Leaving Geraldton we abandon the Highways for the byways, heading inland to avoid the school holiday crowd that has cramped our style on the coastline, don't they realise who we are? Heading east at first we slowly climb the coastal hills through vast wheat fields and attractive properties. In the distance giants appear, resembling War of the Worlds tall legged robots, they soon take shape as huge wind-turbines, and many of them in a parade line along kilometres of the ridge-top.
 
Throughout the morning vast wheat fields slide by often bordered by lanes and fields of the many wildflowers this area is famous for. Colours change from soft mauves, purples, white, yellow, electric blue and red, along with our stop lights as Roscoe is requested to "STOP!!!" very often for photos. With five and a half tons to pull up these demands of STOP are sometimes not well received, but hard to ignore without consequences! The flowers are pretty though.
 
A little south-east of Geraldton we once more take a road less travelled (do anything to avoid crowds), and cut eastward to the Coalseam National Park, an interesting place as it was the site of WA's first coal mine, now turned into a small very picturesque valley of wildflowers alongside still visible seams of coal. Whilst here we check out the Miners Campground just cause we can. It is a minimal amenity area with new drop toilets and a circuit of large and well spaced campsites. Of the 20 sites only about 4 are occupied and had it been later in the day we would have been happy to set camp here in the valley amongst the flowers.

Continuing south along an interesting drive we soon come to Mingenew, a wheat area service centre and a good place to stop for a break and lunch from the bakery. The town boasts a very attractive old pub, currently up for sale, an opportunity for a younger couple, possibly! Here we also meet up with recent acquaintances, Kiwi nomads, Jan and Paul.
 
The drive to Three Springs is pleasant, even more so for its lack of traffic. Three Springs has been recommended by several people including Jan and Paul, and as it is now post-lunch this will be our camp. The town does not have a caravan park but for $10 payable at the Info centre you may camp at the showgrounds, good deal. A quick camp setup, then Jan and Paul pull in, so together we drive to see some sights, namely the largest Talc mine in the Southern Hemisphere, and a small area where a unique wildflower setting grows in the form of a multicoloured wreath, very rare and beautiful. This round trip takes an hour or so and by 5pm the four of us have congregated in the local pub for sundowners.