Then Pelham Reserve, Toodyay:
Tuesday, 10-Sep-24:
Today we started a short trip into the Wheatbelt East (and South) of Perth, traveling via Toodyay to Tammin, then Beverley. Stopped briefly at Noble Falls, then saw the view and everlastings from Pelham Reserve Lookout in Toodyay.
Then Pelham Reserve, Toodyay:
The main reason for visiting Tammin was to check out an extensive historical displays in the Roadhouse, which featured the Goddards on one panel (including Helen, who spent 4 years there in the early 50's). Checked out the Silo art work at Northam on the way through, and a huge flock of corellas...
Quite a lot of canola around, which looks so stunning in the sun! But was surprised to find that many fields (this is in the South Tammin area) are actually often called dandelions (capeweed, arctotheca calendula), not canola, though the effect is as stunning! I love these Wheatbelt trees, too...
Wednesday, 11-Sep-24:
We stayed overnight in a B&B in Beverley. Here's the Avon River at Beverley.
Then on this second day in the Wheatbelt (Wednesday), we first visited Boyagin Rock (out from Brookton), which (of course) I had to climb. It's not especially high, nor strenuous to climb, but they say if you can climb it without stopping then you will lead a long life! I reckon I've "been there, done that", and besides, I wanted to take photos on the way up, didn't I? Here are some views of the rock, from the rock, and wildflowers around the rock... (delayed posting, as we had no Internet or even mobile coverage at Dryandra, our destination that night).
Everlastings.
Chamaescilla corymbosa (Blue Squill).
Cowslip orchid.
Stypandra glauca (Nodding Blue Lily).
One sided bottlebrush (Calothamnus quadrifidus).
Trigger plants (Stylidium sp).
Spider orchids.
Jug orchid (Pterostylis recurva).
After Boyagin Rock, on Wednesday, we drove to Dryandra (via Cuballing, where Helen lived for a year or two just after the War, and Narrogin where we had some lunch). At Dryandra we found we'd been upgraded to a cottage (originally booked into one of the dormitories, with outside ablutions), with an INSIDE toilet!! Possum Cottage. Had a little walk around the many lovely walk trails. Had a visit from a friendly magpie (I suspect, thinking we were going to fire up the barbecue). And spotted a Stone Curlew in the bush at the edge of the clearing, and a white kangaroo...
Drosera macrantha (aka Bridal Rainbow). [Note the sticky disks on stalks on the main stem, for catching small insects]
On Wednesday evening, we booked for a Barna Mia nocturnal experience at a secret location well within Dryandra woodland (as recommended by Michael Newton, Helen's cousin and a former ranger). Sadly, they were booked out and only one of us could go. Here are some photos I took, illuminated by red light that doesn't upset the wildlife. We saw Bilby, Woylie, Mala and Quenda (in that order below).
Thursday, 12-Sep-24:
Before leaving Dryandra on Thursday morning, I had one last attempt at seeing a Numbat. They are diurnal (as opposed to the nocturnal habits of the other marsupials), as they feast on termites and wait till the warmth of the day has enlivened them. This bushland is typical numbat territory, and shared with Woylies (whose diggings I believe I saw). Feral cats and foxes are their worst enemies (Barna Mia is inside fencing to keep predators out). There's a lot of 1080 poison set out to try to eliminate or reduce predator numbers. The poison is derived from the bush Gastrolobium microcarpum which is poisonous to eat, but indigenous species have adapted to it, whereas introduced specials like cats and foxes have not, so a good natural way to curtail predators. Sadly, I didn't get to see any numbats...
Possible woylie diggings.
Thursday, 19-Sep-24: YORK
One week later, we were off to the Wheatbelt again, this time on a coach tour from our Retirement Village, which took us to York. Here are some views of our morning tea, visit to the suspension bridge over the River Avon, and lunch at the Imperial Hotel (opposite the impressive York Town Hall), followed by a visit to an olive farm outside York (with a great diusplay of everlastings). Then the canola-laden countryside on the way home...
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Alex Reid
11-Nov-24