Day 33 | Near Narembeen: been there, done that

91 km | zzOz total: 1,676 km

Maybe the blokes are lonely out here.

I followed an unsealed road for about 3 hours, I’m a fair distance from any town out here, and a ute stopped, asking if I needed anything.

Just a cuppa tea and a scone with cream, my usual reply.

20 minutes later I was on my way, sadly without either drink or scone, Kevin having told me how the local council had been putting up No Camping signs on any likely spot, even those with toilets, meaning it was now hard to take the kids out camping for a few nights. In the old days he’d camped at most of the rocks in the district.

When I stopped at smoko a bit later, resting my bike against an old sign-less post, another farmer popped out of one of the paddocks, waiting for the mail to arrive. It’s not as if there’s much habitation in evidence around here.

I found out about farming in the district, the original farms were hacked out of the valleys in the 1920s. He cleared his using two tractors and a chain, then a huge conflagration, in the 60s. It’s basically just scrubby around here, the bush height usually less than 3m. Now his 10,000 hectares, 25k acres, produces mostly wheat and canola, for oil, plus a few sheep. He’s never had a really bad year in the 40 something he’s been out here. He’s also planted over 10,000 trees, to combat the soil salinity, a real issue in the wheat belt.

We talk about these rock hills that are a predominant feature around here and he mentions there’s some of the best examples of gnamma, or water holes in the granite rock, on his property, just a kilometre away. I’ll show you. These have been small waterholes for wildlife for thousands, millions, who knows how long, but he covers them now, too many roos or sheep drowning in them, not getting out. They were handy years ago because the “creeks” don’t actually contain water for long in this sandy soil.

The drizzle has finally stopped, it’s brightening up and there’s a major stretch of downhill now I’m finally back on the sealed road. It’s looking good.

Still can’t resist clambering over another rock, Mt Walker, later on.

The view from these flattish granite lumps gives some perspective to travel.