Hi everyone. I hope you are all doing ok.
We have just returned from a lovely weekend with family on a grain growing property in Bruce Rock in the central Western Australian wheatbelt.
We have a long association with the wheatbelt as both my parents were raised in the wheatbelt, and my husband has cousins in the wheatbelt. My sister's first teaching posting was to Bruce Rock and she married a farmer, and so the connection continues. I love going there, driving those wheatbelt roads through the salmon gums, walking in the paddocks, over the granite outcrops and getting back to the earth.
When our kids were young it was a great opportunity for them to run wild with their country cousins on the farm (they always seemed to know when it was mealtime), and now these all have children of their own, and so it goes on.
It is late spring here, but we still saw some wildflowers along the way - I always say that there is always something flowering in the Western Australian bush).
Clockwise from top left - Pop Flower (Glischrocaryon), yellow everlastings, unknown blur flower, Blue Leschenaultia (Lechenaultia biloba). one of the yellow pea flowers, wild Cauliflower (Verticordia eriocephala), one of the firebush family (Keraudrenia), and white everlastings (or possibly Waitzia suaveolens - fragrant waitzia)
We stopped at Lake Yealering for lunch as dark rain clouds were approaching across the salt lake. We have often stopped here. It is a good place to stop for lunch with picnic tables, shade, ablution block and playground, and a small shop across the road. There is a caravan park if you want to while away some time. Yealering - shire of Wickepin
Back on the road again it wasn't long before it started to rain and it was fairly obvious we weren't going to see any harvesting over the weekend.
This is not what the farmers want this time of year as they have to halt harvest until the grain dries out. If they get too much rain the grains start to sprout and the wheat is degraded.
However, for us visitors, we had a lovely weekend with family with plenty of get togethers, dining, walks and touring. You can't see it in this photo, but this is 1000 acres of solar panels just south of Merredin. They also have a wind farm.
Located on former farming land, and developed by Risen Energy (Australia), it is the largest solar farm in Western Australia, with 360,000 panels which will generate enough power for approx 42,000 WA homes. You can read more about this project and see a video here: Merredin solar farm
A few pics from around the farm.
This is Leroy Brown and Blizzard - two bull calves - I think you can guess which is which.
And a few wildflowers - salmon gum (Eucalyptus salmonophloia), Granite kunzia (Kunzia pulchell, Green Mulla Mulla (Ptilotus polystachyus) and two pink and grey galahs
Too soon our weekend was over. A few more wildflowers on our way home.
Clockwise from top left - white everlastings (or possibly Waitzia suaveolens - fragrant waitzia), one of the pink feather flowers (Verticordia), not sure of the yellow one, one of the mallees, one of the red flowering gums, nuts of the Mottlecah (Eucalyptus macrocarpa), and the native hibiscus (Alyogyne hakeifolia)
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
My corner of the world through my camera
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.
Thankful Thursday
Der-Natur-Thursday
Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.
Jill - so glad you had some time with family - a precious commodity these days! The families of my parents were all farmers, and my best friend in Montana comes from a farming family and they still grow hay for sale on their property. She likes to say they are "close to the earth", and I think it is healthy for all of us to know people like them so that we are in touch with the reality of ranchers and farmers. More than any of us, they are subject to the whims of the weather! So glad to see the use of renewable forms of energy - perhaps with our new President, we will make some positive strides in that direction. Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of rural beauty and abundance. I grew up on a farm, so I remember fall harvest well.
ReplyDeleteI think you've done better at keeping the virus from spreading in your country. It's still very worrisome here in Florida with so many older people....like me. Love your post today! It takes me away!
ReplyDeleteLove the wheatbelt trip and photos.
ReplyDeleteDawn aka Spatulas On Parade
Great photos! Thanks so much for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/11/night-visitors.html
ReplyDeleteNice flowers!
ReplyDeleteIt's not easy to be a farmer - always waiting for the right weather.
Your photos of the wheatbelt are wonderful, especially all those wildflowers, WA surely has the best wildflowers in the world. Shame about the rain but as a former farmer I know the frustration of not getting it. And then getting it when you don't want it. Stay safe.
ReplyDeleteFeel sorry for the farmers. Hope they still will get part of the harvest int, otherwise it would be a great loos to them. We are not in lockdoewn, but I don't know if we could visit farms though. So you are pretty fortunate here!Love all the flowers and wildflowers you saw - which makes it a festive outing for All Seasons! Many thanks Jill:) Have a great rest of the week, Jesh
ReplyDeleteHow nice to see you on Nature Thursday!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for that
I am always very happy about it.
I am enthusiastic about the multitude of beautiful pictures that give an exciting impression of the other end of the world
The sky over the salt lake, but also other views of the sky, would fit very well into my sky galera?
ReplyDeletehttps://galeria-himmelsblick.blogspot.com/ The wild flowers bloom beautifully, the pictures of the 'Australian bush' inspire me.
so many beautiful flowers! i don't know most of them! this region in west australia is so different from ours, so I'm very impressed by the wide landscape.
ReplyDeleteIch beneide euch wie frei ihr euch bewegen könnt und mit der Familie zusammen kommen dürft. Ich hoffe bis es bei uns Frühling wird auch alles besser sein wird. Sehr beeindruckend die Weite in Australien und die grossen Felder. Sehr beeindruckend die Solar Anlage.
ReplyDeleteL G Pia
translated - I envy you how freely you can move around and get together with the family. I hope everything will be better by spring with us. The vastness in Australia and the large fields are very impressive. The solar system is very impressive. L G Pia
DeleteIt's friday afternoon here. A long week ago with several things to do. Now it's time for blogs I like, time to read with calm...
ReplyDelete...I enjoyed the captures, Jill, and more of them your description of the Western Australian wheatbelt. Never heart before. Therefor it's interesting to see the nature there and of course the living there. Please post more.
Another found is the native cuisine cookbook! I must look to get it here in Germany! Why... it's simple, because I collect cookbooks. And the native cuisine is new for me, I will test it.
...stay healthy and well dear blogfriend.
Cheers, Heidrun
I enjoy learning bits about your country along with your wonderful images!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy to see your link at 'My Corner of the World' this week!