In late June, my youngest sister Bec asked me to borrow the car to take to Wooleen Station. It was a place I had wanted to go to since reading the Wooleen Way, a few years ago. The reason why she did not go with Bridge and Graham is that they had already driven up to Mullewa (just 90km east of Geraldton), just a few hundred kilometres from Wooleen Station, 4 nights earlier.
Well, if she had the courage to ask me, I should have the courage to go up with her. So, on Wedneday, I picked her up in City West and we left, now against the traffic, around 7:35am. It was a beautiful, sunny day.
We got to Jurien Bay, found both spaces occupied by Testa model Ys and we had to wait 15 minutes until one of them left (at 100% full, grrrr - only the second time ever that I have had wait). We left with 85% full about half an hour later and continued to Geraldton. There was a screaming headwind, so we slowed to 90-95km/hr most of the way.
We charged the car and walked along the seafront to the Geraldton Museum, which had displays on the Dutch shipwrecks, in particular, the Batavia but also the HMS Sydney, which had only been found in 2008 and the German HSK Kormoran. We met up with an old school friend of Bec's, Gooch and we were invited to afternoon tea at her place. Dinner was the local pub. We had a BnB in a fabulous old house but the owner was a little old and lonely for us to ever go there again.
The next morning we drove over to Mullewa to meet Bridge and Graham. Coffee was at the Helen Ansell Studio Gallery, run by the local wildflower artist.
Wooleen Station was still about 250km away with at least 55km on gravel, and we have just under 350km on the meter. We drive at around 95km/hr there which is almost dead flat and straight, even on the gravel, following Bridge and Graham towing their Avan.
We stop at the turn off from the major highway to Murchison Junction. My sisters, Bridget and Rebecca, and my brother in law, Graham.
We got there with about 15% left around mid afternoon, and we then drove to our first campsite (one night only). We walked for about an hour up a local streambed.
Our first camping ground, up and below.
The area gets around 295mm/year but had only 45mm to date, so things were very dry.
The following day, we packed up and moved to a different campsite and I put the car on a charge (3.9kW) at the cafe where we had a lovely coffe and left it there. We then drove out in the big red car out to the Murchison River where we walked along it and had lunch.
A massive, white river gum in the bed of the river.
A gum tree with odd looking leaves with reminants of the Murchison River in the background.
We pass under this Major Mitchell Cockatoo nest. "Well, hello there."
A tree along the banks.
On the Friday, Bec and I walked a long way to the Cafe where we met up with Bridge and Graham for a coffee.
Some of the local pigeons on the walk.
A local artist and friend of David's had painted this dingo on the side of the 'museum' - the building where they put old stuff . . .
We had booked into the Dingo Talk which started at 5pm led by David Pollock. There was a group of about 20 of us and we piled into an ancient old bus and drove out to a small hill which had a permanent water supply deep inside a cave there. David managed to keep up the conversation almost non stop the whole way but it was entertaining if not informative. While it was disappointing to hear of the views of his neighbours, how the land manages to come back was encouraging. We have wine and cheese on the hill watching the sun go down.
But we are not in South Australia . . . Stuart Pea. View from the bus on the way out.
Where the permanent spring was . . .
On Saturday, after lunch, I borrow one of three appalling mountain bikes for a 15km ride. The brakes don't really work, the gears not at all but the tyres are up and the headset is fine. The route is very flat, with only one or two, say 10m, high rises.
I also unplugged the car, which had been 100% full the previous day. David 'gets'global warming. However, when I finally pay for the electricity to charge the car, it is an extremely healthy $1.50/kWh! They have a 60kW PV system backed up with 60kWh of storage.
The last full day there was spent at a more leisurely pace, however, I still rode out again, on the same bike, same route. This time, taking photos.
This is one point where you are up on an embankment and can look out to the horizon.
A rocky outcrop on the bike route.
Following the trail . . .
And on the way back to the homestead.
Clouds come over our last night there.
First thing in the morning.
We got up early on the final day, and Bec and I drive back to Geraldton to charge and to get a late breakfast. Then onto Jurien Bay, this time a bit quicker as we have a slight tailwind. I manage to drop Bec off in peak hour and am home by 7pm.
All up, there and back, around 1500km for $100 at the Fox chargers (Geraldton and Jurien Bay, there and back) but another $86 just for Wooleen Station. Expensive, but it made the trip possible. We were the third EV there this year.