Motorhome Australia Episode 23 - Wave Rock to Perth

Episode 23 - Wave Rock to Perth The next part of journey took us from Wave Rock in Hyden to Perth which is the capital city of Western Australia 12km south of the town of Kondinin, we visited our final wheatbelt Granite Rock formation. Atop Yeerakine Rock is a water tank with a moving mural, depicting a local solider leaving his family to go and fight in World War I. Many men from the Kondinin district fought in World War 1 as members of the Lighthorse Regiment, A Lighthouse monument honours those soldiers. From the summit there are sweeping 360 degree views of the farmlands and salt lakes Kondinin is the gateway to the wave rock and is an agricultural area where farmers focus heavily on grain crops like wheat, canola and barley. The local harvest had only just begun, as the CBH group receival site was prepared and just started receiving grain deliveries. If you're anywhere near the town of Kulin you must take a drive down The Tin Horse Highway. This 15km stretch of road is and open air gallery that showcase over 70 colourful horse themed sculptures made from recycle farm junk & scrap metal. The sculptures have hilarious themes, poses and often witty signs and horse puns. In mid 1990's local farmers started a clever project to promote the annual Kulin Bush Races that takes place every October. The community got involved and the collection keeps growing. CBH Group receival site is located on the outskirts of the Kulin township. The facility utilizes an open bulkhead for grain collection and storage. Kulin serves as hub for the local farming community. It boasts the largest waterslide in regional Western Australia and has large Granite Rocks & Salt Lakes to explore and the iconic Kulin Bush races. Dumbleyung is home to a replica Bluebird K7 Hydroplane. In 1964 Donald Campbell set the world water speed record on Western Australia's largest natural inland body of water, Dumbleyung Lake. In the same year Donald Campbell also achieved the Land speed, world record. On the way through Wagin we visited Bart the giant ram. This Giant Ram celebrates the area's Merino Stud industry. Arriving in Katanning in the late afternoon, we went straight to the free RV stop near the centre of town and set up camp for the night. Continuing Westwards, we stopped at the Premier Coal Open Cut Mine Lookout. Mining in the Premier lease, dates back to 1950, with the current open-cut operation commencing in 1996. To date, the mine has produced more than 100 million tonnes of coal and remains Western Australia's largest coal producer. 12km west of our free camp on the banks of the Shotts River, we visited Stockton Lake, a striking turquoise coloured, former open-cut coal mine, that has been transformed into a popular recreation spot. Its renowned for its crystal-clear water, camping, kayaking, swimming, and towering Jarrah forest setting. Historically Collie was known for its premier coal mining and electricity generation, but today its reshaping itself as a vibrant regional town with world class mountain biking, bush walking and paddle trails. On the outskirts of Collie is Wellington Dam. The Dam wall features one of the world's largest outdoor murals. The Mega Mural called "Reflections" depicts historical photos of Collie The Dwellingup Trails and Visitors centre serves as the primary trailhead, equipped with interactive maps, a pump track, a skate park, and amenities like hot showers and a laundromat for long-distance trail users. The Murray Valley mountain bike trail network, offers over 100 km of singletrack trails. Including everything from family friendly loops to steep, technical gravity enduro tracks Dwellingup is surrounded by Jarrah forests and was a timber harvesting hub in the late 1800's. It stands as one of the wettest inhabited places in Western Australia. Across the Swan river from Perth's CBD, is Perth Zoo. We were keen to see their diverse collection of animals and their habitats. The world's smallest penguin is the Little or Fairy Penguin and only live in Australia waters. Their streamline bodies and tiny wings are so endearing as zoom up and down the saltwater pool in their habitat Growing up to 3m and 70kg is the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon. It powerful body, serrated teeth and sharp claws made it a truly impressive sight and something you don't want to meet in the wild. Today, Perth Zoo's last Asian elephant, began his journey to Monarto Safari Zoo in South Australia. 35 year old Putra Mas, was transported nearly 3000km, in a specially built enclosure to his new home. The Gibbon Crossing at Perth Zoo, is a state of the art and immersive primate habitat. It features 5 Towers with 170m of overhead aerial rope pathways, allowing the cheeky gibbons to show off their skillful swinging and tight rope walking, directly above the visitors walkways. Join us on the next episode as we continue to explore the city of Perth, Freemantle and Rottnest island.