Luvapuzzle

27/8/21 – Heading for the Stirling Ranges

This was pretty much a rainy and cold day from start to finish. We decided to just have our rain jackets ready and see how we went.

When I started planning for this big trip the Stirling Ranges was a place that I already had in my head as somewhere I really wanted to get to in order to see the wildflowers. It turned out to be pretty disappointing for wildflowers compared to what we had already seen in the north of the state. This was probably because we couldn’t get a clear idea of where to look. Native orchid enthusiasts are very close lipped about where you can find the orchids because of the risk of people doing stupid things like picking them or digging them up. It still happens way too often. They do not survive taken out of location due to the need to have very specific growing conditions and also the need for specific fungi and pollenators to be present. It means that a tourist coming in to a community is unlikely to be trusted with information regarding where to go to see the rare orchids. It was pretty frustrating to see that people were seeing all sorts of interesting orchids in the Stirling Ranges on the days prior to our arrival, but we didn’t have access to information that would help us to find them.

The local tourist information booth at Mount Barker couldn’t offer any information at all, so we were on our own and decided just to hop into the camper in the ongoing rain and to take the road through the middle of the Stirling Ranges, stopping to walk and look if the weather was conducive and the tracks looked attractive. In retrospect I guess we probably should have booked in on a guided walk to enable us to see more. Mt Trio Bush Camp do them. We headed roughly north east from Mount Barker and eventually found ourselves on Red Gum Pass Road.

Our first stop was Red Gum Springs, where we took advantage of a brief break in the rain to do a short loop walk (no orchids). Backtracking to the main road again we stopped again on the corner of the Stirling Range Drive to check out a terrific patch of pea flowering creeper. While we were there we found a few lovely Donkey orchid plants.

Despite looking , there were no other orchids identified and we continued on, pulling in to various scenic lookouts for views of the ranges in between showers of rain.

We did find some more cowslip orchids along the way.

We tried to stop at the Moingup Spring campgound, but the area was closed- presumably because the area had been burned. There was a lot of burnt country on view along the road and this bit had not been spared. The little shelter there was clearly not going to shelter us from the rain while we ate our lunch, so we made do with parking on a corner and putting together lunch in the camper and then eating in the cab while the rain continued to drizzle down.

When we finally made it to the Bluff Knoll lookout and carpark we were met with ferocious winds, so we admired the views, spent some time picking out where the path went from where we stood, and wondered about the sanity of anyone out there on the track today.

We had seen what we thought were Xanthorrhoeas (grass trees) on the drive and saw them again here, but were puzzled by the strange flowers growing out from the base of the leaves. On investigation these were found to be a different plant altogether (Kingia Australis) – which is often mistaken for the more common grass trees. Apparently the strange brown flowers are the give away for the fact that this is a different plant, which only grows in South Western Australia. Like the Xanthorroea it is a very slow growing plant.

There was more beautiful metal cut work in the information shelter at the lookout.

The walk path faded away into the distance, tempting us to take at least part of the walk, but the weather had other ideas.

We did pick out some more orchids looking down from the platform.

Trevor was starting to feel quite flat, so we decided it was time to make tracks towards a home for the night and headed south once more, with our goal Porongurup Tourist Park which had come highly recommended.

On the way we came across the Castle Rock winery and, mindful of Evelyn and Craig’s recommendations, we sat in their warm tasting room for a while, trying some of their wines. Sadly, they had run out of their prize winning shiraz, which would have been our first choice of their wines. We found the Sav Blanc (“SB” in WA) reasonably attractive, but not enough to tempt us into buying there.

We booked in to the tourist park, pulling in to our space beside the Colwell and Sankauskas vans, and Trev had a sleep while I made myself at home in the camp kitchen, lighting the slow combustion stove and drinking cups of tea, while I wrote some blog posts and waited for the others to return home.

The camp kitchen is a lovely little spot. It is part of a brick building which houses the amenities as well. There is a full kitchen, with good equipment to use, a big TV to catch up on the news of the world and a little book exchange and choice of games to play. They had a number of different versions of a game where you choose a rock, and use the picture on the rock to help you tell a story.

We walked down the wet road in the dark to have tea at the local hotel (Only open for meals some nights and with a fairly limited menu) with Zita and Al, and shared a pizza between the two of us and some local red. What the pub lacked in presentation (pizza was served in a box) they made up for with a warm fire and a serving person with a huge personality.

We celebrated my birthday together with delicious chocolate cake when we returned home from the pub. It was the first night that we had all been together since the important event had occurred.

26/8/21 – Farm, friends and relatives

We enjoyed a wonderful hot shower and cooked breakfast(Thankyou Meri!!) before heading out with Codge to have a look at his place. Codge and Meri were babysitting puppies for one of their sons while he was away so, after a look at the town to get the feel of the place (and to confirm for sure that we have been here before) our next stop was the puppies. The puppies live at the old farmhouse made with mud bricks from the local clay. They are super cute (of course). We met their relatives when we went on with Codge to assist with moving some sheep. His son had 3 dogs on the back of the quadbike to assist, but they had to go a short way down a public road, so that required signs to be out on the road and a person at the front and back of the sheep.

We went and had a bit of a look at his son’s bush block , admiring the shearing shed that they build themselves with self milled wood from the block and second hand bits and pieces – not bad- and the boys did a bit of fencing work while I had a stroll in the bush and admired the orchids and other flowers. The local “28s” – ring necked parrots- are making a mess of the local xanthorrhoeas, chewing out the new growth in all the tops and gradually killing them. It’s a real problem in this area.

We stopped on the way home to see the Gregory Tree. This tree was marked with a benchmark by surveyor A.C.Gregory during his first journey through the Blackwood district in around May 1845. The tree is dead, but stays sheltered under a little roof so that tourists can admire it.

We shared a delicious hamburger lunch with Meri and Codge before bidding farewell and agreeing to keep in touch. Maybe Kangaroo Island for the next get together???

We headed down the road to Mount Barker next. The rain was falling constantly. We booked in to the local caravan park and spent a couple of hours doing bits and pieces there before we headed out for tea with Alex and David. Alex is a relative that we were keen to meet up with. Since we were in the area we took the opportunity to get in touch and were kindly invited to dinner.

We headed back to the caravan park after tea through the constant rain. It rained virtually all night.

25/8/21 Rellies and Friends with a sprinkle of art.

After leaving Perth, we headed out to the South along the very efficient freeway with the train line in the centre.

We stopped for lunch at the Miami Bakehouse at Myalup where , along with a very delicious pie each (with fancy name on them to avoid confusion)

we found lots of painted kangaroos in the yard. These are part of an art project which also draws tourists to this bakery.

I was delighted to find that one of the kangaroos had been painted by Wendy Binks (who painted the mug that I bought at Karijini)

We arrived at cousin Andrew’s home in Bunbury in time for afternoon tea and enjoyed a couple of hours (not long enough) catching up with Andrew and Ann , including tasting his most recent wine bottling (delicious).

With time slipping away fast we then made haste to Wellington Dam at Collie, where we hoped to see the completed mural which we have been watching develop on facebook. Unfortunately the car navigator decided that now was the time to get creative with route choice and we had to backtrack once and ignore the navigator many times before we finally found ourselves at the appointed spot before the last of the light was gone from the day. It was worth the frustration to finally see it.

…and so we headed off on the last leg of today’s journey. We had met up with Codge and Meri at Mitchell Falls and then a number of times after that, and had finally exchanged contact details. They had invited us to visit them if we made it close to their home at Boyup Brook and we decided that we would take them up on the offer and cement a contact, hopefully for the long term. They had kindly invited us to share lamb roast with them and stay at their home and we readily agreed as it gave a great opportunity to spend more time together and get to know each other. Maybe it is crazy to try to build a friendship across such a long distance, but we all love to camp and travel in the same sort of way, so we hope that, over time, we might have some adventures together.

As we drove towards Boyup Brook in the darkening light and the rain the countryside seemed strangely familiar and we came to realise that this was one of the areas that we drove through a couple of years ago when we drove the “Mundal Track” created by the WA Four Wheel Drive Association through to the south of WA. The next day, when Codge took us into the small town of Boyup Brook it was very very familiar and confirmed this realisation. Codge’s instructions to find them were really good and we turned up, later than we really wanted to, but happy to have arrived and were greeted very warmly by our new friends.

Dinner was a really lovely time, finding out about each other’s family and lives. Codge and Meri moved off of their farm and into their current place only a few years ago, leaving the farm to their sons. Codge is still involved from time to time.

We parked the camper in their tall shed for the night and had an excellent sleep there.

21/8/21 – 25/8/21 Perth friends and family

I’m rolling these few days into one blog post as there wasn’t much touring done – it was mostly just being with special people that we care about and don’t see often enough.

We enjoyed our hot showers at Dandaragan in their amazing ablutions block and heated croissants on the public bbq in pioneer park before packing up and heading off in the rain. It felt like we were driving into winter as we headed down that last 150km to Perth. There seemed to be lots of military establishments (training facilities etc) and mines along this stretch of road, but we were too keen to get to Perth to stop and investigate more.

We had a few troubles with finding a petrol station that we could easily get to off of the freeway, but managed it before we ran out of fuel (phew). There were a few stressed moments in there. Unfamiliar freeways paired with apps that don’t seem to do what you want when you want are a bit of a recipe for stress.

Our first stop was Maggie and Nic’s place. (Maggie and Nic were teenagers in the youth group that we once led – now they have teenagers of their own!). They were home for the weekend and then busy in the week, so it made sense to take up their time while we could see them. They kindly made themselves available and we brought the last of our Shark Bay Whiting (just defrosted) to have with lunch and then sponged off of their fabulous hospitality, playing catch up on all the events in our lives that pass by while they are in WA and we are in SA. Their girls continue to grow into fabulous and accomplished young ladies and we always look forward to seeing them and admiring the changes as they grow into young adults. Maggie has lost a heap of weight since we last saw her and looks healthier than we have seen her for many years. They all seemed to be happy in their space, which was great to see. I didn’t think to grab a photo with them while we were there.

On the 22nd we headed for the other side of the river to Aunty Joc’s place, and were given permission to park in the driveway by the garage. This was just out of the way of the newspaperman, who comes down the driveway to deliver each morning and does a three point turn at the end. He managed not to clip us as he drove past while we were there. We once again solved some cryptic crosswords with Joc (it was she who taught us about them in the first place) and spent lots of time just drinking tea and chatting.

We headed into town with Joc and cousin Tim to get together for dinner with extended family in a room at the top of an apartment building which looked down over spectacular views of the Swan river. It was a very beautiful place and good to meet some more of Lou’s family and to catch up with cousin John and his wife Louise again. (There is never enough time together).

The 23rd was my birthday. I hadn’t known of the tradition that the Southgates have for creating a “throne” with streamers on a chair for the day which is the birthday seat. I spent the day sitting in this special creation for the day and feeling very special every time I did.

We returned the key to Maggie and Nic’s place to Maggie’s work before heading over to Kings Park for lunch in the cafe and a bit of a walk. The wildflower garden was looking good, but it is just a little early for my favourite kangaroo paws to be out in bloom properly.

Joc taught us how to do the Alexander Technique of Semi Supine constructive rest with our legs up on the lounge room chairs and our heads on books for 20 minutes. This was a gift that we hope will keep on giving and we practiced a couple more times before we left her and have already tried a couple of times since we came home. It is good for resting the mind and realigning the body.

Picture taken from the poise Alexander technique practice guide.
https://www.poisealexandertechnique.com.au/articles/2018/5/29/semi-supine-practice-guide

We shared dinner at home with Joc, Tim, John and Louise (who had forgone their handstand classes for the night for our benefit) and ate beautiful fruitcake cooked specially by Joc for the occasion. I felt very very spoilt.

On the 24th we went out again to do some chores while Joc had the cleaners in. We got a new tyre on the camper (one had been changed off a week or so before as it looked rather worn out), filled the gas bottle and bought a warm flannel shirt each while we were at BCF. Later on in the day we took Joc and did a Bunnings visit for a few essentials and had a look at her new car in storage at the dealership. (We asked specially so we could see it before we left town)

We did some food shopping ready for the next leg of the trip, visiting Joc’s local butcher and picked up some of the most beautiful meat we have had on this whole trip – cryovacced so that it would keep well for the trip home.

On the 25th we were ready to go again. We reluctantly said goodbye to Tim as he left for work and then to Joc as we drove away again.

20/8/21 Bush Flowers , Beach and the Pinnacles

What a busy day!!! No wonder we were tired at the end of our days while we were on the road.

We started our day with the promised tour with Don of his Hi-Vallee Farm. He sure knows his plants and he was keen to share his knowledge with us. I won’t show off my lack of knowledge by trying to name all of these amazing plants but I will share some of the best we saw with you.

Don and Joy had a really amazing Dryandra in a vase on their kitchen table the night before and I was hoping to see it growing, but I found out that it was actually a dried one and that particular one flowers earlier in the year. We might need to do another visit to them in April/May to see some more of their nuggets of beauty.

They were such great hosts and asked if we would like to share a cuppa with them and their friends before we went on our way, so we found ourselves drinking a cuppa and having a lovely chat with them while the dogs played in the back yard rather than getting on with our touring .

We checked our a few of the council campsites as we drove our way around today. We also passed the Emu Downs solar farm and wind farm as we made our way back towards the coast.

At Cervantes we ate lobster for lunch by the seaside. The Lobster Shack is quite a business. They have the lobster fishing boats, a fish factory, the restaurant, and tours as well. The food was great.

The local mens shed is just around the corner from the Lobster Shack and I was interested to see that they use some of the local ropes from the boats to make items such as mats and baskets. If they had been open I might have been tempted.

We drove out to Thirsty Point to have a look at the lovely beach

before we headed for the Pinnacles. This was one of our “have to do this” items as we had seen so many pictures of them over the years and we were suitably impressed.

The visitor centre in the Pinnacles National Park was pretty informative – given that the scientists don’t actually know the full story about how the Pinnacles are formed. They also had some really great books and crafts. I could have taken a whole lot of metal sculpture home with me if I only had the space.

Then we drove into the park. I am pretty sure that if this area was in SA we would have had no choice but to walk in on a set path, but here in WA we were allowed to drive in through the area and there were numerous opportunities to park. We could walk wherever we wanted among the pinnacles. I had always imagined that there were just a few Pinnacles – so I was amazed to see the area covered and the number of them in all kinds of varying colours , sizes and shapes.

I was also surprised that birds like to use them for nesting and we saw proof that the galahs are one of the species that love to nest in them. This galah was set on staying put and happy to have his picture taken.

As the day started to get a bit longer we still hadn’t resolved where to stay. We had seen lots of great campsites early in the day, but they weren’t really in the direction we wanted to be going (towards Perth). In the end we decided to head inland again to the little town of Dandaragan. Here we found a lovely local oval where there are a number of flat sites (some with power). There are also hot showers, a free washing machine, a book exchange and BBQ nearby. An extra bonus was that the local sports club have Friday night fundraiser meals to raise money for the community groups. We were able to get ourselves a great meal, enjoy some excellent country hospitality, get to know the locals a bit and support the Dandaragan tennis club. A win win win situation for us. Then we just walked back across the sports ground, hopped into the van and went to sleep. There were only three vehicles in the place for the night and it was beautifully quiet.

19/8/21 – More and more wildflowers

We had a big day ahead of us and headed for Mullawa again, where Al and Zita had stayed the night and were holding our frozen meals for us to pick up. After a pleasant visit with them we were on our way again.

We headed down the road towards Morawa (the red route) , bypassing point 15 (the Wilroy nature reserve) but then couldn’t resist stopping in at Tardun, where we checked out the old hall (now in disrepair) which would have been the centre of so many community activities in what is now a ghost town. There is only one other building in the town. We enjoyed a couple more of the delightful metal sculptures, reading about the history of the town before we headed onwards.

As we came close to Canna we pulled in to the old miners campsite to have a look (it had been recommended) and found carpets of wildflowers giving a delightful picture with lots of space for camping among the wildflowers.

Then we headed over to the church and hall where we walked the wildflower loop, discovering lots of great wildflowers including lots of different orchids.

After wandering here for quite a while (and seeing the old mallee fowl mound) we headed only a few hundred meters away, near the grain silos, where we looked for, and successfully found, ant orchids. Cute little things.

Next we headed for the local town dam, where there were huge numbers of various orchids all in a small area and very easy to access and see.

We stopped at Bilya Rock as we headed away from Canna and towards Mingenew. This big bare rock has an impressive cairn at the top and also showed some very nice flowers.

We stopped in at Mingenew for a late lunch at the terrific bakery (especially the vanilla slice) and then headed across for a stop at Depot Hill. This old army training ground is now orchid heaven – expecially the cowslip orchids which were in great abundance. (“not another cowslip!!”). We also saw our first catspaw flowers here.

One last stop on our way saw us diverting across to Lake Indoon, where we performed a fruitless search for the famous “Queen of Sheba” orchid – but found only millions of mosquitos and spider orchids (about equal quantities). We left there as it started to rain, taking refuge in our car as we headed to Tootbardi Road and Hi Vallee Farm.

I had read that Hi Vallee farm might be a good place to see some local flowers and to stay, and had been in touch with them and booked us in to camp for the night. We didn’t really have any idea what to expect. The place is just a little south of Eneabba. We were greeted like lost friends by Don and Joy, shown to our lovely little patch of paddock (complete with water, toilet, and enough wood to make a huge bonfire) and invited to make ourselves at home.

Once we had had our dinner we gave Don and Joy Williams (the owners) a ring , and Don came down and picked us up from the campsite, taking us back to the house for hot showers (in a specially set up shower area outside their house) and a delightful Wolf Blass red. We agreed that Don would take us around the property the next day for an hour or so and show us what they have growing there. We can’t quite remember what it cost, but we think it was $45 for the tour and around $30 to camp.

They have a comprehensive book about the vegetation on their farm, which they lent us for the night so that we could do a bit of homework.

18/8/21 – Wildflower Wonder near Mullewa

We had a good stroll around the local Ellendale Pool area- finding a splendid Blue Wren family and also lots and lots of cowslip orchids.

After a leisurely start to the day with the Colwells, we stashed our still-damp towels and clothes again and left Craig and Evelyn with their van in our quiet littel overnight spot. We were hoping to see the famous wreath flowers today and headed towards Pindar – where we knew we should be able to see them .

As we travelled along we came across a sign with flowers on it which seemed to be indicating a wildflower spot, so we followed the sign and ended up at Eradu Nature Reserve, where we followed a track in among the flowers to the top of a hill overlooking the river with a beautiful view. The treats along this track were many and this is just a taste of what was discovered.

Having found this first sign we were happy enough to divert each time we found one. It turned out that they were part of the “Wildflower Way” which can take enthusiasts over a number of different areas to find historical or wildflower views. There is often a metal sign and an interpretive sign to tell you what to take notice of. We had inadvertently made our way to number 19 on the red route. The sign below was at number 18.

The signs are quite detailed and very clever.

If you want to find the details you can find them in this booklet: http://wildflowercountry.com.au/3d-flip-book/2019-20/

We had a little diversion when we tried to find the Indarra Springs Nature reserve to look at birds and the name of the road to follow was not on any of our maps. We ended up very close to it, but driving between paddocks on a private farm property (the track had trees at the side as though it was a public road). The farmer spotted us, came out to see what was going on and ended up escorting us to the reserve very kindly.

We ended up eating our lunch at number 17 (an old railway station) under the verandah of the old shop which is now used as a community gathering place, before finally heading for Mullewa. At Mullewa we called in to the visitor centre and picked up a detailed description of how to find the wreath flowers at Pindar.

We followed our mudmap to Pindar , and sure enough there we found the famous flowers as well as some other treats. The wreaths grow in profusion on just a small area of roadside here. They are very unusual

After the wreath flowers we backtracked to Mullewa and followed a good portion of the Northern Tourist Route to the waterfalls (number 12) and all the way around to number 2, just missing out on number 5,6,7 and 8. We ended up driving through some stunning wildflower scenes on the way and could have taken hunderds of photos.

The paddocks are huge here. We calculated that we were seeing some that were one, two and three km square in size.

We ended up our day at the old school house, where we read about the old days and saw the old path that the kids used to walk across the claypan to get to school.

We decided to park ourselves just near there (much quieter than at the nearby historic well site) on our own among the trees and wildflowers for the night. We even had our own little fire among the wildflowers.

Zita and Al were staying with power at Mullewa in the little caravan park there, and Craig and Ev were already heading down the coast towards their rogaine committment the coming weekend, so they were camped in a spot on the coast further south.

17/8/21 Kalbarri to Ellendale Pool

All our friends were busy for the day in Geraldton (medical and vehicle issues) so we made our way down the coast from Kalbarri at our own pace.

We visited the hot bread shop and bought buns for morning tea.

Our first stop was Blue Holes (the in crowd were calling this place Blue Poles due to a phone text message which used this spelling). The others had had a lovely time snorkelling here the previous day. This little spot is an area sheltered from the waves by the reef, which forms a couple of pools. The fish love this spot and so do the snorkelers. It is a fish reserve. Unfortunately the tide was rushing in when we were there, so we were battling the twin perils of shallow water over sharp rocks and strong waves which were washing us over the space rapidly. The water was still relatively warm (more than we had expected so far down the coast). We did see some fish, but nothing like the experience of our friends the afternoon before. We ended up salty and sandy again with swimming gear, towels and snorkels which were destined to stay damp now for a few days. We shared our tiny space with them all for a few days before they were finally dry enough to pack away again and give us some breathing space.

After this we stuck to the cliffs for a while as we worked our way down the coast. Red Bluff offered views back along the coast and Eagle Gorge lookout produced a kestrel sighting.

As we walked the cliff top paths we continued to ooh and ahh over the flowers that kept astounding us with their variety. The wrens also continued to tease us, whipping around in the bushes but avoiding a definitive sighting and identification.

Donkey orchids were found on the path between Mushroom Rock and Rainbow Valley ( our first Donkeys for this trip).

We also particularly enjoyed this amazing flower which reminded us of a rose.

The path between the island Rock and Natural Bridge brought its own pleasures with whales. Groups of whales (with babies) were happily making their way down the coast well within good sight of the cliffs. What a treat. !! I won’t bore you with my pictures of whales. They are too hard to catch well. There were also groups of dolphins playing far below.

We were also entertained by a lizard with a very blue tongue and scary attitude, hilarious centipede and numerous skinks out enjoying the sunshine. We later saw pictures of a Bob-tailed skink and we think that’s what this is.

Continuing on past the cliff top adventures we came to Hutt Lagoon (better known as Pink Lake for obvious reasons). We drove around the end of the lake and in to the viewing area, where we marvelled at the pink colour of the water (even when we were up close)

We couldn’t resist driving around to the little seaside town of Port Gregory just to see what it was like. The local shop sells basic provisions (like crumbs to put on the fish you have caught) but had no pies or pasties, so we sat in the local park and read the ad for tours of the pink lake while we ate sandwiches at 2:30 in the afternoon. Then we were on our way again.

As seems to be the way, it wasn’t long before we were distracted by another interesting place. In this case it was the remains of the Port Gregory Convict Hiring Station! This site was used to hold between 8 and 40 ticket-of-leave convicts from 1853 who would then be hired to work on local properties. The main building has been enthusiastically restored and is quite impressive. Sadly, it was only completed a short time before the station closed in 1856. For the rest of the time the convicts were sheltering under canvas in very crowded conditions. The locals have done a great job of compiling information, which is available to read inside the big building. We didn’t take too long here as we were still hoping to make it quite a bit further before dark.

We passed through the city of Geraldton, taking the route beside the water so that we could have a bit of a look, but didn’t stop. The least expensive fuel was on the other side of town, near the airport. When we got there it appeared to be only truck fuel, and we weren’t too sure about that, so we opted for the self serve station down the road a bit. (149.8/litre). We have got pretty used to these self serve pumps now, where you say how much you are prepared to pay, the machine takes that amount from your credit card and then it either stops pumping at the maximum you gave or stops when full and the difference comes back to your credit account within the week.

We continued on our way into the local wind farm country and found our way to Ellendale Pool-our intended stop for the night. This beautiful pool sitting below high cliffs is a stunning place to stay. It costs a whole $5 per person per night. Reflections in the water were beautiful and it was good to park with the Colwells and share a quiet evening together. There is quite a large space here and the half a dozen other campers spread around didn’t worry us at all.

Sadly the washing still didn’t dry.

16/8/21 Kalbarri National Park.

It wasn’t far to get to Kalbarri National Park from Warribano chimney.

As we entered the eastern part of the park we were greeted by a huge range of vegetation along the road.

Our first stop was Ross Graham lookout. Ross Graham was apparently the first schoolteacher in Kalbarri and a great supporter for the idea of creating a national park in the area. He used to take his students out rambling and looking at nature. We took the walk down to the river here. It was the only time we made it to the river all day.

Hawks head lookout was next. We stood up the top and looked down over the river

Here we found our first orchids- lemon scented sun orchids.

At about this time we knew that Thom and Laura were actually in the air, flying home from Darwin to SA. This was the most fantastic news and I was very happy and overwhelmed by the enormity of the moment. A few hours later they sent through a photo of them in our front yard. That really pushed me over the edge.

As we entered the western inland part of Kalbarri NP we were greeted by a cloud of grey/white on the sides of the road. When we stopped to investigate further we found that the effect was being created by this. It is called smoke bush.

Z bend lookout offered the first of the wonderful metal work on display in the park. Three lovely panels made up part of the shelters at the lookout.

Unfortunately the walk we were planning to do was closed. We walked to the lookout, but not down to the river again. The recent cyclone caused flooding and some damage to the tracks here, making this walk unsafe.

The flora along the track was a real smorgasbord of variety. We loved this pink flower.

We wandered along the track discovering one flower after another. The views from the lookout into the Z shaped bend down below with dramatic red rock sides were almost an anticlimax after the wonderful discoveries we had made along the track.

Rock climbers were having a great time pitting their skills against the challenges here.

As it was lunch time we decided to head for the Skywalk, where there is also a cafe.

We enjoyed the design of the skywalk and surrounds. The walk itself is made up of two curved metal platforms that protrude from the cliff top offering wonderful views up and down the gorge along the Murchison River.

They have incorporated some beautiful design elements with sculptured metal and concrete reflecting indigenous themes. Sculptured metal creatures add a whimsical touch to the spot.

Trevor discovered white spider orchids on the way out from here.

Natures Window was our next stop. We drove around and parked. We first went and looked out towards the skywalk, getting a side view from the distance and seeing the gorge from another perspective.

Then we headed down the path to see the famous window. The layers of rock are very pronounced in this area.

We continued on a short way along the ridge line which forms the rim walk

And came upon some familiar figures coming up out of the gorge. Ev and Craig had made this walk their priority for the day and were looking hot and thirsty.

Our last stop for the day was Meanarra Hill, where you can do a short walk to a lookout and see down to the mouth of the Murchison River and the town of Kalbarri itself. Great view with great entertainment from the goats running around on the hillside.

After all this we finally headed for Big River Ranch, where we set up for the night on a slope, using the wheel chocks supplied by “OzRoamerz” to make the angle bearable.

We ate Shark bay whiting in the camp kitchen and chatted to the owners of the ranch and their friends who were also eating there. Kalbarri is doing it tough since the cyclone came through. They are still waiting to see if their home is structurally unsound now.

Last but not least I have to say that although this has been a supremely spectacular day, with dramatic views and fabulous plant discoveries this has all been overwhelmed by the fact that Thom and Laura are finally home at last. This fact is celebrated in the poem below.

Our boy is home! I cannot wait 
to see his smiling face
To put my arms around him 
in a genuine embrace. 

To sit across the kitchen table, 
share a cup of tea
And spend some time together now he’s travelled home to me

I wondered if this day would come. 
It seemed so far away
And then the COVID virus 
reared it’s head and came to stay

But now at last he’s in this land 
I really have to say
That I wish that I was there 
to see him on this special day.

15/8/21 Shark Bay to Warribano Chimney

Our first stop on the way out of the park was the air compressors. Here we all reinflated our tyres to road pressures.

We deviated to visit the historic precinct of old Peron station before we left the park and walked to the bird hide, and over to the old shearing shed and shearer’s quarters where there was excellent information about various aspects of shearing and dealing with the wool and life in general. Not a luxurious life for anyone.

There is a pool filled with warm artesian water (40 degrees c) where you can have a sit. Trev soaked off some of the travel grime. Erica opted not to get hot and bothered in the hot water.

Trev having a soak and chatting to Al and Zita (already soaked)

We dropped in to Denham and filled up the fuel tank. ($1.50/l). Frozen whiting was purchased at the local supermarket along with some tartare sauce in anticipation of eating it.

We stopped again at Eagle Bluff. Again nothing was seen from the walkway, but we took the time to walk further to the east along the cliffs and looked down into the next bay along to see some sharks and turtles. We had our lunch at Eagle Bluff perched on a wall looking out over the water.

Then the driving was on in earnest. We headed towards Kalbarri and as we drove south we started to see more and more wildflowers beside the road and out in the paddocks. We started to see some crops along the road also as we drove today along with the familiar large areas of bush land.

We pulled in at Warribano chimney (an old relic from when lead mining was happening in the area). We climbed to the chimney on the hill, enjoying a closer look at the flowers on the way and looked down over the surrounding area as it got later.

This Australian Kestrel was having a grand old time

Trev had to have a closer look inside the chimney to see the area below ground inside.

There were various other ruins in the area from the works required for the mining.

We had been planning to camp at the chimney but there was a clear “no camping” sign. This had us ringing around to alternative options, but in the end some good information from Jan and Ross gave us a great spot very nearby which was much appreciated. I should have moved the camp chair which almost hides Craig in the photo of happy hour below.