On Easter Saturday we went for a drive out to Mangowine Homestead. When we Arrived the homestead was closed, but we were welcomed to have a look around at all the old machinery, laying around the paddock, and told to come back on Sunday for a look through the old home . Didn’t look much from the outside, but said we would do that. 
We took some time to wander around the old farm machinery, which again Chris and Steve reminisced over.
This old car was my favorite.
As we couldn’t go inside, we left to find another point of interest, water holes in rocks called Gnamma holes. These are at Weira. 
Next we headed back to camp, lit the fire, sat around to have dinner and cook marshmallows . And yes I had way too many, and suffered all night. Easter Sunday we got up to a breakfast fit for a king, and cooked by Steve. Followed by Easter eggs from the rabbit we saw hopping around the night before. 
This was to be our last day out here, so off we went to see the rock climbers on Eaglestone Rock, in the National Park. And no we didn’t climb this one.
However Chris and I did drive up on one, where we had a good view of the salt lake below. 
Later we went for a walk on the lake, the salt is so clean and sparkles in the sunlight. Very crunchy to walk on. 
After spending some time at the park, we needed to make our way back to the Homestead for a look. The men’s bar room was very interesting. No women were allowed in, back in the day. 
The kitchen was basic, but the dining areas were beautifully set out, on the uneven stone floors.
A few other things of interest.
This chest took my eye, as my mother had one, almost identical, that I have revamped and handed down to my daughter Kym.
The bedrooms were beautiful, as if they could still be slept in.
Loved seeing this crocheted quilt, just like my Grandparents had on their old ratterly iron bed. Same pattern and theirs was also mainly black. Guess that was why I remember it. As a child I thought it was horrible. No doubt my older cousins will remember it.
Here is a few other photos, from our day out, a wind driven race horse.!! 
At Cleomine.
Lunch stop, at Mukinbudin, and a yummy strawberry milkshake, from cafe across the road. Red Hat Statues.
And a few more old wells and gnamma holes. Took awhile to find these.
Weira Reserve W A
Then it was time to go back to camp for our last night. On Easter Monday. Just like that the camping trip came to an end. We packed up and headed back to Kalannie, only to stop for a cuppa at Beacon. 
Hopefully we will be back one day as we have really enjoyed exploring the midwest. For now its time for a much looked forward to, trip home to Casino, for 2 weeks. We both need a rest and are looking forward to catching up with our families and and friends. So no more entries on the blog for awhile, take care all, and hopefully i’ll be back on here by the end of May.
Putting this next photo up, I can see we didn’t cover our tracks up. Opps!!
Found a parking spot in the shade at the base of the rock .
Ok time to get some exercise, before lunch 
Climbing this one was rougher but somehow easier, as the rocks were very uneven on the way up.
Think this rock is my favorite. So fortunate that we are able to do this. Will be a special time to look back on when we aren’t able to travel anymore.
So many caves and overhanging rocks, you could spend all day around here.
When you reach the top, the views of the salt lakes below are beautiful.
we also put a rock on the pile as a memoriam to my daughter Jodie.
After our climb we really enjoyed our picnic lunch when we returned to the cars. Note how good Olly is, as Steve makes his lunch in front of him.
After lunch we go to see through an old Homestead. More on that later…
After a late lunch it was time to go see what was so special about this place. Just looked like a lot of serious climbing ahead from down here. We all started out together walking around the base, with the 2 dogs on leads. As we started to climb, pore old Olley, started to cry as his nails couldn’t grip the rock, and he was slipping backwards. So the dogs were taken back to camp, while Jodie,[ Mary and Steve’s eldest daughter,] and I kept climbing.! Steve and Chris were nowhere to be seen. Now it’s all good going up, and I had non slip shoes on, but when we had to stop for a breather, I looked down!! This is it, one pic , and i’m outta here.
By this time Jodie was about 20 meters behind, and starting to make nervous sounds, and very little progress. Apparently we had caught the eyes of the campers below, who were now shouting to us to keep going, as there was no point in going backwards.!! Ha Ha. 
Oh shit, I had reached my limits, and didn’t have a leg to stand on, literally, as they were shaking so much, and felt like jelly. Finally we decided that there must be an easier way to the top, and I still had more living to do, so on all fours, and going sideways like a crab, I slowly got back to Jodie and we climbed down. Much to the amusement of the campers below, whom I think we’re getting ready to put down drinks and scrap us off their patch of paradise. Once down to earth we asked if there was an easy way up, must be as we could see people walking above us.
Sure enough walk further along base then up, Ok, now with Mary in tow and no dogs, it was time for the second attempt. We Made it, and here are some of the photos of the popular Elachbutting Rock.
After all that climbing it was back to camp for dinner and a relax by a campfire. With a full moon, and clear skies, life is good. 
There was still more to see of this area, we found an old rock well and it amazes us that none of there areas in W A are fenced off. So different to over East, they would be fenced off and danger signs all around.
Caves and more beautiful coloured rock walls. 
Lots of fun, and we were loving this weekend of adventure.
A short bush walk into the base and another lot of beauty surrounds you, And there wasn’t much climbing involved to see it. 
As the shadows got longer, we looked back on where we had been, and headed back to camp, for another night and more laughs by the campfire.
The day I went into Northam, I met this cute little fellow, in the shopping centre. With Easter only a few days away, Mary and I went to a luncheon in the old convent in Dalwallinu. It has been renovated beautifully and now is a B and B and function centre.
Nice to have a chat with the local ladies, nice food and a good fundraiser for homeless women. I even won a raffle prize. No… not the dog !!
This is Oliver, Mary’s dog, he is just a gorgeous boy. I have become quite attached to him, and he was happy to go for a drive with me to Dally one day, when I was helping Mary.
Just a pic of some Parrots, in the park, that took my eye, looked like rain, but it didn’t. This area has an average annual rainfall of 300mm, hard to believe, as it is not unusual to have this amount in one day over East. So hot and very dry, however the nights are starting to cool down as we approach Easter. We had decided to head for the hills over Easter, with no desire to compete with holiday makers on the coast. Mary and Steve also needed a break so we got together, planned, packed up and headed out on the Thursday evening. We only drove for an hour or so, then pulled up in Wilki, A grain storage yard, complete with weighbridge! And to our surprise we are not overloaded.
Good Friday 2019
Next morning we stopped at Bonnie Rock, before checking out the huge Beringbooding Rock. It is the largest rock water storage in Australia.
There were a few campers out here already, we didn’t intend setting up here, so just did a rock walk. We all agreed that it is more interesting and spectacular than the renowned Wave Rock, at Hyden WA. Hope you like some of my Photos.
We spent a couple of hrs here, climbing around and finally making it to the top.
Again the rock walls built around the edge to catch the water, is a tribute to the early settlers . I love the natural gardens that have formed in the rock hollows.
Amazing how some of the smaller rocks have fallen down and are just clinging to the edge. Makes me wonder what would happen to them in an earthquake.
The view from the top was good, as was the phone service, obviously ! Been there done that and worth doing. Next to find a camp spot for the night.
We arrived in Perth to unload, around 4hrs later. Hundreds of ducks, very fat ducks, gather around the grain storage plant, eating the spilled grain, after the trucks have unloaded.
After unloading in Perth, we picked up a load of fertiliser from Fremantle, and headed back in the peak hour traffic, not a fun time, however I soon relaxed as the sun set behind us and enjoyed seeing the paddocks of fire, burning the stubble, shame we couldn’t stop to take photos, as it is an amazing site. 
This is a photo I took a few days later, of the wind rows being burnt during the day. Nothing spectacular but it shows how they clean up, before planting again soon.
We stopped to wander around old farms, seeing dams, wells, windmills, even thought this old farm bike was cute for a mailbox. We are amazed that nothing gets thrown away from these farms, even today, most farms have a dead machinery paddock. Brings back memories for Chris, and photo opportunities for me Steve also knew where to look at some old sheep dips, took awhile to move on from here as he and Chris pondered over their sheep dipping days.
Some of the sheep dips are still in reasonable condition.
Mollerin Rock was a huge catchment area for water. So much work was put into stone edges around the outskirts of the rock, so the rain water would run down into drains that led into big water tanks. These are mainly on common land so the drovers had water for their travelling stock. 
They even went to the trouble of building rock walls around the scrub areas and holes in the rock, so they didn’t lose any water and kept it as clean as possible, before draining into the tank below.
Some of the old tin covers have deteriorated over the the years, but to me this makes them more original, and interesting to climb up and look in. Can be a bit creepy looking into the depths of there now slimey contents, due to lack of use. 
Most of these big flat rock areas are quite accessible by 4 wheel drive.
So Chris just had to !! Note I got out, before he came back down !! 
And for those interested in old machinery, here is some we found laying around in the paddocks.
Another large water tank is not far out of town, at Xantippe. Locals were thrilled at the end of last Year, that Channel 7, Sunrise team came and featured Xantippe. A town starting with X, as they filmed, and featured towns of the alphabet.
The firies put on a recovery breakfast on the sunday morning. By the time Chris and I walked over to the oval and joined the que, they were running out of bacon so it was an egg and sauce sandwich for us. Think they said they had gone through 25kgs of bacon !! With the cropping finished , it’s time to fertilize the paddocks. Now this could only be done in the West, crazy as it seems they use sand off the beaches . I went for a day with Chris in the truck, to see it for myself and get photos, of coarse.
It’s a 3 hr trip to Jurien Bay, we left by 3am, and was just breaking daylight when we drove into the sandhills, and loaded sand by headlights. Once loaded it was back on the road again, and a we headed to a farm drop off way out East [I think ], these farms are just huge, not a house or person in site. The drivers get a pin drop on google for directions, and the farmer usually leaves a small bucket or stick where he wants them to unload. Bit like finding a needle in a haystack.
Note the size and colour, of the drop off marker, took awhile to find it.
That done it was time to head back to the depot, and Chris can do it all again tomorrow. And to finish off, i’ve found another nice sunset photo. 
Friends from over east were heading to Perth and had booked into Ocean Beach Apartments.
So we had some time with them as well as a lovely brunch at the North Beach Deli. 
Meals there are some of the best we have experienced, we like to go there as our friend Ray Simpkin’s daughter own it, and nice to catch up with 2 of his girls as well.
North Beach is a beautiful area on the ocean, with lots of eateries overlooking the water, making the perfect venue to watch the sun go down. 
When I have nothing to do an Chris is on the road, I sometimes go for a drive and just take photos of lakes and birds, can always find beauty and peace through the lens of the camera.
That’s just about all the excitement we could muster up around here for February, and even the birds have gone to roost.
These first few are taken around the little township of Green Hills. Most of these little towns have only the pubs still trading. One of our favourite is Watheroo Station.
The rail side of the station, is in a state of disrepair, but the front has been made into a lovely pub and diner, serving great meals. Another drive was to the Watheroo caves, a good view from on top of the rocks. 
No we didn’t climb down into the cave. 
A bit of fun with the camera, and still some wildflowers around,
and a windmill near Dalwallinu 
We weren’t back in Kalanni long, and I experienced my first storm on the road. And was it a good one, birds went crazy, and I headed for the amenities block, decided it would be safer there, than getting blown around in the van.! 
When it was over and I opened the door of the amenities, the water was up to the top of the step.
All good was with van. But the park was flooded. The view of the sunsets from the park, are quite spectacular most evenings. 
Time for a break and a cuppa, back soon with more of our time in the wheatbelt.
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