kathndes: February 2011

Before we left Harvey we did a tour of the Alcoa bauxite mine near Waroona. What an incredible experience. We were the only people on the tour so the guide took us in her vehicle and we went to areas where a normal tour would not be allowed to go. We began our tour at the refinery where we learnt how they turn the bauxite into alumina. We thought the refinery site was huge, but this is not the largest of Alcoa refineries in this southern area. We then went out through the heavily timbered hills to the mine site. Along the way “Emma” pointed out areas where the reafforestation had been done and it was so good you couldn’t pick it from the natural bushlands. It was really hard seeing what they do to the mature bushland to get the bauxite, but somewhat comforting to see the rehab as well. The machinery there is huge. We were most taken by a machine they were using to scrape the rock layers off the top. The rock is so hard that the large dozers etc can’t budge it. We were so lucky to see this work being done, it is well out of any area the public is given access to, but Emma knows the foremen working there and she got permission to go. We also saw the soil being spread in a new reafforestation area and then went to the pit and saw the huge front end loader loading the dump trucks. They only mine about the top two metres of earth and of that about one third is bauxite, one third sand and the rest mud. But the bauxite is so rich that it is worth the exercise. They have enough leased area to last another 80years. So if you want shares- buy into Alcoa.
We moved on to Collie and set up camp at an old open cut coal mine which is now full of water 150mtrs deep and is used for water skiing. Weekends is very popular as most ski areas are now closed because water levels are so low. This was another beautiful spot, 8mins from town. During our time at this camp Kathy had an altercation with the clothes airer; it finished up looking like a roller-coaster. See photo below. No injuries. Collie is still a coal mining town. We were lucky enough to do a tour of a replica coal mine adjacent to the visitors centre and to have a guide who had worked in the mines since he was 14 year old. He is now 76. What he couldn’t tell us wasn’t worth knowing. We learnt so much and he was a very proud man to have worked for the coal mining company. He saw so many changes in his industry and ended his working life as a manager. We went through the local museum also. Kath is not one for museums, but this one really hooked her. We weren’t able to take photos inside but got one from the outside. Luckily one of the locals was a hoarder and salvaged many of the items on display from the skips where things were thrown during the demolition of old buildings. Another example of our history being lost during modernization of towns. Next day we did a tour of the local Anglican Church built around 1909. It houses a beautiful hand painted mural depicting local history and also the history of the church through the ages. All the pews, ceiling and other timber work is locally milled jarrah - a beautiful rich red timber which lasts forever. There is billions of dollars worth of jarrah in old coal mines under the town. The eight-ten leadlight windows in the church are magnificent. We were asked if we would like to go up the tower and ring the bells, so, naturally we couldn’t let that opportunity go by. It was wonderful.
From our Collie campsite we did several drives, and one of these took us to a place which has been named Gnomesville. We expected a commercial venture with various storylines about gnomes, but not so. I’ll try to describe this, but it’s very difficult. This is a spot beside the road and alongside a small creek gully where hundreds and hundreds of people have left gnomes. Schools, Rotary clubs, individuals, caravan clubs, anyone you could name have placed their gnome story there. It stretches into the bush for about three house blocks. Some people have even left family members remains there. It is truly an unbelievable spot. The feeling of joy just being among all of this was so heartwarming. We spent about an hour there and it could have been longer. We have included some photos for you to get an idea, but they don’t do it justice.
Off we went to Donnybrook, getting nearer to our Country Music Festival town of Boyup Brook. Donnybrook is one of the tidiest towns we’ve seen. A great deal of pride here. They have a wonderful open-air amphitheatre in the middle of town, along the river. We have seen here the largest oak I’ve ever seen. It was planted in 1890 and is just beautiful. The photo doesn’t show it off for what it really is. We were telling a lady at the visitor’s centre about ringing the bells in the church at Collie and she asked us if we would like to come to their bellringing practice that night. So we went in the daylight to find this hall in the hills so that we wouldn’t get lost in the dark and then returned at 7.30pm. Seeing the hall, I thought, how are they going to ring bells here. About 12 people turned up and brought boxes out which contained dozens of bells ranging in size from a little dinner bell to the old school bell. They were made of brass with leather handles. We learnt they were over 100 years old and had been brought out from England. When practice started, we couldn’t believe our eyes, or ears. They play songs with these bells and the sound is unimaginable. Truly beautiful. We have captured some on the video of the camera and will email it to give you an idea. The friendliness of the people was just beautiful - true country folk. This town has Australia’s biggest free fun park. There’s something for all age groups, including ours. We had a workout on the fitness gear there. There’s 4 free gas BBQ’s and heaps of things for kids to do. Very colourful also. Picture doesn’t show the whole thing. We’ve also been to a farm where they dry fruit naturally. They puree the fruit, extract the waste and sun-dry the remains. Some they leave in a flat slab, some they cut into squares and coat with coconut, some coat with sugar and some with chocolate. We sampled everything we could. God, it was to die for. Purchased some choc coated plums and a slab of apricot and nectarines. Have to be careful how much you eat as it is very concentrated. Then we went to a local cider factory and sampled all the goodies there. The apple & pear juice was the best, but we came away with some cider also. The property used to be a goldmine and Des climbed the poppet head. We have camped next to the local cricket ground were today we are being entertained by the local weekend match. Very funny, especially with Des’s commentary. Hope you enjoy this blog.

Veneer rock breaking machine crushing the rock layer on top of the bauxite

Bauxite mine area ready for replanting. Machine spreads topsoil.

Excavator and Dump truck working the mine face

Miner's monument at Collie

Horse-drawn bread cart at Collie museum

Stained glass window at Anglican Church, Collie

Mural and interior of Anglican Church, Collie

part of the many gnomes in the bush at Gnomesville

more gnomes at Gnomesville

wrecked clothes airer

Amphitheatre at Donnybrook

Large English Oak planted in 1890 at Donnybrook

some of the bells at the bellringers practice near Donnybrook

bellringers at Brookhampton hall practice

Australia's largest free fun park @ Donnybrook

chocolate coated plums and roll of apricot from solar-dried fruit farm

Des atop the poppet head with cider factory cafe in background

Hope you all had a nice Christmas and New Year. Kathy spent this time in Brisbane while Des had Christmas in Perth with his son and new family then he went back to Dwellingup to work in the POWcamp. Photos 1-4 show a couple of before and after shots inside the POW camp. We had another week in Dwellingup after Kathy returned from Brisbane and during this time we attended the 50 year reunion of the devistating bushfires of 1961 which destroyed many small towns around Dwellingup as well as much of the township. Dwellingup was rebuilt,but many of the other communities were not. Where we camped used to be the town of Marrinup. No trace now exists of the buildings that used to be here. A couple of photos of the fire trucks that were in service in Dwellingup in the 1961 fires.
From here we went to Pinjarra for 4 nights to sit out the threat of cyclone which came down the WA coast and was to cross at Mandurah 25kl away. Fortunately, we only got mild winds and a bit of rain as the cyclone petered out before it crossed the coast. We then headed to Harvey and camped at Logue Brook Dam 10mins outside of town. This dam, like all the others we have seen was extremely low and the photo doesn't truly demonstrate this, but you can get some idea. Harvey is a pretty town with a big dairy and fruit industry. We visited the cheese factory and sampled several tasty varieties. Also took some for "happy hour". Some of the things we saw were a concrete sofa in the main street of Waroona (on the way to Harvey) with a painted mural. We have included a photo of the seat. Also at the Harvey visitors centre there is a Moo Shoppe where "everything cow" is on display. Some of these items were very overpriced in our opinion. (see photo) Also a display of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie created by May Gibbs is in the Visitors centre. May Gibbs spent some of her childhood in Harvey where she got the inspiration to create these characters from the gumnuts on her uncle's property.
During the war Italian and German immigrants were incarcerated in a camp near Harvey as it was thought they would carry out acts of sabotage. Some of the prisoners built a shrine out of local materials so that they had a place to worship. This has been restored and enclosed in a building. Local Italian stonemasons from Bunbury carried out the restoration stonework. It is brilliant. Also inside the shrine are photos of similar examples of shrines constructed by POW's or internees in other camps here and overseas.
While we were camped at Logue Brook Dam the winds were gale force. Strong enough to rock the van and scare the life out of Kathy. It got so bad that she went and slept the last night in the car. Hope you enjoy our first of many blogs for 2011.