WA WAnderings

[JohnM]

The Edna May gold mine near Westonia.



That was it for day one. Into Merredin to overnight.

 

[drron]

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I hope the JM on the rock in the first pic not the PERfect JM.
But congratulations on finding a second orchid in the previous post!

 

[RooFlyer]

The Edna May gold mine near Westonia.

Lovely. One thing for the gold miners, they know how to handle the weeds .

 

[Major]

Brilliant photos

 

[JohnM]

Day 2, Monday 20 September.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Nice dugite.



Most attractions on the Wheatbelt Way have good information signs in a consistent style.



Pioneer well.



Fascinating. A monstrous chunk has sheared off the main rock, making a 40m long tunnel.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Bonnie Rock townsite has disappeared. All that remains is the hall and markers where various buildings once stood. The location is now essentially only a large grain receival facility.

Then on to Beacon, which is a larger and modern agricultural service centre. A display recognising the enormous significance of sandalwood harvesting in the early development of the area. An identical display is also set up at Bencubbin, about 45km directly S.



A very active Mens’ Shed restoring and displaying old machinery.

 

[JohnM]

A quirky roadside display.



Then to Mukinbudin for the night. A couple of pints of 150 Lashes and an excellent steak sanga at the Muka was a fitting end to a good day’s WAndering.



Day 3, Tuesday 21 September.

 

[JohnM]

Wheat; heads filling but some indications of frost burn on their tips.



Canola in the late stages of flowering and pods beginning to fill.

 

[JohnM]

Nungarin. Nice old pub. Noted for its Heritage Machinery and Army Museum located in a large former WW2 army depot and workshop. Almost 4000 troops were stationed there at one stage.

 

[JohnM]

Old Mangownie community sheep dip outside Nungarin.



And that was it for a pleasant few days’ WAndering.

 

[cove]

Had to look up endemism to stay onboard. We only made it to Northam and York last week and no photos.
The country is looking good due to the good rainfalls. Hoping to get to Katanning soon and Esperance a bit later.
Thanks for all the photos….Brilliant wild flowers and rock formations.

 

[MelMel]

How often were you stopping to photograph wild flowers? Were there several varieties at each stop or only a couple?

 

[VPS]

More beautiful flowers and scenery and even nice looking rocks

 

[JohnM]

How often were you stopping to photograph wild flowers? Were there several varieties at each stop or only a couple?

They are widespread and diversity is high wherever you find a good spot.

However, I would recommend getting a guide that points to identified locations as they may elude the cruising traveller, especially across the main wheatblet as the landscape is so dominated by agriculture.

Less necessary when heading north of Perth towards Geraldton because much less of the sandplain heathlands has been turned over to agriculture (as at Mt Lesueur NP in the first outing of the TR). And of course Kalbarri NP, north of Geraldton) is spectacular and very well-known.

I was using this book to target major reserves and NPs, but Jim (a colleague of mine back in the day) also identifies many small reserves and 'hot spots' from his years of roaming about: How to Enjoy WA Wildflowers by Jim Barrow | Boffins Books.

Also see the WA Wildflower Society website eg: Where to See Wildflowers – South of Perth – Wildflower Society of Western Australia

There are plenty of patches along sealed roads, but WAndering off onto side roads is often good.

The granite outcrops are usually good for both the rock formation and wildflowers as they act as water concentrators and they are invariably a long-standing reserve and have never been developed for agriculture.

I probably stop much more than the average person because I tend to know what I'm looking for or can recognise something different or spectacular more readily - a product of the interest and many years driving all over WA, especially the agricultural areas, while working. I could have stopped much more than I did, but after a while one becomes saturated, or time starts to slip away.

I'm not avid in the sense of wanting to identify every species and poking about in great detail; I just like the 'big picture' landscape view.

For most people, I would highly recommend doing homework to pin down hot spots and targetting those; anything else stumbled on then becomes a bonus. Just roaming, while unlikely to be fruitless, is not the most efficient way.

Hope that helps.

 

[MelMel]

They are widespread and diversity is high wherever you find a good spot.

However, I would recommend getting a guide that points to identified locations as they may elude the cruising traveller, especially across the main wheatblet as the landscape is so dominated by agriculture.

Less necessary when heading north of Perth towards Geraldton because much less of the sandplain heathlands has been turned over to agriculture (as at Mt Lesueur NP in the first outing of the TR). And of course Kalbarri NP, north of Geraldton) is spectacular and very well-known.

I was using this book to target major reserves and NPs, but Jim (a colleague of mine back in the day) also identifies many small reserves and 'hot spots' from his years of roaming about: How to Enjoy WA Wildflowers by Jim Barrow | Boffins Books.

Also see the WA Wildflower Society website eg: Where to See Wildflowers – South of Perth – Wildflower Society of Western Australia

There are plenty of patches along sealed roads, but WAndering off onto side roads is often good.

The granite outcrops are usually good for both the rock formation and wildflowers as they act as water concentrators and they are invariably a long-standing reserve and have never been developed for agriculture.

I probably stop much more than the average person because I tend to know what I'm looking for or can recognise something different or spectacular more readily - a product of the interest and many years driving all over WA, especially the agricultural areas, while working. I could have stopped much more than I did, but after a while one becomes saturated, or time starts to slip away.

I'm not avid in the sense of wanting to identify every species and poking about in great detail; I just like the 'big picture' landscape view.

For most people, I would highly recommend doing homework to pin down hot spots and targetting those; anything else stumbled on then becomes a bonus. Just roaming, while unlikely to be fruitless, is not the most efficient way.

Hope that helps.

Thank you so much. My sister and BIL are in Southwest WA and will find this very helpful. Me? - well maybe next year

 

[JohnM]

Righto, another couple of short WAnderings this week. This time, moving a little further south as the northern and eastern areas begin drying quite rapidly.

First, Monday-Tuesday, a loop out to Corrigin with stops in the forest of the Darling Scarp and at nature reserves near Corrigin, Harrismith (the latter disrupted by rain as a fast-moving cold front swept through late in the day) and near Narrogin the following morning, then back through the Dryandra Woodland, a unique nature reserve that is soon to become a National Park (Dryandra Woodland - Wikipedia, https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/dryandra-woodland, Dryandra Woodland). It is well-known for being a conservation and restoration reserve for the numbat, a unique marsupial and WA’s faunal emblem (Numbat - Wikipedia, The Numbat — Project Numbat).



Heading through the forested area of the Darling Scarp, the wildflowers were in abundance.

 

[JohnM]