This is my last blog for our 2022 trip to S.A.

20th May:  Our body clock is still on SA time and we were on the road by 8.00am, but my phone, that went to WA time 25 kms from Border Village, said 6.30am.  Plenty of time for today’s travel, but no tourist opportunities for a walk!  Our plan is to get to Norseman which is over 700kms.

No problems getting through the border check.  The onion, pumpkin and carrots were fine. The lady did ask what was in the bowls bags behind the seats.  Thought we might have had something stashed in them!

First fuel stop was Cocklebiddy Roadhouse.  I’d not noticed the two wedgetail eagles in the cage at the back of the roadhouse when we’ve fuelled up here on previous trips, so I checked them out.  Maybe we haven’t ever fuelled up from this direction or maybe there has been lots of vehicles around.  This morning Cocklebiddy was very quiet.  We purchased a bacon and egg sandwich and toasted ham and cheese for morning tea.  The legs definitely needed a stretch!  We had been travelling for 3 hours.

This is the story of Samantha and Bruce the two wedgetail eagles. Samantha was hit by a truck in 2012. Mags an employee at Cocklebiddy happened to be travelling not far behind the truck and picked up the bird.  She had a broken wing, a bad eye and a broken breast bone, although that was not known at the time. Mags looked after the bird until she got in touch with a bird wildlife ranger in Karratha. Samantha was flown to Karratha for 15 months treatment and care.  Her wing and breastbone healed, but she is blind in one eye and cannot be released into the wild.  Bruce the smaller of the two birds had a tangle with a car in 2015.  He had a broken elbow and was sent to Perth for treatment and rehab.  He healed but can’t fly, so he was sent back to Cocklebiddy.  The roadhouse work closely with the Department of Parks and Wildlife to manage the birds.  The rest of the information on the display board was about how many birds are hit on Eyre Highway each year and to take care.  There were the statistics about how much stock is lost on stations versus road kill and I will type no more.  We know all about lamb loss to wedgetail eagles. 

We have had an interesting morning weather wise.  It has been cloudy all the way, although it was only light fluffy clouds by the time we hit the 90 mile straight. We’ve had a few spots of rain and there’s been evidence on the road of heavy enough showers to leave a puddle or two.  We’ve even had a rainbow and we’ve seen some camels and donkeys in the bush! I didn’t see them quick enough to get a click.  

Lunch was in the pullover area at the Balladonia Roadhouse.  We were in Norseman by 3.00pm, fuelled up, vegie shopping done and settled at the Gateway caravan park by 4.00pm.

PJ ready to get on the road again at Norseman

21st May:  On the road by 8.15am on brother Dennis’ 70th birthday.  He and Val are celebrating this milestone at Monkey Mia with a group of friends.  We found the dump point at the old visitor centre and the location was perfect for me to get PJ Stayathome out of the car for her last photo shoot until she gets to Geraldton. She is in her first WA town, so why not a photo with Norseman the horse!  There were still lots of roadworks around Widgemooltha, but no one would be complaining about the waiting and slow journey as the upgrade is well overdue!

We fuelled up at Coolgardie before the 187 kms to Southern Cross.  It is such a boring stretch of road.  My memories of this road as a child travelling to Kalgoorlie to visit grandparents, was a straight stretch of road and over every rise it was the same!  By the time we got to Southern Cross Peter was agreeing it was nearly as boring as the Ninety Mile Straight.  We had lunch at the huge camping area about 40 kms from Southern Cross. I thought the Yilgarn Museum was open today, but it is tomorrow so a visit is not possible again.  Oh well!  On the upside we will be 100kms or more closer to home tonight.

We drove through the town centre and headed north west to Bullfinch.  We had decided we would travel the north eastern wheatbelt for the afternoon.  It was very dry and the paddocks looked similar to a lot we had seen in SA. The town of Bullfinch has seen better days and it was looking very derelict.  There was an old CBH Receival facility and another facility at Waralakan.  We stopped at Mukinbudin and had a walk around a rest area on the northern side of the railway line.  The heritage grain silo that Jack Jones built on his farm in 1949 has been relocated to the area.  So good this has been done and what I would call a Community Builders action. Jack acquired his farm at Muka after WWII.  He erected the curved corrugated iron walls of the silo as he filled it grain. The roof was constructed once it was filled and he dug holes and trenches for the enormous timber main frame.  A farmer had donated a home made four wheel drive tractor and it was under cover, and early CBH accommodation from Tampu had been placed there.  The CBH Management Rules of 1954 were more than interesting!  Especially the rule about no fires being lit in the bins to keep warm. Wubin had been used as an example of such behaviour and the grain had burnt for 3 days!  We drove around the town.  It’s a nice tidy town.  Ex Shire of Chapman Valley CEO Dirk Sellenger is still the CEO here.  This is his wife’s home town.  Obviously they are still happy here and the community and council happy with Dirk.

Next town was Bencubbin where we did a drive through.  There was lots of talk during the afternoon about crops!  Whether paddocks were seeded, whether it was self sown and most could do with a good soaking.  Although there was a puddle or two in places.  "Tough country out here" was Peter's comment. Koorda was the next town, the Corn Dolly Town, but damn I missed the lovely entrance signage.  Another time maybe.  Then it was a reasonably long drive to come in on the north side of Kalannie.  We were on the edge of the farming land in this area of the State.  Originally Peter had thought Dalwallinu or Wubin would be out night stop, but it was 5.00pm and this was far enough.  We had travelled about 600kms with about 350 to do tomorrow.  Should be home for lunch or soon after. We rang Smock for his birthday.  He was just about to go the the restaurant at Monkey Mia for dinner and enjoy the sunset.  He had had a lovely day and been fishing, which he loves.  And he had caught fish which made his day!

Sunrise in Kalannie

22nd May:  Home is calling and we were on the road by 7.30am having put our $20 in an envelope and messaged Gaz to tell him where we had left it.  You can pay at the IGA after 9.00am, but a bit late for us, or you can leave the money as it is an honour payment.  Also asked Gaz to say hello to Jo Ashworth and mentioned we knew her parents well.  Jo is passionate about the future of Kalannie.

Off to Dalwallinu, Wubin, Perenjori and Morawa, a road often travelled and I have taken many photos in the towns.  With a group of CWA ladies I have even stayed the night at the Perenjori Hotel, which Vivienne R will no doubt also remember well.  They are still seeding around Perenjori and there isn’t much green to be seen.  By the time we got a little further north the early crops were looking very nice.

We were in Morawa by 10.00am and Peter turned left, which meant and we were heading towards Mingenew and would take the Depot Hill road home, rather than the narrow bumpy road to Mullewa.  The Depot Hill road is just north of Mingenew and the CBH silos were clearly visible.  I could see some cell storage so suggested to Peter we check them out and maybe visit the bakery.  Maybe they would be suitable for CWA silo art and this rural town could do with a tourism boost.  I started to think of a number of reasons why it could be considered, but alas the silos are not suitable.  I'm not sure whether it was a positive of a negative that we had to wait for a grain train to go through before we could check out the silos!  The positive was that we enjoyed a young female trainee train driver (well we are assuming trainee) change the track for the train.  She really had to swing on the lever!  Peter's comment was "Put some oil on it girl" and when we waved to her as we crossed the line it was "See you muscles"!  

The downside to the delay in travel was the heavy rain when we got to the lights at Bunnings.  But we never complain about rain!  It was too wet to attempt backing up the drive at the Lighthouse Estate, so we parked up at St George's Beach for 15 minutes or so.  The wind was creating havoc with the freshly seeded sandplain paddocks on the Allanooka Springs Road.  

We have had a lovely holiday.  SA has been colder than we expected.  Nice to holiday but it is always great to be safely home.  We have been away eight weeks on Wednesday and home a little earlier than we initially planned.  

Thank you to all who have commented on my travel blogs.  Blogging is a commitment, but a great way to record your travels and it is always nice to hear from family and friends back home. I have had some lovely encouraging comments, even from as far a Broken Hill. There have been comments from three women who found my blog whilst searching on the web.