Heading towards the Big smoke.

Apr 7th

We arrived in Quinninup this afternoon after driving through the smoke from the burning off of plantation waste. A marked change from Walpole. Everyone has gone home, and the place is deserted. On the way into the park, there are hundreds of Gnomes. Apparently, they're the overflow from Gnome town, a couple of hundred K's up the road.

Burning off.

The welcome Gnomes at the entrance.

All the cousins.

Apr 8th.

After a lazy start sitting around in the Sun watching the Roos, we spent the rest of the day walking the bush tracks around Quinninup. The roos had made themselves at home by the time we got back. Some of them have the white arrow, like the ones at Walpole. Reminded us of the Sneetches.

Lake Karri

Lake walk.

One the loggers missed back in the day.

Just chill'n.

Apr 9th

We're staying at a free camp, Greenbushes Pool, for a few nights. Not somewhere we would have picked ourselves, as it's right next to a Lithium mine. It was recommended to us by a couple from Perth we met weeks ago. A top tip.

After setting up camp, we followed the loop track into town.

After visiting the mine viewing area, we headed to the discovery centre, hoping to get a map of the other walks around town. Unfortunately, it was closed.

While we were inspecting the old machinery in the park, a retired local miner wandered over and pointed out one of the rocks at the entrance and the different minerals it contained. Turns out he moved here in the 60s to marry a local girl and has been here ever since. He has a wealth of knowledge that he was happy to share.

It was like having a private tour guide. We're now far better informed about the local geology and mineral deposits.

The wildlife is quite friendly here. A Bandicoot came wandering up while we were cooking tea.

Misty morning.

Lithium and Tin Mine.

The track into town.

Shamrock Hotel. Greenbushes.

Garden Art.

Bandicoot.

Apr 10th

The discovery centre was open this morning, so we stopped in to get a map of the walking trails. They have a really good set of displays about the history of the town and the current mining practices. So it wasn't a quick visit.

Then it was off to Bridgetown, another Daylesford-style place, the old gaol is well preserved and interesting.

While we were cooking tea, our old mate the Bandicoot turned up again. We call him Neville.

At night, you can just hear the mine in the background. Apparently, the locals don't notice it. It sounds a bit like surf in the distance.

Greenbushes Pool campsite.

Greenbushes Pool.

Greenbushes Mine.

A bloody Big Hole.

Bridgetown, Town Hall.

Apr 11th

Today was about escaping. The Ferrals turned up at the campground yesterday, and the mother hasn't stopped screaming at the kids since.

We decided to do the long New Zealand gully walk out past North Greenbushes. The Tin miners sure did it hard in the old days. It was too early to relax back at camp, (mother was still screaming at the kids.), so we went for a cruise to Balingup, then back to the Exchange Hotel for a couple of Pints. When we got back to camp (mother was still screaming at the kids.), we took our chairs and a snack down to the pool to watch the wildlife come in for a drink. Ah, the serenity. Another couple came down to join us to enjoy the tranquillity. Old mate Neville the Bandicoot wandered in as well.

Mullock heap. Remnants of aluvial tin mining. Late 1800s.

Disused rail line from Bridge Town to Bunbury.

Tin? Tantilum?

A grey butt amoungst the Black butts.

The scariest crow of them all.

Serenity.

Apr 12th

You're only allowed to stay at Greenbushes Pool for 3 nights, so we had to move on. 10 minutes down the road is Balingup Golden Valley Tree Park. There are a number of different themed walks in the park. The collection was started in the 1920s and has been added to over the years. Who would have thought there are so many different types of oak trees? We had a very pleasant morning strolling along the trails.

We're now at Donnybrook camped at the cricket ground.

An unusual specimen.

Balingup Golden Valley Tree Park.

We nearly walked through this web.

Donnybrook station.

Apr 13th

The day started out quite hazy and smoky, but a gentle breeze picked up, and it was a warm, clear day. We decided to ride the Munda Biddi Trail to Boyanup. We rode for about an hour and gave up. The gravel here is like marbles, and there are lots of sections with deep sand. Not much fun and hard work. We did see a few of the fabled Red-tailed Black Cockatoos. As luck would have it, Linda spotted a feather on the way home that we souvenired. When we got back near town, we rode around the fancy estates, then along the river. By the time we got back, the wind had changed, and it's really smoky. (Enough to make our eyes water.) Sitting around after tea, we heard rustling in the grass. It was our old mate Neville from Greenbushes who had come for a visit.

Lovely street trees in the posh part of town.

A lucky find

WA Blue Tongue.

Smoke haze at camp.

Old mate Nev.

Apr 14th

We drove around the Ferguson Valley today. Our first stop was the town of Boyanup. Where they are very proud of their railway past. While walking around town, we saw a sign to a railway museum. On closer inspection, it is only open once a month. There are a group of model train enthusiasts who were there playing trains. They invited us in for a look around their layout, then let us wander around the museum on our own. From there, it was cruising through the countryside until we reached Gnomesville.

It's a stretch of gully near a roundabout where people started placing Gnomes in the 90's. It's become a thing. There are thousands of them. No town, just the Gnomes.

Model trains.

There are lots of Old timber bridges on the Highways.

Gnomesville.

Dirty Gnomes.

Gnomes with attitude.

Gnomesville.

Apr 15th

We took the back way through the hills to get to Potters Gorge campground in the Wellington National Park. We walked through the bush to the Dam wall to have a look at the mural.

Back at camp, we had another roast Pork on the spit. I think it will be the last time we do pork, as it was perfect. If we try again, it will only be a letdown. After tea, we sat around the fire, spotting satellites.

New Bridge

Wellington Dam Mural.

Best pork ever.

Stars through the trees.

Apr 16th

We decided to take the Bikes out again, as there are lots of tracks. The track we planned to take was closed due to the bridge construction, so we took a suggested alternative route. What a disaster.

Poor track markings, some bad advice, and a lack of skill on our part, had us on some pretty hairy and rugged mountain bike trails, and a little lost at times. We were gone for a lot longer than we expected and were Buggered by the time we got home.

Wellington Dam.

A vaguely accurate map.

Collie River.

Q: What's the Car?

Apr 17th

After a lazy start and a short drive, we're in the small country town of Harvey. Not much here, but a good place to visit the surrounding area.

Brunswick Junction Peters factory.

Apr 18th

We thought there was nothing to do in Harvey, as that's what the lady in the caravan park told us when we checked in. Turns out there's a Dam just up the road with lovely gardens and walks. (Accessible by a smooth bike track that we didn't know about until we'd driven there.) There's a diversion channel that runs through town, which was hand-dug during the depression. Also, a grand old Pub that is unfortunately on the decline, but has a lovely publican.

Harvey Dam Gardens.

They took the rock from here.

And put it here.

The perfect Evil Lair.

Our new favourite pub.

Arp 19th

Fortunately, we scanned a QR code on a plaque in the footpath. Turns out there's quite a bit of History in Harvey. We walked to the site of the WW2 internment camp and around the gardens then back to town for a chat with a local historian at the Railway station museum then a visit to the ANZAC Victoria Cross Story display in the Old Town Hall.

Internment Camp Shrine.

Internment Camp Shrine. It was in a paddock for many years until they put a building around it.

Stirling Cottage Gardens.

Apr 20th

It was a transport day today from Harvey to Mandurah (Mandra). First stop on the way was the small town of Yarloop. It was pretty much totally destroyed in the 2016 bushfires. One sad story is the firefighters were trying to save the Pub and were winning, unfortunately, a train came through and ran over their hoses that were drawing water from a well on the other side of the tracks. The Pub was lost.

Another place we stopped at and will have to explore in the future is Pinjarra.