Warwicks Wander Our Great South Land: August 2019

Because my last parkrun at Champion Lakes resulted in a strained right hamstring, our visit to Collie River Trail parkrun for their launch and then to Mt Clarence parkrun at Albany were walks, though Mt Clarence was much faster. It was great for Val as she was able to finish in front of me both times. Collie River Trail parkrun was a double loop on both sides of the Collie River and relatively flat in contrast to Mt Clarence which was quite hilly and is regarded as one of the toughest in Australia. While we were able to participate in both runs without it raining, the rain has followed and stayed with us during these weeks in the southwest.

We only stayed two nights at the Collie River Valley Tourist Park, and most of that time it was raining. On the Sunday we attended the local Church of Christ and then headed out to Stockton Lake where we intended to stay for two nights. After setting up we explored the bush and the coal mining remnants. What was depressing was the amount of rubbish that people had just tossed away instead of taking it to one of the many skips that were available. We loved the colour of the lake, which was part of the open cut mine. A sign warned people to avoid prolonged exposure to the water because it was acidic, but it is used by swimmers and water skiers and one person on the Nomads site said they have been there and that it is safe for swimming. He also mentioned that the Marron breed in the lake. The reflections in the lake and the changing colours were brilliant.

Campsite, Lake Stockton, Collie

Lake Stockton, Collie

Stockton Mine Entrance

Mining Relics

Campsite, Lake Stockton, Collie

The great thing about our travelling is that we are flexible and we changed our minds about staying for a second night, so we packed up and made our way to the delightful town of Dumbleyung. Not far out of Collie we came across the open-cut Premier Coal mine. I never knew that coal was such a big thing in WA, but there are a lot of power stations in this region using coal. Over the road from the mine was a farm! How incongruous!

Premier Coal's Open Cut Mine, Collie

Across the road from Premier Coal's Mine, Collie

Leaving the mine site we continued on towards Darkan, where we planned to have lunch and get a coffee. On the way we passed farms with fat sheep and their lambs grazing in lush pastures. There was also the beginning of cropping, both wheat and canola which was just beginning to come into flower. At Darkan we couldn’t find a cafe so we walked part of the Collie-Darkan Rail Trail.

Railway Station, Dharkan

We next stopped outside the Historic Village in Wagin, had lunch in the van and then explored this intriguing village. The problem was that it wasn’t really historic as so much that was on display was part of our childhood. After spending time exploring the buildings and exhibits we found a coffee shop, the proprietor of which had a weird sense of humour for when I asked for two large cappuccinos he pointed to the cups, explaining which was large and which was regular—but they were both the same size. What was great was the fact that they came with a homemade biscuit—and having gluten I got to eat both of them.

Stained Glass Window, Village Church, Historic Village, Wagin

Mrs Steven's Cottage, Historic Village, Wagin

Bag Tent, Historic Village, Wagin

Turn Indicator, Historic Village, Wagin

After a bit of shopping we made it to Dumbleyung, whose claim to fame is that Lake Dumbleyung was the site where Donald Campbell set the world water speed record in the Bluebird K7, a replica of which is on display in town. It was a revolutionary jet engine hydroplane that set seven world records between 1955 and 1967. Donald Campbell is the only person to have ever broken both the world land speed and water speed records in the same year. It was a quiet town that seems to have seen better days.

Grand Olde Dumbleyung Inn, Dunbleyung

Donald Campbell Statue, Dumbleyung

Donald Campbell's Blue Bird K7 Replica, Dumbleyung

Railway Station, Dumbleyung

Stubbs Park RV Park, Dumbleyung

Rather than visit Lake Dumbleyung we drove to Lake Grace, where we discovered that the old AIM Hospital is now a museum. Beside the highway there was a scale replica of the “Victory”, the first plane obtained by AIM to fly doctors to patients and patients to hospitals for better treatment. It was a single engine, fabric covered cabin bi-plane De Havilland DH50, which carried a pilot and four passengers. With no radio, the pilot had to navigate by sight with a compass and sketchy maps in an open cockpit behind the doctor’s cabin. Further back, off the road, was the old hospital which had been faithfully restored by the community after it had fallen into disrepair through years of having been used as living quarters for nurses and school teachers and then as the hospital storage area before being left to deteriorate. When it was offered to the local council they were evenly divided about taking it on and so the shire president, a woman, had the casting vote and the council took it over from the health department. We could only look around the outside but a note said to contact the Information Centre for it to be opened. We opted for a coffee and had a light lunch in one of the town’s cafes before asking at the Information Centre about the old hospital being opened. Helen, who was worked there, came up and spent over an hour taking us through, explaining the use of each room; how they catered for extra patients; showed us old uniforms; and said that her husband had been born there. She had been a teacher so had obviously married one of the locals. There had been a lady doctor who had dedicated many years of her life to the hospital, which hadn’t remained under the auspices of AIM for very long. She died of cancer, presumably because of long exposure to x-rays without wearing adequate protection. It was a wonderful time exploring this little hospital and seeing all the items on display that had been so generously donated by locals; had been lent by the WA Medical Museum; or had survived. By our standards it was extremely primitive but what a blessing to the community. How much our nation owes to the vision of John Flynn in wanting to provide a mantle of safety for those in the outback!

Scale Model of "Victory", AIM's first plane, Lake Grace

AIM Hospital now Museum, Lake Grace

Women's Ward, AIM Hospital, Lake Grace

Kitchen, AIM Hospital, Lake Grace

Men's Ward, AIM Hospital, Lake Grace

Operating Table, AIM Hospital, Lake Grace

Wheelchair, AIM Hospital, Lake Grace

Laundry, AIM Hospital, Lake Grace

We next took the Pingrup-Lake Grace Road down to Pingrup as we planned to stay at their caravan park, which was only $22 per night. It was also the site of part of the Central Heart Trail, which, in turn, is part of the Public Silo Trail. After booking in at the Community Resource Centre we set up camp and were going to have a walk but the rain came again. Even before having breakfast the next morning we opted to walk to the silos, thinking that it was only a short walk away. Even though it turned out to be far longer than we had anticipated it was such a surprise to find, at the junction of the Albany Highway and Jolley Street, a patch of wreath flowers. It was the last thing we expected to find this far south. Maybe there weren’t as many and they weren’t as large as the ones we had seen four years ago, but they were beautiful little wreath flowers none-the-less. We photographed the silos, which depicted the Pingrup races, merinos and farming. This amazing art work used 230 litres of paint to cover 1,500 square metres and took 15 days to complete. Rather than go to the trouble of making breakfast we went to The Store Cafe 6343, where I had a giant sausage roll, which was certainly filling. I had also bought myself a ginger and date slice that I then struggled to get through. Between that and a coffee we had had a good breakfast. The breeze was cool, as if it was coming off Antarctica, as we walked back to the caravan to drive off at 11.30 am. What a marvellous place this little community is and it does itself proud with its Community Resource Centre, which also owns the caravan park and the cafe.

Wreath Flower, Pingrup

Silo Art, Pingrup

We continued on through rain showers, passed fields of canola showing off its bright yellow, especially when the sun came out, to Ongerup so we could visit the Yongergnow Australian Malleefowl Centre. What an incredible place it is as they seek to protect and conserve this important bird through their breeding and release programme. Without this programme they probably wouldn’t survive because of predators and an infant mortality rate of 98-99%. Even though these birds are not in the wild, the young will be released and we now have some photos to go with the fleeting glimpse of one running across the road some years ago. I read that a pair of birds will shift around 75 tonnes of material each year to maintain the temperature of the nest so the eggs can hatch. And then the young ones must crawl up through the material to reach the top and then have to immediately fend for themselves.

Canola, Pingrup-Ongerup Road

Malleefowl, Ongerup

After lunch we drove down to the Stirling Range NP and booked into Moingup campsite for two nights. We set up camp and went for a bit of a walk while dinner was cooking. White-tailed Black-cockatoos swarmed into the campsite with their noisy chatter to entertain us. How wonderful to listen to them and other sounds of nature in this small, secluded campsite.

Next morning we drove up to Bluff Knoll where we spotted some Pink Lady Orchids at the carpark and then met the ranger we had spoken to earlier. She was busy spraying weeds and plants that were in the wrong places. She told us about a Queen of Sheba Orchid she had been keeping an eye on and invited us, if we didn’t mind hanging around for fifteen minutes or so, to take us down to see it. We—I suppose I should say I rather than we—stuck to our previous plan of walking the Bluff Knoll track up to the waterfall and then began to have regrets about not taking up her offer.

Pink Fairy Orchid, Bluff Knoll, Mt Stirling NP

Climbing Bluff Knoll, Mt Stirling NP

Dwarf Pink Fairy Orchid, Bluff Knoll, Mt Stirling NP

In Albany, between showers, we saw some of the Albany Banksia for which we stopped to take photos, and Val found a Snail Orchid as well. A bit later Val found a beautiful Queen of Sheba Orchid. I wandered over to the other side of the road and found another one. Going back to tell Val about this extra discovery I wandered down a track and we found a lot more of them, as well as some other orchids. Returning to the one I had found there was also a Greenhood beside the road. What a great adventure it was and how not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these Queen of Sheba Orchids.

Albany Banksia, Gull Rock NP, Albany

Snail Orchid, Gull Rock NP, Albany

Queen of Sheba Orchid, Gull Rock NP, Albany

Blue Fairy Orchid, Gull Rock NP, Albany

Greenhood Orchid, Gull Rock NP, Albany

What a day we had when we booked for the Albany Whale Tours and after a few explanations from Aaron, the Skipper, we headed out of the marina aboard his catamaran, “Sail-a-Way”. We passed an Osprey sitting on her nest and out towards Middleton Beach. On the way we passed the old Lighthouse Keepers’ cottage. I later found out that one keeper had 10 children while another had 8. How many they had with them at a time I don’t know, but the isolated stone cottage was only four rooms. Due to its position the families had to be fairly self-sufficient. Then we arrived at our destination for our adventure. At times we sat and waited; at times we stood enthralled at the breaching as some of the other guests sang or spoke to the whales; at times we marvelled at the open mouths showing the baleen to filter their food; and one time we were enthralled to have one of these gentle creatures come right up behind our vessel, so close in fact that my photos of it became unusable because of the ship’s railing getting in the way. Birds hovered around the whales, swooping down into the water to pick up bits of food after a breaching. I must admit, though, to feeling a little queasy with the rolling motion we encountered and at times thought how I wished we could head back into the marina. After quite a long time when the whales began to move away, Aaron took us out to the rusting hulk of Cheynes II, the last of Australia’s whale chasers which finished its grisly career in 1978. Gannets were diving into the water as we made our way back to the marina at the conclusion of a wonderfully enthralling day.