Lesgold?s Road Trip

[Lesgold]

Hi Folks,

Just thought I?d share a few images of my winter road trip across the country. I?m sure that there are people out there that may want to see some of the sights of Australia and it?s variety of landscapes. So here goes. The plan is to drag our caravan from the east coast of Australia and then travel up the west coast, camping as we go. The plan is to be back home by mid August so that the bees can be given hugs and cuddles just before spring. We hope to get across the country reasonably quickly as we have done this part of the trip before. The holiday will start as we head north from Perth in Western Australia. Before leaving, all hives were checked and tested. Most should make it though winter without issue. Some hives were already down on honey reserves which means they may struggle a bit. There is a bit of a pick of nectar that should keep most hives going over the cold period. Here is a photo of sunrise from my back door just before leaving. The Pacific Ocean is about a mile away in the direction of the sun.

[The15thMember]

Sounds amazing!  I can't wait to hear about your trip and see pictures of your unique and beautiful country! 

[Kathyp]

I sure am interested in your trip!  I have only been to Australia once and it was to Perth.  Had the best time there.  would love to see your vacation and what more of the country looks like.

[Lesgold]

Thanks guys. I actually started the trip about 2 weeks ago and have now only begun the thread as we have travelled big miles to get to our starting point. The first few photos were taken from an overnight camp we had about two hours drive east of Perth. We stayed in a bush camp close to a old dam. Being in really low rainfall country, water is a valuable commodity and is really cherished. I have attached a photo of a Rocky outcrop. It is basically one piece of granite and covers about 170 acres. It is a huge, rounded hilly rock that the old timers took advantage of.

[Lesgold]

They saw it as a potential roof to gather water runoff so in the late 1800?s they built a stone drain around the perimeter of the rock.

[Lesgold]

The drain was then channeled into a dam to collect the water. Very clever people to even think this way. I did some rough calculations and the sums really surprised me. For every 1mm of rainfall, about 780000 litres of water would drain into the dam. The dam is still used to this day for irrigation purposes. Picked up supplies just outside of Perth and started the trip north. The holiday can now start after travelling 4000 km across the country.

[The15thMember]

That's incredible!  You know, I was just learning about water management recently in the online homesteading school my family is part of, and the instructor, Joel Salatin, was speaking about how much just collecting runoff in a pond can provide water for an area.  He was saying how pioneers in Australia were the ones who really perfected these methods of water catching and management (he mentioned the work of a particular man, whose name I can't remember now).  Really neat to be able to see some pictures of that engineering to reinforce what we were learning! 

The holiday can now start after travelling 4000 km across the country.

So did you guys just cross the whole country and now you are going to sight-see at a leisurely pace on your way back?  That's a good idea, I don't think I would have thought to do that way. 

[Ben Framed]

Thanks for posting this 'good stuff' Les. Keep 'em' coming.

Phillip

[Lesgold]

Hi Reagan,

Not really. We drove across the country from east to west and our holiday started a couple of days ago when we started heading north. We were getting quite close to the west coast when we started to see some interesting plants. The first one is called cockies tongue and is will flower through the winter months supplying nectar to many native birds and bees. The second photo is of an acorn banksia flower. I have never seen them before. They also produce nectar for bees through the winter months. Can?t wait to sample some of the local honey.

[Kathyp]

Love the water management thing.  Seems I recall that this is kinda the way they supplied water to Petra in ancient times.  Channeled the water from the bit of rain in the hills to cisterns below. 

One of the few things I remember from that long ago trip to Perth is that there was a park there.  It had a lot of really neat plants.  Runs in my mind that it was named something like Kings Park.  40 years ago...

[The15thMember]

Not really. We drove across the country from east to west and our holiday started a couple of days ago when we started heading north.

Oh, I understand now.  Looking at a map helped. 

The first one is called cockies tongue and is will flower through the winter months supplying nectar to many native birds and bees. The second photo is of an acorn banksia flower. I have never seen them before. They also produce nectar for bees through the winter months. Can?t wait to sample some of the local honey.

Those are incredible!

[Lesgold]

That?s correct Kathy. Kings Park is quite an amazing place in the middle of Perth. We looked at it 4 years ago when we last visited. We travelled a couple of hundred km north of Perth and stayed a few nights in a caravan park to refresh. We had free camped the whole way across the country an met some really nice people on the road. It was time to catch up with washing, pick up some water and spoil ourselves for Mother?s Day. Here is one of the early views of the Indian Ocean at a little place called Sandy Cape. Beautiful white sand and a beach sheltered by an outer reef.

[Lesgold]

One place that we really did want to look at was the Pinnicles in Nambung National Park. They are a series of natural limestone formations that were created on an ancient seabed about 25 to 30 thousand years ago. They are located about 8km from the existing coastline. Pictures don?t really do them justice. A truly amazing area.

[The15thMember]

That?s correct Kathy. Kings Park is quite an amazing place in the middle of Perth. We looked at it 4 years ago when we last visited. We travelled a couple of hundred km north of Perth and stayed a few nights in a caravan park to refresh. We had free camped the whole way across the country an met some really nice people on the road. It was time to catch up with washing, pick up some water and spoil ourselves for Mother?s Day. Here is one of the early views of the Indian Ocean at a little place called Sandy Cape. Beautiful white sand and a beach sheltered by an outer reef.

How beautiful!  I haven't been to the beach in so long.

One place that we really did want to look at was the Pinnicles in Nambung National Park. They are a series of natural limestone formations that were created on an ancient seabed about 25 to 30 thousand years ago. They are located about 8km from the existing coastline. Pictures don?t really do them justice. A truly amazing area.

Hey, we have Pinnacles in California too!  Yours are better though, I think. 

[Skeggley]

Welcome to WA Lesgold, I hope you got some of our Marri and Jarrah honey while around Perth. I'm assuming your wife wouldn't let you go out Kalgoorlie way. ;)
Have you checked out Lake Thetis while in the area and the oldest living lifeforms on earth?
Keep up the great posts mate.
 

[Lesgold]

Hi Skeggley,

My wife and I went to Lake Thetis and had a look at the stromatolites. Pretty amazing stuff. I?m just about to put some Marri honey on my breakfast cereal. It?s totally different honey to what I?m used to. That?s what makes it such an adventure. The honey is mild honey with a floral and almost salty after taste. Very nice indeed. At the moment we are camped on Coronation Beach about 400km north of Perth. We will head to Kabarri this morning. Here?s a couple of photos taken yesterday. We are about 40m behind the beach camped with about 15 other caravans. We had a beautiful sunset yesterday afternoon.

[Lesgold]

Reagan I forgot to say that your pinnacle's look very similar to what we just saw. There are some incredible sights to see no matter where you live.

[The15thMember]

My wife and I went to Lake Thetis and had a look at the stromatolites. Pretty amazing stuff.

I'd never heard of stromatolites before.  I just gave them a google.  Super neat!

[max2]

That's incredible!  You know, I was just learning about water management recently in the online homesteading school my family is part of, and the instructor, Joel Salatin, was speaking about how much just collecting runoff in a pond can provide water for an area.  He was saying how pioneers in Australia were the ones who really perfected these methods of water catching and management (he mentioned the work of a particular man, whose name I can't remember now).  Really neat to be able to see some pictures of that engineering to reinforce what we were learning! 

The holiday can now start after travelling 4000 km across the country.

So did you guys just cross the whole country and now you are going to sight-see at a leisurely pace on your way back?  That's a good idea, I don't think I would have thought to do that way.

PJ Yeomans

https://www.keyline.com.au/

[The15thMember]

PJ Yeomans

https://www.keyline.com.au/

THAT'S IT!