October 2017

01 October 2017

The start of another month and we are still with friends and family, fixing things we have broken and generally catching up with people and tasks while we await the start of this years grain season.

27 October 2017

Well it's almost the end of another month and we have not put much in here for our followers, but up until the last week there has been very little to write about as we spent time with family and friends.

A week ago though, we took to the road again for a short trip, this time with our good friends the Polmears. It was only a week's travel but it was fun as we made our way South to Albany and then back up into the wheatbelt. Other than some great camping spots (Queerarup Lake, Dumbleyung and Mount Barker) the highlight had to be our visit to the National Anzac Centre in Albany where we, but more so Joanne, received a very pleasant surprise.

Joanne's Great Uncle, Alfred Shout fought and died at Gallipoli, and it was there that his gallantry and daring earn't him a Victoria Cross, albeit posthumously. So apart from being in the Australian War Memorial, we have now discovered that he is one of 36 (out of 40,000 who left Australia from there to go to war) featured in the National Anzac Centre in Albany. You can visit the display on Capt Shout by clicking here.

The visit to the centre allowed us to view some of the military exhibits, some of which I trained and operated while I was serving in the Royal Australian Navy. Seems like only yesterday that I was having a boys own adventure firing the various pieces of ships armament, but these weapons are now museum pieces, and to add insult to injury, the last of the ships I served in (HMAS Darwin) is about to be decommissioned.

After the excitement of Albany we made our way to a very nice camp at Miller's Point for the night. The next day we made our way down to a very nice free camp at Hopetoun, where we once again enjoyed a very nice camp not far from the beach and a short walk into town.

Millers Point

Joanne snapped this shot of the view from our campsite at Millers Point.

Heading back into Ravesnthorpe we viewed the painted grain silo's and then made our way back into the wheatbelt and onto the small towns of Varley and Kulin, stopping along the way to view wildflowers and whatever local attractions there were to be seen.

Half a truck

Riding the half truck tribute to Les Tilbrook at Lake King.

Varley Campsite

The great free camp at the Varley "Chicken Ranch" even has Christmas lights for us to enjoy.

The small bush town of Kulin has it's bush races each year and has set up the Tin Horse Highway on either side of town. Many different horse themes are set up in paddocks along the way for the viewing pleasure of passers by. Here are just a few of them.

Horseum Fun

Rocking Horses

Defence Horses

Police Horses

Sea Horse

Stopping in Kulin at the terrific free camp we enjoyed an evening meal in the local cafe before heading settling in for the night. This morning our friends the Polmears headed home, and we moved from the free camp to the "pay what you want' caravan park just up the road, spending the day doing the washing, catching up on a few things and waiting for a phone call about a family member who was undergoing brain surgery today.

31 October 2017

Well the end of the month came as did the end of our travels for 2017. We are camped up at Bruce Rock waiting for the 2017 Grain Harvest, and our income, to start.

Mark Twain once said "...years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do that by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - and so we will.