Warwicks Wander Our Great South Land: September 2019

We had such an exciting morning at Camel Soak exploring for more orchids, but as I was walking up the rock I was able to observe the following duel before finding orchids:.

Aerial Duel above Camel Soak

Brown Falcon

Lemon-scented Sun Ochid

Little Laughing Leek Orchid

Prisoner Orchid

Perenjori White Spider Orchid

Ant Orchid

Perenjori White Spider Orchid

Tadpole in Camel Soak

Campsite, Camel Soak

After leaving Camel Soak, the final point in Val’s last entry, we stopped again at Perenjori for a coffee (as well as their last Melting Moment for me), which was followed by a spearmint milkshake that we both though was fairly weak, so it might have been made on skim milk. Perenjori’s War Memorial was amazing with many silhouette statues about various aspects of military life.

War Memorial, Perenjori

Australian Army Jeep, War Memorial, Perenjori

Light Horse, War Memorial, Perenjori

Last Post, War Memorial, Perenjori

Fallen Comrade, War Memorial, Perenjori

HMAS Perth, War Memorial, Perenjori

RAAF, War Memorial, Perenjori

Leaving Perenjori we headed north and so many vans passed us heading south to escape the coming northern wet season. There was an absence of canola crops in this region, though a lot of the edible crops were beginning to seed for harvest. We pulled into Canna, where there is an old Lutheran Church, which was locked, and we wandered around the general area where many vans were parked cheek byjowl for the night and found Donkey, Cowslip, Lemon-scented Sun and Dainty Blue Fairy Orchids.

Old Neptune Bowser, Canna

Silhouette Sculpture, Lutheran Church, Canna

Donkey Orchid

Cowslip Orchid

Dainty Blue Fairy

We grabbed a mandarin and a nut bar each for lunch and drove to the nearby Canna Dam, which had been constructed for water for the steam trains of yesterday. Here we found Snail, Pink Candy and Creamy-white Spider Orchids.

Sugar Candy (possibly) Orchid

Snail Orchid

Creamy-white Spider Orchid

Pink Candy Orchid

Sugar Candy Orchid

Pink Candy Orchid

What a day we had, but it was also a day which, we thought, saw us running late to make the Tenindewa Pioneer Well (Wolya) Campsite before it was too crowded. We needn’t have worried about that as we easily found a spot, as did others who came in after us, even if they had to drive a bit further up the track. After opening some windows we went for a walk past the old well. The Indigenous people obtained water from Wolya Soak, which Europeans dammed, to provide the water they needed. There was also a deep well dug at what is now the picnic site, and the site had been a welcome camping spot for weary travellers who were on their way from Geraldton to Mullewa and further beyond. In pre-railway times this place was known as Wolya but, for some unknown reason, that was changed to Tenindewa. We continued to wander down to the old school site—it is interesting that the school was opened and closed on four occasions because of the difficulties of getting teachers and maintaining the necessary 8 students to keep it open, and the point was reached where families were required to make up the teacher’s salary if attendance fell below the required minimum. A teacher was paid £12 per student per annum and was charged £6 per annum for accommodation, meaning that the remuneration was very poor. The school had been built on the opposite side of the lake to the railway siding so those children who lived on the other side and had to walk across it couldn’t get to school when it rained as the salt lake turned into a quagmire. Thus George Bone and his son Ron put stepping stones across the lake to enable the children to walk to school. One lady remembered how she couldn’t step across the stones when she was little and so her brother had to carry her. We walked across these stones that still remain, and it wasn’t very easy. On the other side of the lake there was a huge amount of broken bottles and a few rusty items, including a bed frame and, nearer the road, the remains of the railway tank stand.

Wolya Well, Tenindewa

Site of Tenindewa School

Stepping Stones across lake to Tenindewa School

Bottle Graveyard, Tenindewa

Tenindwa

Stepping Stones to Tenindewa School

The following day we stopped at Eradu Nature Reserve. While there were plenty of wildflowers still on display there were no orchids that we could see. A lookout had been built at the breakaway and it overlooked the Greenough River and both farm and bush lands. The river was more a series of large waterholes from the bit I could see. At the lookout there was a rusty silhouette sculpture to remind people of the need to take a break from work to relax with family and friends, while enjoying the great outdoors of nature. It was designed to help counter the problem of the high suicide rate amongst farmers.

Take a Break with Family and Friends, Eradu Nature Reserve

Greenough River from Eradu Nature Reserve Lookout

As we had plenty of time before we could turn up at the Geraldton Caravan Park, into which Val had booked us, we turned down another road at Kojarena to St James Chapel, which had been designed by Monsignor John Hawes and was opened and blessed by Bishop O’Connell in 1935. The land had been donated by James and Maggie O’Brien but the church closed in the 1982 due to a shortage of priests and the ease in which people could travel to Geraldton for mass. The building fell into disrepair until, in 2007, the descendants of James and Maggie realised that something had to be done and so they began a family restoration project to restore the church, which had been called a “Chapel of Ease” so that dances and other community events could also be held in it. They have certainly done a magnificent job.

St James Chapel Water Tank and Mug, Kojarena

Sculpture of Priest Visiting, St James Chapel, Kojarena

St James Chapel, Kojarena

From there we drove into Geraldton, booked into the caravan park, set up, put through a load of washing and had lunch. We then found a caravan repair place where we purchased a new grey water hose that would be long enough to stretch to the waste water pits. We then managed, after a bit of an effort, to find the start of Marina parkrun—it’s a good thing that we didn’t wait until tomorrow as it would have cost us time to find it. We walked the double out and back course before heading to Dome for a coffee; then to Coles for some shopping; and then back to the van. After getting the washing off the line I set about changing the screw on the ends from the old grey water pipe to the new one, but discovered that there was a slight difference in size. Even with boiling water to soften the pipe ends I only managed to get the caravan end partly on while not being able to get the other end on at all.

That night, being Friday, neither of us slept as well as we would have liked—Val because the alarm was set for 6.00 am, but I don’t know why I didn’t. We arrived at parkrun with enough time for a decent warm up and were greeted by Gemma Gore from Shipwreck parkrun, who introduced us to her husband, Phil, who is a 17 minute parkrunner. After our obligatory photo at the flags I jogged off for my warm up and arrived back in time for the briefing. Then we were off and I settled into a steady pace, though not having any idea of what my actual pace was. I was conscious of the need not to overstretch or try too hard. I was so pleased to finish my run in 25:57, which was so much faster than I have been able to run for weeks. We had a wonderful breakfast at Dome with a number of others and it was such great company that we didn’t get away till around 11.00 am. Then it was back to the van for our showers and a couple of loads of washing.

On Sunday, we opted to attend the Baptist Church and, while the message on the temptations of Jesus was reasonably good the rest of the service wasn’t the style that I found helpful. There was too much repetitive singing of songs that had no real depth to them and while there was a real concern for the salvation of people I found the style too light-hearted. If Val hadn’t gone up to Andrew and Ciara then no-one would have spoken to us except the person giving out the weekly bulletin. That was so disappointing and in total contrast to the smaller country churches we have attended. We drove to the Information Centre to find out things to see before returning back to the van. After a late lunch we went for a walk in the Chapman River Nature Reserve. While the walk was good we were disappointed with the enormous areas of lupins and weeds that were rife.

On Monday, 9^th September, we drove into town so I could have my long run. We parked at the boat ramp area and Val headed off south while I headed north. After a short warm up I was able to have a bit of water and then I headed off along the Foreshore Track, which is used by Marina parkrun. Because there were so many drink stations along the parkrun section of the track I thought that I would be OK, but after about 1k there were no more and I started when it was 27^o and ran into a hot and dry blustery wind all the way out. I thought that I might turn at around 15:00 but I missed that so decided to continue on, looking at every picnic spot in case I could get a drink—but there weren’t any available. As Ben Brockman, who has drawn up my training plan, had me down for a 60:00 run I turned at 30:00, which was a shade over 5km and began to make my way back. By now I was beginning to feel the need for fluids—not only was it getting hotter but I could feel the sun stinging my arms in spite of having used sunscreen. But I continued on, relishing the few spots where there was shade from overhanging trees. But most of it was without shade on a sealed path that reflected the sun’s heat—sometimes it was away from the greenery and next to brick walls and the road, which only made the heat feel more intense. With a couple of kilometres to go I knew that it was beginning to have an effect upon me and then, at 8.8km, I found the first drink station and had some plus my only gel that I had brought along. After a few more mouthfuls I was off but I couldn’t rekindle the pace I had been running at for the last bit. My 60:00 came in at 9.93km so I was quite pleased with that considering it’s been my longest run since 22^nd July, the Monday before I did my hamstring at Champion Lakes—and it was 31^o when I finished. After a slow cool down we had a coffee and cold drink at The Jaffle Shack. As we had to go to Bunnings to exchange our gas cylinder we decided to drive up to Drummond Beach for a slow walk/wade, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

On Tuesday afternoon we drove down to Sunset Beach to check out a good spot for Val to take some sunset photos. While she was taking them I ran the Sand Dune from the road to the top eleven times, and it wasn’t easy.

The following day we opted to drive out to Ellendale Pool for lunch, but firstly we popped into the local IGA to pick up a couple of things and then made our way southwards. We stopped at the historic village of Greenough, paid our entrance fee and wandered around the small complex. The dispossessed indigenous people sure had it tough in the local gaol. White prisoners were in cells either alone or with one other person while the Aboriginal people were all put into one cell and chained to an iron railing. A sergeant, his wife and 12 children occupied the very small police officers’ quarters—but that was normal for those days with children sharing the same bed but sleeping top to tail. The local school, under the direction of the education authorities, used religion for moral good—but it certainly didn’t succeed. St Catharine’s Anglican Church was in stark contrast to St Peter’s Catholic Church—one was sparsely furnished while the other was filled with icons, paintings, etc. As I had only brought my 150-600 lens I was limited in the photos I could take—stained glass windows, the Anglican bell and alpacas that were free the wander the property. The original bell was cast in England around 1892 and was reinstalled for their Centennial Celebrations, while the timbers supporting it are from the original “Maley’s Bridge” that was built in 1864.

Alpaca, Greenough Historic Village

Welcome Swallow, Greenough Historic Village

Stained Glass Window, St Catharine's Anglican Church, Greenough Historic Village


Stained Glass Window, St Catharine's Anglican Church, Greenough Historic Village

Original Bell, St Catharine's Anglican Church, Greenough Historic Village

Stained Glass Window, St Peter's Catholic Church, Greenough Historic Village

After viewing all the remaining buildings that are now on the historic register we had a coffee and then made our way to Ellendale Pool where we had our lunch and then wandered around the pool. Because the water temperature is above 24^o the City of Greater Geraldton, which administers the site, advises against swimming or any other contact with the water because of the danger of contacting amoebic meningitis. During our walk we could hear frogs croaking away, while a couple of Blue-billed Ducks were on the pool. The majority of my photos, however, were of damselflies. What amazed me about them was that they actually dive under the water. On our way back to the van we stopped at an informative display about the wind farm that is at Walkaway. In some ways their swishing sound as the blades spin reminds me of ocean waves. After our cuppa back at the van we changed and drove into town for our version of RunClub, which we started at the Marina parkrun start line and followed the foreshore for 20:00 before returning to the parkrun finish line. I ran my best average pace and distance since Paynes Find, over two months ago, so that was pleasing.