Thurs, 9th Nov, 2017 Moora RV Rest Stop, Moora to Phillip & Michelle’s, near Cadoux, WA (earthquake, wheat & shearing)

7am 22.5 degrees, clear sky.

Headed east towards Cadoux through golden fields. Between Bindi Bindi and Ballidu I spotted a live fox but there was nowhere to stop to get a photo. He was in the field near some sheep and looked very healthy.

Stopped for a cuppa at Ballidu in a lovely park near the grain bin. It was uncovered so we wondered if the grain got wet with last night’s storm.

The town celebrated its centenary in 2009, hence the wall listing all the resident’s names.

Headed back to the main road – nice art work at the entrance to town.

Stopped at Cadoux to read about the earthquake that hit in 1979.

Down the road is a plaque where the community hall once stood before the earthquake. They have a nice big new one now.

Found Phillip and Michelle’s farm south of Cadoux. After a cuppa with Michelle we set up camp with a nice view across the fields. Their daughter, Lauren, arrived from Perth as she has just finished her senior exams and school is finished for her.

Phillip came back for lunch then Steve joined him to take the wheat they were harvesting to the bin in Cadoux. I went with Michelle south to Dowerin to pick up their son, Daniel, from school. Checked out the house she and Kerry and their brothers grew up in. It was one of the older homes, built early 1900s. Beautiful bougainvillea outside.

Dowerin is known for its ‘Tin Dog’. A statue was made near the creek/soak where the drover’s used to stop and eat. Tin Dog is slang for the tins of spam.

Michelle drove me around the town pointing things out then we picked up Daniel and headed back home. Long drives are the standard out here.

Went around to where the men were harvesting. Daniel explained how the header worked and showed me how to rub the plant to get all the wheat out.

Watched the header cut then unload the grains into the big.

Then he headed off again to get the next load spraying all the stalks etc out the back.

Phillip and Steve came back with the truck and then the grain was loaded from the bin into the truck. The header came back and dumped the latest harvest in the back.

We then drove down to the shearing shed where the lambs were being shorn. Phillip is going to sell them off soon so he is getting them sheared, one to sell the wool and two to help fatten the lambs up before selling them. The roustabouts have got it good with the elevated workplace for the shearer but the shearers still have the back breaking job.

Next will be the ewes and then the big rams tomorrow.

Steve liked the mural on the shearer’s van.

Left Steve there to chat with the shearers after they finished. Michelle and I headed into Cadoux as the community BBQ is on and she had to drop a few things off. Another storm is building up in the west. As Phillip was still busy with the shearing we were are having a BBQ at home instead. Met some of the other farmers and a good friend of Michelle’s who makes shapes out of corrugated iron like the ones we saw at Ballidu. It is a great time for the farmers to catch up and see how the others are going with their harvest etc. Michelle said they got 6ml from the storm last night while another said they only got 1ml and another got 16ml. The rain of course delays harvesting due to the moisture content in the grain etc so it is not a good time to get rain now.

Back for dinner with the family and a great evening chatting.

It was a hot day but not as bad as yesterday. The storm flashed out to the west of us but didn’t come our way.