Fri, 17th Mar, 2023 Kev & Linda’s place, Glen Iris to Bob & Margaret’s place, Florida Beach, WA (Gnomesville & Wellington Dam mural)

13 degrees this morning - Winter!! Stayed in bed till 8am when it had reached 16 degrees!

Rang Terry - David & Amanda have been getting things sorted. The funeral home will let them know when Erica will be cremated and we can all head to the pokies and put in a few coins and hopefully she will be sending us down some good luck so we have a win or two. We will go to the Perth Casino as they don’t have pokies in clubs here.

Packed up then had a cuppa with Kev and Linda before saying farewell. Hopefully Kev will find us up in the goldfields later on.

Headed to Ferguson Valley to find Gnomesville again and leave our new gnome. Spotted one in a paddock on our way.

Since our last visit the council have put in a carpark and toilets and the paths have been swept and gnomes tidied up. Unfortunately when they get good rain the little creek flows and tree branches fall which smash gnomes and some got washed away when they have heavy rain a few years back. We had put Noel Junior up on the hill between two big concrete ones - same as our Noel (at Jon’s house now). When we visited a year later he had vanished but the big ones were still there. I had written Noel Jnr, Geck family, Cairns on his back so I thought someone might have taken him for a holiday back to Cairns but he didn’t turn up.

We wandered around checking out all the new ‘residents’. There were all kinds of gnomes and lots of other garden ornaments as well. Some were very ‘interesting’. Big and small like this little group by the tree.

I couldn’t find the two ‘uncles’ on the hill but over the back I think I found them. This one is identical to our Noel in Cairns though Noel is in better nick.

I have written on the back of our new gnome and Steve chose his spot, near the road with some ‘friends’. He is a very happy chap!

Even Covid has invaded this community.

Wandered along another track. So many to look at. Found another of Noel’s uncles on our way out.

We headed off to check out the mural on Wellington Dam. We took the track past the King Jarrah that we checked out on our first visit. The road then turned to dirt as we wound through the forest. Back onto the main road then turned off to head up to the dam but the bridge at the bottom of the dam wall has been closed so we turned around and headed back to Collie to come into the dam from the north side. Lovely old church as we came into town.

Parked in the RV area and walked down to the bakery for yummy homemade pies and sausage rolls. Still quite cool so it was nice for a change.

We followed the Coalfields Highway west to the turn off. Passed a dead emu on the roadside. Further along we spotted two emus wandering along in a cleared paddock.

Turned onto the Dam road and Steve spotted an echidna on the road side - I missed it. Parked at the kiosk and walked towards the lookout. There are mountain bike trails here and they have just added 3 more trails. Will send the info to Marijke as they are all into riding trails.

They haven’t updated the old signs yet.

Nice view over the dam from the top.

Down to the lookout. Great view and information but shame they haven’t pruned the end tree. The murals look like old photos glued to the wall. Very impressive. Kerri & Phill have been exploring all the Silo Murals so after I posted the photo on Facebook they have added this one to their bucket list.

We walked down the track past the car park which was the old quarry. The road down to the bridge has been closed off so we followed the walking trail down which is on the other side of the gully from the mountain bike trails. When we reached the road again a chap road up the road from the bike trails so we will go back up it as the track down was quite steep and slippery especially as we only have our thongs on! The pump station.

Walked down to the bridge and took another photo of the wall - tried to get a better one of the chap on the left that was hidden by the tree.

We walked back up the road but then took the walking trail back to the kiosk.

Will have to come back to Collie again and do the Mural Trail.

Ann rang to say her operation went well and she was back home. Helen is there to look after her.

Back out to the Coalfields Highway and then west to the coast. Great views out to sea as we dropped down off the escarpment. Lots of big ships waiting off shore before going into Bunbury Port.

Up the highway to Dawesville. Pulled into the new Coles to pick up a few bits and pieces. David had been texting so we rang him and chatted with him, Amanda and Terry. Doing well.  

Around to Bob & Margaret’s place - lots of new houses have gone up in the new estates, hence the new Coles. Parked in beside their van. So good to see them both again and thankful that we had been able to leave the camper here when we first left in November so it was safe while our stay in Bundaberg was extended.

Friday night is Fish & Chips night so Margaret cooked and I opened the bottle of bubbly that Steve had bought for us. Great night catching up.