2 Geckos Travelling Australia: Sat, 11th Nov, 2017 Phillip & Michelle’s, near Cadoux to New Norcia RV Rest Stop, New Norcia, WA (exploring Wongan Hills & New Norcia)

7.30am 26 degrees, cloudy and light breeze.

Said bye to Phillip, Michelle and Daniel. Might catch up with them in Mandurah in January.

Headed west through all the grasshoppers on the road. Sadly the Bob-tail Skinks are on the road eating the grasshoppers so there are a few dead ones. The grasshoppers haven’t affected the crops as they were late arriving and all the ‘green’ crop has gone though vegie gardens have been hit hard.

Into Wongan Hills for a cuppa, 35 degrees!! Malcolm had rung earlier so we rang him back. Heading down to Baskerville for another race meeting. Planning underway for their trip north next year.

Some old machinery on display in the park.

Great mural near the Info Centre of a W & G Truck.

Info about the railway which arrived here in 1911. Another great mural.

No flies on Steve’s back just grasshoppers!!

Stopped with other people on the sidewalk as the bugle played for Remembrance Day. Wandered down the main street checking out the history signs. There are lots of nature reserves around the area and views from lookouts but we would have to unhook the van so we skipped that.

Headed south-west to Lake Ninan – huge lake.

West through the Victoria Plains to New Norcia – Australia’s only monastic town. From the 1988 Heritage Trail sign - Early in 1846 a small band of Benedictine monks led by Dom Rosendo Salvado and Dom Joseph Serra arrived in Victoria Plains. Their aim was to establish a mission to the region’s aborigines. On March 1^st, 1846, they set up their first bush chapel 8km north of the present day New Norcia. New Norcia was named after the old Roman city of Nurcia, the birthplace of St Benedict. By the 1880s, after a precarious beginning, New Norcia had becoming a thriving community and focal point for the vast pastoral region. The turn of the century saw New Norcia develop into the educational and monastic centre it is today. There are only 11 Benedictine monks living here at the moment. The town was founded in 1847.

The bakery has been baking bread since 1846 but unfortunately there is no ‘baker’ monk now so they have someone else but the bread is still baked in the same ovens from 1902.

Found a spot to park up near the oval.

2pm 38 degrees – a storm is building. We walked up towards the Monastery. Sat in the shade of shelter and read about the Mission Cottages. The foundation of one is marked and rocks mark the corners of the others.

At 2.30 we walked into the Monastery itself to the back and through the building to a courtyard. People can come and stay in the guesthouse and join the monks in prayer etc. The buildings are looking worst for wear but it has a peaceful feel about it. I went into the chapel upstairs to sit with some other people and the monks for one of their prayer times – they do this 6 times a day. It was very interesting. They read passages from the bible and prayed. I said a pray for Rick.

Further along we peered through the big gates to a statue of St Benedict.

Across the road is the Abbey Church.

Inside the walls are painted with pictures of Christ’s crucifixion. The church as two areas off to the side half way up making it appear like a cross. Lovely big pipe organ at the other end past the tomb of New Norcia’s founder, Rosendo Salvado.

We continued down the street. Attached to the Monastery the building continued which over the years has housed many things – printer, hospital etc.

Across the road was where the novices lived.

At the end of the street is the old blacksmith’s shop.

Further along heading towards the river is the olive orchard and olive workshop.

Down to the Moore River.

Back up towards the main road we checked out the original flour mill.

Across from that was the old police station. Photo must have been taken from the other side.

On the other side of the main road is the ‘newer’ flour mill.

We headed into the Education Centre where school groups etc stay.

Great history display.

Through the centre and up to St Ildephonsus College with the statue of the Marist Brothers’ founder out the front.

Around the back was an interesting looking brick building. We eventually found an old sign saying it was a shelter arcade with handball courts out the back. It was completed in 1916. All the bricks were made in New Norcia.

In line with the Monastery, Abbey Church and the Cemetery is a statue of the town’s founder.

Further up the slope is the cemetery. A big tombstone in the centre. Abbot Torres is buried in it but the writing wasn’t in English so I couldn’t work out what it said.

Continued along to St Gertrude’s Convent – a newer building seems out of place here.

The underground water tank and cottage – the old signs need redoing. On the other side of the cottage was a better sign.

Looking at the back of the Convent.

Around to the front.

Down to the main road again through the big palms.

St Joseph’s Orphanage now houses the Visitor Centre, Museum and Art Gallery.

Around the back we checked out the display in the Machinery Shed which used to be the laundry.

Interesting bits about the bakery, winery and olive oil production here. The Benedictine Community was a large landholder in WA and once leased over 900,000 acres. Their main agricultural enterprise was wool. There were other monastery farms. The Monks from New Norcia purchased land owned by the Benedictine Community in 1877 at Wyening, south-east of New Norcia, where they established a winery and produced some excellent wines. On average the monks produced between 10 to 12 thousand gallons of wine per year. Another interesting bit said the monastery butcher killed 14 sheep per day to feed the community in the early 1900s.

Up the hill to the New Norcia Hotel, built in 1927. It is still owned by the monks and is a practical expression of their tradition of hospitality.

Back to the van for drinkies. Still 36.3 degrees at 5pm. Rang Kaylene to see how Rick was going – doing well, the doctors are impressed. We played a hand of 3 to Kings as the dark clouds kept building.

Headed out again to do the Moore River Walk. Walked through the sheep pasture – which sent them scurrying to the other end of the paddock.