Sun, 3rd Dec, 2017 Bob & Margaret’s, near Mandurah, WA (around Dwellingup)

7am 24.3 degrees, clear sky and gusty wind.

Rang Erica and Terry for a chat. Will visit her pen pal of 50 years, Audrey, on Monday.

Headed east with Bob and Margaret to Dwellingup to visit their son and family. Drove through Pinjarra first – we explored here last year with Bob and Margaret as they had a home here beside the Murray River. So strange having two Murray Rivers in Australia.

Called into Brett’s place near Dwellingup, plenty of room with two dams and an orchard with yummy cherries, apricots, nectarines and lemons. Margaret had brought two small buckets so we started picking (and eating) all the yummy stone fruit. Christmas is here – I have cherries to eat!!

Drove into Dwellingup to have lunch in a park but ended up following a forestry road east and ended up nearly at Boddington. Made it back to the main road and headed back to Dwellingup – great detour drive through the bush.

Had lunch next to the railway station where the Hotham Valley Railway operates from. They use a steam engine as well as a diesel one to take tourists from Dwellingup to Pinjarra down the Darling Range or from Dwellingup to Etmilyn, along 8km of the state’s last surviving pioneering railway. The diesel engine was being used today. It was getting ready to swap ends of the carriage for the trip to Etmilyn.

Checked out all the history in the Information Centre. Dwellingup was a timber town.

The Widow Maker – nasty saw.

Lots of photos and info about the 1961 fire that destroyed Dwellingup. Amazingly there was no loss of life though 75 homes and 72 vehicles were destroyed.

There were a few timber towns in this area.

Another timber town nearby was Marrinup. It became a POW Camp in August 1943 and continued till April 1946. Thousands of prisoners passed through here during this time. The camp could accommodate 1200 prisoners including Army personnel. The Camp was basically a transit stop for workers on the way to farms or rural control centres. Prisoners only stayed for long periods for medical or disciplinary reasons. When the war ended, the POWs were to be sent home but some wanted to stay in Australia to avoid returning to war-devastated Europe. While their employers supported them, they had to return home before they could apply to immigrate by sponsorship. Thirty men escaped and remained in WA after the final shipload of POWs left Fremantle in December 1946.

Outside was a sculpture of a sleepercutter made from lots of tools etc. Steve noticed his bottom was a jaffle iron.

We headed to Marrinup through the area of the POW camp – 4.5km walk but only a few slabs remain so we didn’t bother. There is a walk down to a waterfall too but we skipped that as there wouldn’t be any water coming over this time of the year.

We continued along the track, old forestry ones, till we found Oakey Dam. It was created to provide water for the steam engines of the railway. Followed the narrow track down to the dam wall and walked across it – well there were no signs saying not to. Two guys and their dog had just been in for a swim.

Halfway across was a great view down to the Alcoa Alumina Refinery near Pinjarra. The bauxite is brought down off the Scarp by conveyor belt from the Huntley Bauxite Mine.

Zoomed in closer.

The train carriages being filled up ready to take the product to the ships waiting at Kwinana Port.

Further to the west we can see Peel Inlet.

Steve wondered how many people have tried to push the ‘marble’ off the big rock.

Back along the track. Spotted the young guys in their 4WD up on the rock above the car park.

Continued along the track till we passed over the conveyor belts carrying the bauxite – made a loud rumbling sound. Looking up then down to where it disappears over the edge of the Scarp.

Down the Scarp to the flat pastures. Lots of lovely flowering Jacarandas along the road as we headed back. The orange blooms of the ‘Christmas Tree’ are starting to come out too.

Drove into Yunderup to check out the Murray River – looks a lot like the other one. Even has houseboats and pontoons though no paddle steamers!!

Lovely hot day – top of 38 degrees, no wind. The sky was covered with that funny low marshmellow cloud hence it was so hot. Back home for drinks then back in the van with all the windows and vents open.

6pm a strong wind started – like it is bringing rain.

7pm spits of rain came down but not much. We watched the Perth Christmas Pageant – strange name for a Parade.