Drove through Denmark - pretty spot but will stay another time. Then to Albany - blowing a gale so headed back inland to the Stirling Ranges. Spectacular lumps sprouting out of the wheat fields.
A very small camp at Moingup Springs but a nice ranger who let me park in the day area. Lots of flies. Was damp and cloudy the 2 days I was there. I did drive to Knoll café only to find it was closed and the lookout was covered in rain clouds so back to see Mt Trio. Very pretty alpine shrubs in flower everywhere.
Decided to head to Lake Grace but had trouble starting the ute - lots of smoke and strange knocking noise. Ranger no help - suggested I rang RAC - they were out in an hour or so. But of course by then the ute was fine. Seems the glow plugs may be a bit slow in the damp and so too much fuel in system at start -up. A relief nothing wrong so on the road again.
Gentle rolling country everywhere and grain being harvested. Stayed at Lake Grace Caravan Park - $20 single. Nice little town. Art gallery, very good coffee shop, clean fresh IGA, a great clothing/bag/shoe shop, and butcher.
The lakes cover around 50km and do have water in them this time of year. Lots of little wild flowers.
Then on to Gorge Pool Rock camp along the Tin Horse Highway via Kulin. What fun that was. Glad it is a long straight bit of road with virtually no traffic - and there are plenty of places to stop and take photos. Very clever horses!
A pleasant chatty couple at the Gorge pool rock camp from Perth so nice to have company. We went up to watch the sunset on the rock.
Was going to stay another day but a fellow traveller told me there was a Bush reunion at Bruce Rock for the Vietnam Veterans so I decided to go there.
Well - the sports oval was half covered in vans, buses, tents.....too many for me so I went up the back to park. Some breeze up there also I thought.
Excellent new facilities for the town. Bowls, tennis and the oval, a bar, big kitchen and a hall, showers and toilets.
The reunion is in its 13th year. Started by some local vets who wanted to raise money for the peace window they had made for the church.
On Saturday I decided to volunteer to help in the kitchen to make the free dinner for maybe 800 people before the free concert.
Sunday we did lunch for all the volunteers as well. All the volunteers were presented with a medal from the Shire for our help. Sunday evening entertainment was provided at the Bards Pit by local singers, poets and comedians. I am told there were around 240 vans on the oval so a great muster. The weather was kind this year - even a cool breeze over the weekend.
Monday was the start of another heatwave so I skittled off to the caravan park for power, aircon and to do washing. Tomorrow I have been invited to go back to the oval for the Melbourne Cup lunch.
Off to Kokerbin Rock on Wednesday. No camping there now - it is just a day rest area but there is now a new camp at the deserted township of Kwolyin so I found a spot and stayed for 2 nights. Have decided I could easily become a hermit. No-one there and so peaceful. Played the ukulele and the recorder for a while!!! (it WAS peaceful up until then :)) Excellent new facilities provided by the Bruce Rock Shire - flush toilets, town water, gas BBQ and a kitchen. Went for a few walks around the town - really nothing left but a few concrete pads and a church. Saw a snake trail but no sign of it thank goodness.
