Marg and Simon

We have spent another day at Dryranda exploring the bush and making a trip into Narrogin.

There are so many orchids around the camp, and night creatures are busy, also plenty of day and night birds. We have seen Carnaby Cockatoos and a Wedgetail Eagle. There are plenty of interesting species to examine, the Sundews do very well here.

As an avid watcher of Dr. Vincent Serventy wildlife documentaries, ’Nature Walkabout’ as a child, it is wonderful to know that Dryranda was one of his favourite stomping grounds. Vincent was certainly an inspiration to many.

There are a number of historical railway and pioneer sites to visit this area is truly worthy of strong protection.

The morning starts a bit misty and cold but is soon replaced by blue sky and sun. A lazy breakfast then onto York.

York has many fine historical buildings and places to eat are many. The town hall is ornate and impressive. We enjoy morning tea and lunch at the Flour Mill Cafe. The Flour Mill Emporium also in the same building as the cafe is a dangerous place if you are in the habit of acquiring antiques. We head off to Wongborel lookout and a wonderful view of the town and countryside.

Re-stocked with food from the local IGA we travel along the back roads to Dryandra Woodlands, the home of many unique native species including the Numbat. In a short time after arriving we find orchids and miniature daisies and Grey Fantails.

We awake to rising mist and then a sunny morning. The caravan park in Carnamah has clean and great amenities. A stop at the big tractor down town is a must, a tribute to Australia’s Chamberlain tractor, a real work horse for Australian farmers. The big tractor is made from tin yet the tyres look authentic.

Morning tea was at Moora, the bakery there is very nice. A visit to the Information Centre was well worth it as we are directed to nearby Candy Bush Reserve where we find Donkey Orchid. They also suggested we visit New Norcia.

New Norcia is just amazing. This is a Benedictine community setup by Spanish Benedictine Rosendo Salvador in 1846. It is the only one in Western Australia. Religion like politics is best left alone except among friends but one could say religion’s real strength lies in offering sanctuary. Reading the Benedictine efforts at New Norcia they have offered sanctuary, education and a home for indigenous people particularly girls, they produced agricultural products, music and art and have saved many great art works within their walls, such as those of Indigenous artist Albert Namatjira and his family, Pro Hart and Elizabeth Durack and many more. There are also paintings, clothing, historical items and books from the 16th – 19th Century, many from Europe. The New Norcia library has more than 80,000 books and a big collection of journals housed in 10 rooms inside and outside the monastery enclosure. It seems the Benedictine tried to bring knowledge and culture to a colony seemingly more focused on exploitation for monies sake at any cost to indigenous people and their country. Notable individuals who lived here include Santos Salvador former chaplain to Queen Isabella II of Spain. The buildings and their architecture are stunning, they are set amongst beautiful wooded farmland you could think you were in Europe. There was also a display about early W.A. Botanist and conservationist Charles Austin Gardner. New Norcia is really worth a visit and it would likely take two days to explore.

We travel through the eucalypt woodlands of Chittering, large old trees spreading over the steep rolling hills very picturesque.

Final stop is on the banks of the Avon River at Toodyay.

We are heading south to look at more wild flowers before visiting the big trees and Margaret River again.

The landscape is awash with water and wildflowers and often both. The farmland is picturesque despite the devastating broad-acre bushland clearing. We also enjoy the sculptures along our drive.

First stop is Mingenew, the information centre provides valuable information and as a result we head to Depot Hill and also the bushland near the hockey field to find plenty of wildflowers particularly unique orchids. The agricultural crop display in town is informative and if one is to gripe about bushland clearing they should at least know what it has been replaced with and why. The town has an important military history.

Our stop tonight is Carnamah.

From Drummond Cove, which is just north of Geraldton, we have travelled further north to the Pink Lake, part of Hutt Lagoon, then on towards Kalbarri admiring the coastline as we go.

We stop at the Kalbarri Information Centre then off to explore part of the Kalbarri National Park. What majestic places the Murchison River and surrounding landscapes are. The Sky Walk gave a wonderful view of the Murchison River gorge, it’s also a nice piece of engineering. The flowers in this park are as beautiful as they are unique, so many shapes, sizes and colours.

The shrubland in the park around you contains a massive 1200 native plant species representing 10% of the State’s flora in just one park. Although much smaller than the United Kingdom, it contains almost as many plant species!

The Nanda people are the original habitants of this region, have been so for thousands of years. Grey found indigenous people and their huts and farming quite substantial. Interesting to note many Nanda people served in the Australian defence forces, though on their return from active duty they were treated just as badly as the rest of their people.

“…we entered the most thickly populated district of Australia that I had yet observed… We passed two native villages …[the) huts of which they were composed, differed.. in being much larger, more strongly built and very nicely plastered over the outside with clay and clods of turf, so although uninhabited they were evidently fixed places of residence … these superior huts, well-marked roads, deeply sunk wells, and extensive warren grounds, all spoke of a large and, comparatively speaking, resident population.” As reported by Lieutenant George Grey 1839 who led an expedition to the north west of Western Australia

The geology for this region is very interesting, particularly around Kalbarri, it has fossil evidence of an arthropod empire, recorded tracks of these animals. The sandstone beneath your feet formed part of an ancient land surface 400 million years ago inhabited by arthropods, some of the earliest animals to walk on land. Their fossilised tracks and traces can be found everywhere in the park. Fascinating.

We commence a southward return by travelling the back roads to Yuna, a small town in a rural setting, there are plenty of paper daisies in flower. The paper daisies are also out all along the road, pink, white and yellow very picturesque.

We have spent a couple of days in Geraldton visiting historical sites and the museum and avoiding the high winds and rain impacting the S.W. of Western Australia.

The museum was very good, particularly the displays about the Batavia and other Dutch shipwrecks, the indigenous history and biodiversity.

The memorial for HMAS Sydney was impressive and there are some wonderful historic buildings being protected and renovated.

We leave our friend who continues south and we head north to Geraldton. A quick stop at the Information Centre to check on roads, flowers and weather and we decide to head east to camp at Mullewa, it is going to rain and it will rain across the entire region but at least we will avoid the gale like winds. Mullewa is a small town but the hub of the wildflower exploration circuit, the wildflower walk next to the campground does not disappoint. There are orchids, daisies and all manner of species and also sculptures to admire. The landscape is awash with colours. When driving through this country it pays to stop and look about, you will find many more interesting flowers this way.

There are also plenty of birds in the bush very close to town and the dawn chorus is not dampened by the rain overnight. We see and hear a Pied Honeyeaters and multiple different cuckoos.

We endured heavy rain overnight but now head west again to see sit out the rest of the passing Low weather and then attempt to head north again.

The weather has cleared and it’s a beautiful day, with bad weather approaching we decide to stay at Greenhead with our friend another day while we plan our trip around the approaching weather.

Local knowledge is great value and our friend takes us around the local area to explore its beautiful coastline and inland landscapes.

We find plenty of interesting seagrass and macroalgae washed ashore. This region has a biologically rich marine environment.

The sand dunes along this coast are very white and mobile.

Along the tracks to the beach are areas of exposed limestone and they are full of fossils, chiefly molluscs. The geological symbol Qpck refers to the Quaternary, post-Palaeozoic (or post-Pangean), and/or post-Cretaceous, clastic sedimentary rocks of the geological legend for Western Australia, typically indicating unconsolidated or poorly consolidated sediments like sand and gravel.

We have a restful day and again enjoy dinner at the Dynamite Diner, great food and friendly staff.

A quick look at the sunset after dinner, a beautiful calm sea before some more bad weather coming in from the west.

Before we leave camp we have a look at the beach in the morning light. Then we continue north a short distance, visiting the Grigson’s Lookout, wonderful views and flowers. Last stop is Greenhead just 30km north of Sandy Cape. We catchup with a friend travelling south enjoying our time over dinner at the Dynamite Diner.