It has rained over night but cleared up during the very early morning and its quite cool, 6°. With misty cloud flowing over the ranges we head to the knoll to take a look and photos. Its a mystical site, here we are in country Western Australia amongst the mountains, its cold, flora of every kind and misty cloud flowing over rugged battlements.
We head northwards looking at the miles of shallow salt lakes that cut across the farmland.
We visit the Silo Mural at Pingup, a lot of WA South West towns seem to end in word ‘up’.
We stop for lunch at Lake Grace, an attractive lively small town. We visit the inland mission museum. Determined individuals and town saw this hospital created, and the hospital catered for all manner of ills, ailments, misadventures and new life, what wonderful stories it can tell.
We come across a number of small sculptures on posts which tell the story of the Cyclone Clare in 2006 which dumped over 200mm in 24hrs in the Lake Grace region and caused considerable damage to infrastructure and roads.
We travel onwards to Katter Kich (Wave Rock) our destination and camp for tonight. Wave Rock is one of Australia’s iconic natural features, we both had childhood memories of one day visiting. It was very disappointing to see the rock defaced with a rock wall built across the top for the purpose of funnelling water for human consumption, its debatable if its even needed now. It was built during a time when respect for country and its original local inhabitants was severely lacking. The wall congratulates this disrespect.
Despite the cancerous eye sore, the rock is worth a visit, it still has that unique Australian landscape charm. As many cancers are curable these days and I hope one day public opinion will initiate the steps needed to see the wall removed as it would encourage me and likely countless others to return.
Loved the carpet of Drosera bulbosa Hook. Red-leaved Sundew, these carnivorous plants are beautiful, a case of beauty and the beast. https://florabase.dpaw.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/3092
The interpretative signs lack accurate information about the local indigenous folk so here is some for you. https://www.noongarculture.org.au/ballardong/. Katter Kich or Wave Rock, near Hyden in the south-east is significant to Noongar people because it is a Noongar keniny (dancing) ground and a little way from there would have been a camping place, there are gnamma holes – water holes and it was part also part of a Noongar trade route. Trade was a very important part of Noongar lifestyle.
