth , the jeans can go back in the wardrobe for a while - got to be happy with that !!!
Todays map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-6X49Opz7JbfEYZ3HAOInswFtTI&usp=sharing
The starting point
Saturday 30 April 2016
Friday 29 April 2016
29/4/16 To a greater calling
Time to move again , no rain overnight , but it's threatening again today . Off up the road to New Norcia - Australia's only monastic town !!
The rain was coming in showers , sometimes heavier than others , definitely not required by us , but the farmers are happy .
The Great Northern Highway goes through Bindoon , we meet this road again just north of town and continue north . It was nice to get back onto a wide road with a metre wide centre line section - it still has the white lines - solid or broken as appropriate - but it gives you some breathing space between yourself and the oncoming traffic - especially nice when its a triple or quadruple road train !!
As it turned out we didn't have a lot of traffic on our drive today . We pulled into New Norcia and parked at the top of the carpark at the visitor centre & museum at 10:45 , and wandered into the centre , and as luck would have it , a tour was leaving at 11am , so we took it .
The first thing that takes your attention , are the the buildings , grand 2 & 3 storey buildings stretch out in front of you no matter which direction you face . The first one we took notice of was the hotel - not your average hotel either . They sell Abbey Ale - a small glass is all you need - it's 14 % alcohol
and has a kick like a mule !!
Beside the hotel and the convent is a patch of lawn that leads to the forest at the back , quite nice setting - it's part of the one million acres they were given - a bit smaller now , as they've given sections away - it's still a very large piece of real estate . They grow their own wheat & canola , honey , wine & ale . They also run sheep , have the museum & shop , run tours and also the hotel . They also have school groups & anyone else that wants to hire the dormitories out - for biblical reasons of course !!
The main entry to St Gertrudes College was lined with huge palms .
The Benedictine Monks found a clay bank that they used for brick making whilst building this town. Shame the salt content of the bricks was so high and they didn't fire them for long enough - now they are decaying rapidly as can be seen in this brick wall . They have done a lot of restoration work on the other side of the wall to save the walls - ongoing maintenance is going to be fairly high !!!
It seems a little strange that you have all these buildings , some of which are built right beside the highway , with road trains & trucks rumbling past . The Convent building is one of these . Fortunately there are plans for a town bypass .
There were mission houses utilised for housing for aboriginals , most of which have now fallen apart - only one remains now .
The monastery itself is a private residence for the monks and we couldn't access it - we got to look in the gate to the courtyard .
Across the road is the Abbey Church , still used for Sunday Services . It has a clock tower with 4 bells below it . It is an odd shaped building and seemed to be like a cross inside .
On the walls are murals done in the plaster - not you average murals - these have been carved into the plaster - but there are 3 distinct layers of coloured plaster , and as you carve one layer off , you reveal the colour of the next layer . It is an Italian artistic method , and we can't remember what it's called , but here is one of them .
The ceilings are pressed metal , individually made and painted here .
The body of Dom Salvado lies in the church in an Italian Marble tomb . He was the founder of this town & monastery .
Another of the buildings is St Ildephonsus College .
Next we wandering across the highway to the flour mill , an interesting building - 3 levels - one for grain storage , one for the grinding , and one for the engine room . The 3 engines that were in use at various stages are still in place . The flour mill was still used up into the 1970's , and bread is still baked on the premises , and only sold here .
We walked back around to St Ildephonsus College and were taken into the chapel . It too has murals and a curved ceiling of pressed metal tiles . This college was for boys , and has dormitories either side of the chapel , and a courtyard .
We then headed up to St Gertrudes - another college , this one for girls , again similar to the boys , with dormitories either side of the chapel .
That ended our tour , it was now 1:15pm , so we had lunch before getting back on the highway to continue our journey to the warmth of the central west .
We drove up to Moora and decided to continue on to Coorow . It was 3:30 when we arrived , so decided to call it quits for today . There is a little council run caravan park in town for $25 for a powered site - it works on an honesty system - you put your money in an envelope and into a secure box in the laundry building , which we duly did .
Well , that's your lot for today , here's a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=19xV2ly6n1lHfgFOqWoih1QM61yA&usp=sharing
The rain was coming in showers , sometimes heavier than others , definitely not required by us , but the farmers are happy .
The Great Northern Highway goes through Bindoon , we meet this road again just north of town and continue north . It was nice to get back onto a wide road with a metre wide centre line section - it still has the white lines - solid or broken as appropriate - but it gives you some breathing space between yourself and the oncoming traffic - especially nice when its a triple or quadruple road train !!
As it turned out we didn't have a lot of traffic on our drive today . We pulled into New Norcia and parked at the top of the carpark at the visitor centre & museum at 10:45 , and wandered into the centre , and as luck would have it , a tour was leaving at 11am , so we took it .
The first thing that takes your attention , are the the buildings , grand 2 & 3 storey buildings stretch out in front of you no matter which direction you face . The first one we took notice of was the hotel - not your average hotel either . They sell Abbey Ale - a small glass is all you need - it's 14 % alcohol
and has a kick like a mule !!
Beside the hotel and the convent is a patch of lawn that leads to the forest at the back , quite nice setting - it's part of the one million acres they were given - a bit smaller now , as they've given sections away - it's still a very large piece of real estate . They grow their own wheat & canola , honey , wine & ale . They also run sheep , have the museum & shop , run tours and also the hotel . They also have school groups & anyone else that wants to hire the dormitories out - for biblical reasons of course !!
The main entry to St Gertrudes College was lined with huge palms .
The Benedictine Monks found a clay bank that they used for brick making whilst building this town. Shame the salt content of the bricks was so high and they didn't fire them for long enough - now they are decaying rapidly as can be seen in this brick wall . They have done a lot of restoration work on the other side of the wall to save the walls - ongoing maintenance is going to be fairly high !!!
It seems a little strange that you have all these buildings , some of which are built right beside the highway , with road trains & trucks rumbling past . The Convent building is one of these . Fortunately there are plans for a town bypass .
There were mission houses utilised for housing for aboriginals , most of which have now fallen apart - only one remains now .
The monastery itself is a private residence for the monks and we couldn't access it - we got to look in the gate to the courtyard .
Across the road is the Abbey Church , still used for Sunday Services . It has a clock tower with 4 bells below it . It is an odd shaped building and seemed to be like a cross inside .
On the walls are murals done in the plaster - not you average murals - these have been carved into the plaster - but there are 3 distinct layers of coloured plaster , and as you carve one layer off , you reveal the colour of the next layer . It is an Italian artistic method , and we can't remember what it's called , but here is one of them .
The ceilings are pressed metal , individually made and painted here .
The body of Dom Salvado lies in the church in an Italian Marble tomb . He was the founder of this town & monastery .
Another of the buildings is St Ildephonsus College .
Next we wandering across the highway to the flour mill , an interesting building - 3 levels - one for grain storage , one for the grinding , and one for the engine room . The 3 engines that were in use at various stages are still in place . The flour mill was still used up into the 1970's , and bread is still baked on the premises , and only sold here .
We walked back around to St Ildephonsus College and were taken into the chapel . It too has murals and a curved ceiling of pressed metal tiles . This college was for boys , and has dormitories either side of the chapel , and a courtyard .
We then headed up to St Gertrudes - another college , this one for girls , again similar to the boys , with dormitories either side of the chapel .
That ended our tour , it was now 1:15pm , so we had lunch before getting back on the highway to continue our journey to the warmth of the central west .
We drove up to Moora and decided to continue on to Coorow . It was 3:30 when we arrived , so decided to call it quits for today . There is a little council run caravan park in town for $25 for a powered site - it works on an honesty system - you put your money in an envelope and into a secure box in the laundry building , which we duly did .
Well , that's your lot for today , here's a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=19xV2ly6n1lHfgFOqWoih1QM61yA&usp=sharing
Thursday 28 April 2016
28/4/16 Rainy day
The rain started early this morning , just light drizzle , but it did increase as the day went on . There were some breaks , and the sun shone through , but generally it was a wet day .
We washed , hung clothes out , brought clothes in , hung clothes out , brought clothes in , then finally strung a line inside the van , hung the clothes out again , and turned the aircon on to dry it .
After lunch we headed out for a drive to Chittering and Bindoon , to get out for a while . The drive took us through river valleys , rolling hills and citrus growing areas . The weather didn't really improve at all , so unfortunately no photos today .
There are thousands upon thousands of grass trees around here , we went past Blackboy Ridge where there were plenty of them !!
There is also an Army training area at Bindoon .
We found a great Stop sign today - as we approached a T intersection , there was a Stop sign ahead that was fine , but there is a railway crossing about 100m away from the intersection , and that's where you have to Stop - the intersection has a Give Way sign !! Trouble being , you are going around a corner and you're on top of the rail crossing before you know it !!! Glad we weren't towing the van today , might have been interesting to stop that quickly !!
Here's the map link:- https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YLY79RemH9qOt0HO2jVNj0Xj_2w&usp=sharing
We washed , hung clothes out , brought clothes in , hung clothes out , brought clothes in , then finally strung a line inside the van , hung the clothes out again , and turned the aircon on to dry it .
After lunch we headed out for a drive to Chittering and Bindoon , to get out for a while . The drive took us through river valleys , rolling hills and citrus growing areas . The weather didn't really improve at all , so unfortunately no photos today .
There are thousands upon thousands of grass trees around here , we went past Blackboy Ridge where there were plenty of them !!
There is also an Army training area at Bindoon .
We found a great Stop sign today - as we approached a T intersection , there was a Stop sign ahead that was fine , but there is a railway crossing about 100m away from the intersection , and that's where you have to Stop - the intersection has a Give Way sign !! Trouble being , you are going around a corner and you're on top of the rail crossing before you know it !!! Glad we weren't towing the van today , might have been interesting to stop that quickly !!
Here's the map link:- https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YLY79RemH9qOt0HO2jVNj0Xj_2w&usp=sharing
Wednesday 27 April 2016
27/4/16 We're Baaaaaack
Hi there , we've had a great week at Emma & Mike's for their house warming party .
I got to go to the Dockers & Carlton AFL game - very impressive at the game , neither side played exceptionally well , but the intensity of the game and the atmosphere was terrific !!
I rekindled my brick laying skills , helping to build a retaining wall , planter box and a mail box - Lyn , Emma & Mike assisted , and we got a bit accomplished , much to their delight !!
There was a cold front come through on Tuesday morning , bringing rain and cooling things down dramatically - it helped make up our minds about our next direction - NORTH !!
After doing some shopping at Ikea in Perth , we headed back to York where we had stored the van for 5 days . Arriving at 4pm , we unloaded quickly as there was a shower of rain about to hit us . The rain came and only lasted about 5mins , so we hitched up and headed back , parking where we had been last week . Angela and Franz came out to greet us again , it's always good to see them .
It was a cold night , getting down to 8 degrees , but seemed to warm up quickly when you were standing in the sun - it only managed around 18 degrees today !!
We packed quickly and talked slowly , but managed to chat for over an hour !! Saying our goodbyes to Angela and Franz , we headed off , making our way to Northam to do some food shopping and to pick up a full gas bottle . Parking near the information centre seemed to be the best idea , and walk to the supermarket from there - it was only about 300m away .
Shopping done , gas bottle procured , we had some lunch before leaving at 1:30pm , heading to Toodyay . The road seemed to follow the Avon River , and was a picturesque drive . The fields were getting very green , this area seemed to be more sheep country . Along the way you get to see the dark waters of the river .
Arriving at Toodyay , we were impressed by the old buildings and river , so we turned around and went back to one of the 2 caravan parks here , booking in for a couple of nights . After setting up , we headed back into town via another road that took us up & over the ridge and into another part of the river valley to the west .
Following the road down to the river & railway , we made our way back into town , the afternoon sun was hitting the buildings at the right angle , making the buildings glow .
We got all religious again - here is the Marian Friary .
After that we headed down to the river , very green grass on either side . It's amazing how much the countryside has changed - going from dusty brown & grey to vibrant green - amazing what a little bit of rain can do !!
We headed back to the van, calling it quits for today . There are free Bbq's to use at the park , so I pulled the cover off and the lid , ready for use . I noticed something on my jacket and went inside - it was what I thought - A Scorpion !!! albeit a very small one ! All this time wandering about WA bush and we run into a scorpion on a Bbq cover , mind you , that will be enough biting / stinging things - we don't need to see anymore that closely !!
That's it for today , here's a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JEfGBVyrvEI5u6VK6VUN1cAmJfo&usp=sharing
I got to go to the Dockers & Carlton AFL game - very impressive at the game , neither side played exceptionally well , but the intensity of the game and the atmosphere was terrific !!
I rekindled my brick laying skills , helping to build a retaining wall , planter box and a mail box - Lyn , Emma & Mike assisted , and we got a bit accomplished , much to their delight !!
There was a cold front come through on Tuesday morning , bringing rain and cooling things down dramatically - it helped make up our minds about our next direction - NORTH !!
After doing some shopping at Ikea in Perth , we headed back to York where we had stored the van for 5 days . Arriving at 4pm , we unloaded quickly as there was a shower of rain about to hit us . The rain came and only lasted about 5mins , so we hitched up and headed back , parking where we had been last week . Angela and Franz came out to greet us again , it's always good to see them .
It was a cold night , getting down to 8 degrees , but seemed to warm up quickly when you were standing in the sun - it only managed around 18 degrees today !!
We packed quickly and talked slowly , but managed to chat for over an hour !! Saying our goodbyes to Angela and Franz , we headed off , making our way to Northam to do some food shopping and to pick up a full gas bottle . Parking near the information centre seemed to be the best idea , and walk to the supermarket from there - it was only about 300m away .
Shopping done , gas bottle procured , we had some lunch before leaving at 1:30pm , heading to Toodyay . The road seemed to follow the Avon River , and was a picturesque drive . The fields were getting very green , this area seemed to be more sheep country . Along the way you get to see the dark waters of the river .
Arriving at Toodyay , we were impressed by the old buildings and river , so we turned around and went back to one of the 2 caravan parks here , booking in for a couple of nights . After setting up , we headed back into town via another road that took us up & over the ridge and into another part of the river valley to the west .
Following the road down to the river & railway , we made our way back into town , the afternoon sun was hitting the buildings at the right angle , making the buildings glow .
We got all religious again - here is the Marian Friary .
After that we headed down to the river , very green grass on either side . It's amazing how much the countryside has changed - going from dusty brown & grey to vibrant green - amazing what a little bit of rain can do !!
We headed back to the van, calling it quits for today . There are free Bbq's to use at the park , so I pulled the cover off and the lid , ready for use . I noticed something on my jacket and went inside - it was what I thought - A Scorpion !!! albeit a very small one ! All this time wandering about WA bush and we run into a scorpion on a Bbq cover , mind you , that will be enough biting / stinging things - we don't need to see anymore that closely !!
That's it for today , here's a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=1JEfGBVyrvEI5u6VK6VUN1cAmJfo&usp=sharing
Tuesday 19 April 2016
19/4/16 The blog is going on holiday
It is time for the blog to have a rest for a week , we will be back in action again Wednesday of next week . Till then , have a great week !!! Cheers
Monday 18 April 2016
18/4/16 Cast off , Cast on
Groundhog day , raining again !! We get up & get organised , then take Lyn down to the hospital for the all important checkup ........
I dropped Lyn at the front of the hospital and headed back to finish packing & hitching the van .
All hitched and packed and emptied , I headed back down the road and parked , then wandered into the hospital emergency department .
Xray done , we waited for the nurse practitioner to call us in , which they did after a while . They then proceeded to cut the cast off . Lyn had some relief when the cast finally came off , it was short live however , as her wrist started to hurt , and was sore to touch in places !!
Time for another Xray , and back into the emergency dept again . We waited as the Xray was developed and delivered the 15m to emergency . We got to give the arm a wash , which was some more relief for Lyn , the pain was subsiding a bit as well .
The nurse practitioner was chatting to the resident doctor , they were discussing the Xray . They said it was 6 weeks to repair the break for a child/ teenager , but half that again for mature people , then even longer for older people . The break had healed nicely in the middle of the break , but not so well on the outside edges of the break , so that meant another cast for another couple of weeks !!
Not the news we were looking for , but it could have been much worse !!
Jerome - our nurse practitioner - was great , he then applied a fibreglass cast , that is much lighter and far less bulky , and Lyn's hand is now in a more natural position - much more comfortable !!
With that done , we headed north through Caballing , Yornaning , Popanyinning , Pingelly , Brookton , Kokeby , Beverley , East Beverley , Greenhills and finally Malebelling . I think we got all the ings covered there !!! We pulled in at White Gums for a few days - we were here earlier - late January .
We did stop in Brookton for some shopping and lunch , it's a small town , more of a regional shopping point for the farmers etc .
We surprised Angela & Franz , it was nice to see them again , Garth came over for a chat as well . After chatting for a while , it started to cool off , so we put jumpers back on and set up camp . The park has been improved since we were here last - there are a few more sites , the amenities are all finished and functioning , the garden is growing - tomatoes were out ( most are green ) , there is a large concrete pipe on end that is used as a worm farm / compost heap , and a few more tracks have been made . Fences have been put between sites and caravan clubs are utilising the park regularly .
That's it for today , sorry no photo's , but here's map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=11ju9EaJvFv-zy9Kg7gx005WSF2U&usp=sharing
I dropped Lyn at the front of the hospital and headed back to finish packing & hitching the van .
All hitched and packed and emptied , I headed back down the road and parked , then wandered into the hospital emergency department .
Xray done , we waited for the nurse practitioner to call us in , which they did after a while . They then proceeded to cut the cast off . Lyn had some relief when the cast finally came off , it was short live however , as her wrist started to hurt , and was sore to touch in places !!
Time for another Xray , and back into the emergency dept again . We waited as the Xray was developed and delivered the 15m to emergency . We got to give the arm a wash , which was some more relief for Lyn , the pain was subsiding a bit as well .
The nurse practitioner was chatting to the resident doctor , they were discussing the Xray . They said it was 6 weeks to repair the break for a child/ teenager , but half that again for mature people , then even longer for older people . The break had healed nicely in the middle of the break , but not so well on the outside edges of the break , so that meant another cast for another couple of weeks !!
Not the news we were looking for , but it could have been much worse !!
Jerome - our nurse practitioner - was great , he then applied a fibreglass cast , that is much lighter and far less bulky , and Lyn's hand is now in a more natural position - much more comfortable !!
With that done , we headed north through Caballing , Yornaning , Popanyinning , Pingelly , Brookton , Kokeby , Beverley , East Beverley , Greenhills and finally Malebelling . I think we got all the ings covered there !!! We pulled in at White Gums for a few days - we were here earlier - late January .
We did stop in Brookton for some shopping and lunch , it's a small town , more of a regional shopping point for the farmers etc .
We surprised Angela & Franz , it was nice to see them again , Garth came over for a chat as well . After chatting for a while , it started to cool off , so we put jumpers back on and set up camp . The park has been improved since we were here last - there are a few more sites , the amenities are all finished and functioning , the garden is growing - tomatoes were out ( most are green ) , there is a large concrete pipe on end that is used as a worm farm / compost heap , and a few more tracks have been made . Fences have been put between sites and caravan clubs are utilising the park regularly .
That's it for today , sorry no photo's , but here's map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=11ju9EaJvFv-zy9Kg7gx005WSF2U&usp=sharing
Sunday 17 April 2016
17/4/16 A big drive
Woken by rain again this morning , not heavy , but constant . We had a leisurely breakfast and waited patiently for the rain to pass , before packing up . We drove out the gate at 10am , heading off to Narrogin .
The road followed the river for quite a way through sheep country , scattered with wheat fields in the process of being seeded ready for the next crop .
Before long we had found the golf club on the outskirts of Narrogin , over the hill and here we are , we drive into the park and head to the office . Apologising for being here at 10:20 am wasn't required and we drove over and set up , all done and sitting reading information by 11am - what a huge day !!
The local chamber of commerce has been kind enough to encourage visitors to the caravan park by offering a $10 voucher to be used in town at a variety of shops - you get one voucher per stay !! We spent ours at the local supermarket .
Time for a drive around town , Narrogin is a large town with a population of 5300 , supporting several car dealers , 2 supermarkets , a lot of smaller shops and also a lot of rural industries . The town hall looks great .
There are lots of older houses , and the railway was probably a source of additional employment .
We headed out one street that lead us out of town to the east , taking us past a trucking company depot and then into the wheat fields . The Salmon Gums are more prevalent here , and one really stood out - it was extremely white , with the top branches being the typical bronze colour .
The wattle is starting to flower here as well , there are many different types in this area .
That's it for today ,
here is a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=1u5erS8vx_QqpKcBRwnBVN9thPM8&usp=sharing
The road followed the river for quite a way through sheep country , scattered with wheat fields in the process of being seeded ready for the next crop .
Before long we had found the golf club on the outskirts of Narrogin , over the hill and here we are , we drive into the park and head to the office . Apologising for being here at 10:20 am wasn't required and we drove over and set up , all done and sitting reading information by 11am - what a huge day !!
The local chamber of commerce has been kind enough to encourage visitors to the caravan park by offering a $10 voucher to be used in town at a variety of shops - you get one voucher per stay !! We spent ours at the local supermarket .
Time for a drive around town , Narrogin is a large town with a population of 5300 , supporting several car dealers , 2 supermarkets , a lot of smaller shops and also a lot of rural industries . The town hall looks great .
There are lots of older houses , and the railway was probably a source of additional employment .
We headed out one street that lead us out of town to the east , taking us past a trucking company depot and then into the wheat fields . The Salmon Gums are more prevalent here , and one really stood out - it was extremely white , with the top branches being the typical bronze colour .
Back to town and round a few more roads , past the sporting complex and horse racing track - there were some races on today !! Back to the park , we unloaded the food , then went for a walk down the road to check out the hospital - your now thinking , why are they checking out the hospital ??? - well tomorrow Lyn gets an Xray and hopefully gets rid of the cast on her arm !!!
On the way down we went past a tree that was flowering - it has the most amazing flower . It starts of in a bud , then comes out yellow , then pink , before blooming into a deep red ball with cream stamens - stunning !!
The wattle is starting to flower here as well , there are many different types in this area .
That's it for today ,
here is a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=1u5erS8vx_QqpKcBRwnBVN9thPM8&usp=sharing
Saturday 16 April 2016
16/4/16 A day at Williams
Overcast skies greet us today , but it is warmer at least . The cloud gradually broke up during the morning and we had some moments of sun throughout the day .
The ute got a rest today , we decided to go over to the Williams Gateway Expo . There were market stalls selling all the usual stuff , a few private producers with jams , chutneys etc , we tasted a few nice chilli ones , and some sheep cheese . There were also archery displays , sheep judging , sheep dog exhibits , a band , a car display , boy scouts with an adventure area and a climbing wall , a couple of speedway cars raced around the oval and a band was playing .
After walking around looking at everything , we discovered another display - there was a wedge tailed eagle , 3 owls - southern boobook owl , barking owl and a barn owl , as well as a brown falcon. All the birds were amazing , the wedge tail was 9 years old and the lady had had him since he was 6 months old .
The ute got a rest today , we decided to go over to the Williams Gateway Expo . There were market stalls selling all the usual stuff , a few private producers with jams , chutneys etc , we tasted a few nice chilli ones , and some sheep cheese . There were also archery displays , sheep judging , sheep dog exhibits , a band , a car display , boy scouts with an adventure area and a climbing wall , a couple of speedway cars raced around the oval and a band was playing .
After walking around looking at everything , we discovered another display - there was a wedge tailed eagle , 3 owls - southern boobook owl , barking owl and a barn owl , as well as a brown falcon. All the birds were amazing , the wedge tail was 9 years old and the lady had had him since he was 6 months old .
Southern Boobook Owl - winking at us
Barking Owl
Barn Owl
Brown Falcon
The plumage on the birds was beautiful , with the Barn Owl probably the most colourful . they were all great . You could touch the eagle and give him a scratch - he loved it !!
There was a fair range of older vehicles , some hotrods , speedway cars and bike , it was a good display - the photos will show you .
1965 Jap 2 speed speedway slider - Lyn did ask whether the 2 speeds were stop & flat out !!
A V12 hotrod with a very high gear stick
1965 Mustang Coupe
Model T Ford - now a V8 monster
A very pink Ford Customline
I've decided there are more Ford Mustangs - of all ages and models - here in WA , I have seen over 50 so far - all of them are drivable and in immaculate condition .
We headed back to the van for some lunch and a nanna nap , waking in time for some cheese & bickies and a beer . The evening was signed off by the fireworks at the expo , we weren't expecting too much , but the display went for about 15 mins and had a good crowd watching .
That's it for today .
Friday 15 April 2016
15/4/16 A day of indecision
We wake this morning to low cloud and drizzly rain , the cloud was touching the ground !! As we had breakfast , the rain eased and gradually stopped , so we went about our pack up routine . We were in no hurry as we'd planned to just go to the next town , but we drove out at 9am .
We headed north to Wagin ( pronounced wage - in ) , and had arrived there well before 10am . Driving round town , we found the show ground , you can stay there for $12 a night with power & water - but you have to be self contained ( have tanks for grey & black water ) . Getting out to check where we could park , we noticed the breeze was a little bit on the brisk side , the temperature was only 14 degrees -, jumping back in the warmth of the ute , we surveyed the situation , checked other possible destinations , chose one , then another , will we stay here , no lets go there , on second thought , maybe we should go here instead - procrastination at its best !!!
Eventually , we drove out of Wagin and headed west to Arthur River , then north to Williams , arriving just after 12 noon . We paid for a couple of nights , and to top it off , we'd actually arrived in town the day before the annual Williams Gateway Expo !!!
Now Williams is predominantly sheep country , but they do grow wheat & canola as well , so the expo is more about wool & sheep , but there will be a car show , sheep shearing, sheep dog trials , art exhibition , food stalls , kids entertainment and fireworks to top it all off . How lucky were we ???
After lunch we went for a drive - as you do when you don't know what else to do - we were told about a pub out in the country that has bands playing on weekends , and they can serve 120 - 150 meals on Sundays , so we thought we better have a look . It was at Quindanning , a locality that has a pub , a church and a couple of houses , with a few more scattered around on nearby farms . It is beside the Williams River - not much more than a creek at this point - they are re-stumping the bridge at the moment , so it's down to one lane and a set of traffic lights - it's like a roller coaster to drive over .
Heading back to Williams , we stopped at a derelict old farm . There were sheds in various states of falling down , only one looked like it would last - it looked like shearers quarters . The trees all around have shed branches , the water tank is on it's side , an old rusty car is on it's roof - been a long time since it's seen a garage !!
Continuing back into town , we crossed the river and drove into the residential area of Williams - seems quite a few people live here - it's more a comfort stop , or fuel stop on the way to or from Perth /Albany , there are 3 roadhouses here . The caravan park and motel is more just a place that people sleep over on their way north or south , and is usually quiet .
Todays drive has taken back into salmon gum territory - these are the gum trees that have taken some of the sunsets and painted themselves with it , turning colours from pinks & oranges to deep bronze. The countryside is showing off it's new green colouring , farmers are busily preparing their fields and planting their wheat - they are a month ahead of schedule with the rain being an early present for them .
That's your lot for today , here's a map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.k1zJXMjP5XVQ&usp=sharing
We headed north to Wagin ( pronounced wage - in ) , and had arrived there well before 10am . Driving round town , we found the show ground , you can stay there for $12 a night with power & water - but you have to be self contained ( have tanks for grey & black water ) . Getting out to check where we could park , we noticed the breeze was a little bit on the brisk side , the temperature was only 14 degrees -, jumping back in the warmth of the ute , we surveyed the situation , checked other possible destinations , chose one , then another , will we stay here , no lets go there , on second thought , maybe we should go here instead - procrastination at its best !!!
Eventually , we drove out of Wagin and headed west to Arthur River , then north to Williams , arriving just after 12 noon . We paid for a couple of nights , and to top it off , we'd actually arrived in town the day before the annual Williams Gateway Expo !!!
Now Williams is predominantly sheep country , but they do grow wheat & canola as well , so the expo is more about wool & sheep , but there will be a car show , sheep shearing, sheep dog trials , art exhibition , food stalls , kids entertainment and fireworks to top it all off . How lucky were we ???
After lunch we went for a drive - as you do when you don't know what else to do - we were told about a pub out in the country that has bands playing on weekends , and they can serve 120 - 150 meals on Sundays , so we thought we better have a look . It was at Quindanning , a locality that has a pub , a church and a couple of houses , with a few more scattered around on nearby farms . It is beside the Williams River - not much more than a creek at this point - they are re-stumping the bridge at the moment , so it's down to one lane and a set of traffic lights - it's like a roller coaster to drive over .
Heading back to Williams , we stopped at a derelict old farm . There were sheds in various states of falling down , only one looked like it would last - it looked like shearers quarters . The trees all around have shed branches , the water tank is on it's side , an old rusty car is on it's roof - been a long time since it's seen a garage !!
Continuing back into town , we crossed the river and drove into the residential area of Williams - seems quite a few people live here - it's more a comfort stop , or fuel stop on the way to or from Perth /Albany , there are 3 roadhouses here . The caravan park and motel is more just a place that people sleep over on their way north or south , and is usually quiet .
Todays drive has taken back into salmon gum territory - these are the gum trees that have taken some of the sunsets and painted themselves with it , turning colours from pinks & oranges to deep bronze. The countryside is showing off it's new green colouring , farmers are busily preparing their fields and planting their wheat - they are a month ahead of schedule with the rain being an early present for them .
That's your lot for today , here's a map link :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.k1zJXMjP5XVQ&usp=sharing
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