Easter Getaway

We were getting a bit stir crazy, staying at home, so we decided to Go Bush for a few days. Years ago we had spent some enjoyable times in WA's north eastern wheatbelt exploring the granite outcrops. So over Easter we thought we would look at a few more.

I had seen a few reports about Beringbooding Rock and that would be our initial destination. It is ESE of the small town of Bonnie Rock, at the intersection of Beringbooding Road and Cunderin Road (no second D).

The bushflies out here were awful. Fly veils were essential or we would be carried away. I thought the WA Govt, at one stage, had a dung beetle program underway which had a positive effect on fly numbers but the evidence points to it being abandoned. Shame.

The water tank was built in 1937 and was then, and possibly still is, the largest hand built water tank in Australia. Water is still available through a tap at the base. The water is channelled into the tank via an aquaduct. Excellent engineering.

The camp ground is very roomy and has concrete fire rings and hot plates. There is even a flushing toilet with a hand basin in the corner. Very nice.

Around one side is a gnamma hole with a small retaining wall to keep the water level up.

The entire rock has small walls built around it to direct the water into gnamma holes and the main tank.

We met a nice young couple from Toodyay also camping there, Keith and Jennifer. We all left together to explore other rocky outcrops on the way to one of my favourite places, Trough Well, on Mt Jackson Road.

Trough Well, I must say, is at its best in winter. After a long hot, dry summer it was a bit destitute. The ambience was not improved by the presence of two kangaroo bodies in the trough. Here are two photos taken a couple of years ago during winter when there was a bit of greenery and water around.

Each night Robyn and I would sit outside and count how many satellites and shooting stars we could see, and there were plenty. Some of the satellites flashed like a strobe light on an aircraft but the frequency and intensity of the flash varied. I assume that they had irregular surfaces and the sun reflected off them intermittently. If we had seen any of them changing direction I would have a different explanation, but they didn't, unfortunately.

On Sunday night there were quite a few lightning flashes from distant thunderstorms but nothing near us. All weekend it was too warm at night for a fire.

On Monday we started the homeward journey and found a 24 hour fuel bowser at Mukinbudin. That was handy as everything was closed over the holiday weekend. We passed through Nungarin that morning too. It looked like it had received a decent rainstorm overnight with large pools of water everywhere.

On the way through Wyalkatchem we stopped at the pub and had an Anzac Day beer with a couple of elderly WW2 veterans. I bought them a beer, we should all be buying them a beer on Anzac Day.

Our overnight stay was at a rest stop in the almost non-existant town of Minnivale. I managed to reverse into a tree here and wiped off the external hatch cover to the hot water system on the van.

On Tuesday we headed home to Mandurah via Toodyay and gave the van a good tub on arrival. It's been raining on and off since. I wish it had rained on the way home we wouldn't have had to wash the van.

BOG Mini Muster at Denmark WA.

Denmark is on the south coast of Western Australia. After the heat wave in Perth it was very nice to stay where the temperature was in the mid 20's and nights got down to the low teens. We even had a couple of rain showers.

About 24 Bushtrackers turned up to the Denmark River Mouth Caravan Park.

http://www.denmarkrivermouthcaravanpark.com.au/

We spent a week there between the 9th and 16th of March.

There were a couple of extra BTs there already, not previously BOG members but were welcome to join us and a couple even became paid up members.

BOG = Bushtracker Owners' Group.

The park is on the edge of Wilson Inlet which is a big expanse of water between the town and the ocean. There was plenty of bird life there and they seemed to be well fed.

       

The Southern Ocean crashes onto the beach at Denmark and some bays are popular surf spots.

Most afternoons we had a few drinks in the Camp Kitchen where we discussed the next day's activities.

The Bocce sets came out one afternoon and teams were selected.

Team huddle

What an action !!

Saturday evening dinner was at a local Italian restaurant. Everyone enjoyed themselves.

Our campsite. The inlet was right behind us and a very nice afternoon seabreeze kept the evenings and nights cool.

Sunday morning breakfast with a view to enjoy.

Greens Pool (panorama)

 

Retrospective: Dunns Swamp NSW

On our way home from picking up our BT in 2009 we stayed at Dunns Swamp in the Wollemi National Park in NSW. Dunns Swamp is on the Cudgegong River, 25 kms east of Rylstone.

The swamp was created by the Kandos Weir which was built in the 1920s to provide water for the Kandos brickworks in the town of Kandos, also about 25 kms away.

Don't let the word "swamp" put you off visiting. The water is beautiful and you can go on a very interesting eco tour.

Dunns Swamp is in very, very ancient countryside. Wollemi NP is about 250 million years old.

 

There are some very nice campsites, many suitable for caravans. Most have fireplaces too. The track in is virtually single lane and the traffic includes the occasional tour coach. I'd hate to meet one of them coming the opposite way. There aren't too many places to get off and let them pass.

 

 

A large group from one of the nearby towns turned up for a couple of days. They were all very friendly and invited us over to join them. It was very pleasant.

 

 

A few days after we left a large bushfire threatened Rylston and Kandos and we were glad we left early. It would definitely be a worry trying to get out with a bushfire around. 

 

Nevertheless, it was a beautiful place and one we would definitely go back to.

Highly recommended.

 

Postscript:

Sometime after I first published this entry in my Blog, I was contacted by a company making interpretive signs for Dunns Swamp and they wanted to use some of my photos. I took it as quite a compliment and agreed. Here is one they made:

 

Retrospective: Temora Aviation Museum

We aren't expecting to head off in our van 'til about May so I thought I would put up the occasional post showing places of interest on previous trips.

When we took delivery of our Bushtracker in late 2009 we took a couple of months to come home to Mandurah. One place that I had not heard about before was Temora in NSW. It is the home of the Temora Aviation Museum.

http://www.aviationmuseum.com.au/

It is basically a personal project of Sir Frank Lowey's son David. It is such a good thing.

We arrived on a Friday afternoon having previously made a booking for the Aerodrome caravan park. This is new and is right in amongst the action.

The museum displays warbirds, but is not interested in them unless they can fly. What a brilliant weekend.

Spitfire: hero of the Battle of Britain

Cessna Dragonfly. Forward Air Control Aircraft, flown by David Lowy.

Harvard and Wirraway

Mustang and Spitfire

Grumman Avenger

F-86 Sabre (owned and flown by the RAAF).

Gloster Meteor. Britain's first jet.

Vampire, Mustang, Meteor.

Click on the link above to see this years flying calendar and full directions on how to get to Temora and how to book a site. It's very popular so don't expect to just turn up and drive in.

Christmas Lights in the Mandurah Canals

Each year, starting on or about Dec 1st, a lot of the houses on the canals in Mandurah (Port Mandurah and Waterside) dress up with Christmas lights. Some are quite spectacular.

Each night hundreds of boats pass through in a steady procession.

For those who remember Mandurah from years gone by, things have changed. This is where the Peninsula Hotel used to be.

Here are a sample of some of the houses.

They stay up til about the second week in January. Some owners stretch it out to Australia Day but most are down by then.