Seashalia: 2013 #12 Sterling Ranges Again

The weather has remained windy, wet and cold. Here at the Stirling Range Retreat, it is their wettest September in 108 years. The creek is flowing for the first time in years and they are pleased and amazed. They are amazed how the frogs can somehow lie hidden in the dry creek bed for so many years and when the rains get the creek running, the frogs all come back again. Where do they hide in the meantime? The rains also mean that we have a great crop of orchids and flowers, though things change as the months move on. The beauty of the crops and landscape of the colours has changed now from green and gold to brown as they are heading up. We certainly saw it at its best.

We moved from Perth further south to Bunbury and on to Busselton. Then we went inland to escape the ferocious 100 km per hour winds. The floods were rising in Busselton, which is at sea level and sometimes below sea level. There was a lot of water logging on the land and the rivers rising to the top. The winds finally made us leave and head inland. The same thing happened to just about everybody else who was on the road. We all headed inland, but there was no getting away from the fallen trees and the wind. We saw about 50 trees which had blown down, cutting off roads, uprooted, all over the place. The trees fell at their own leisure, giving no warning they were coming. Travelling on the road you had no idea if one would fall on the car. We watched a huge semi-trailer travelling at top speed suddenly find a large tree down on the road. Without time to stop, he just sounded his horn and took to the other side of the road where he thought he would slip through. Fortunately, no other traffic coming and it was okay.

We stopped at Collie and saw the huge open cut colliery which supplies one third of WA’s power. We stayed inland at Kojonup where there was a wonderful Information Office. They not only had a flower show on but also a huge permanent display of history, Aboriginal history and art. We did several of the drives, looking for orchids and found quite a lot. At one stage we found ourselves way out in the never-never on a sheep property which has a second business. Fifty per cent of their income comes from selling Tulips of all things. They have turned it into a very successful business and they were lovely people. They had a beautiful show of Tulips and market them all around the place by catalogue. As we left the farm and headed back to town, we were only on small dirt roads and tracks. Now that was quite fun until we came across a road completely covered with swiftly flowing flood water and had to drive back the way we had come. All part of our great adventure!

We headed to Albany to buy supplies for our trip back to the Stirling Range Retreat. While at Albany we went to visit some of their natural attractions where the ocean roars up between cliffs and shoots sea water way up in the air. A second one is a natural arch and the water also swishes up under the bridge with a deafening roar. The day was wet and blustery. We did not dare stay out there too long as the car was getting covered with sea water from the spray and it was teaming with rain. Some days they had the car park chained off as it was so dangerous. But it was fun.

In both Bunbury and Albany we caught up with Cheri Peters. She was visiting from USA and teaching how to help people with all kinds of addictions. We learnt slightly different things at both training sessions because at Albany we had quite a few addicted people in attendance and they were desperate for help. At the second conference we learnt more about the Recovery side of addiction. She wasn’t just addressing the hard drugs and alcohol, but also things like shop lifting, sexual addictions, and shopaholics. She certainly has a great way with people and has learnt such a lot through her own experiences.

Back in the Stirling Ranges I have had the opportunity to update the book on Numbats with all the new information we have learnt. Have to make some decisions on how to present it. While it can be used at the retreat now, we might work on it some more, with art work or photography when we arrive home.

The first day or so here, the place was muddy and children were running around in bare feet because shoes and socks had become so sodden, as they climbed mountains and tried to entertain themselves in the rain, however, it soon dried up.

Today, Wednesday dawned practically windless and sunny. It is so quiet and calm that we feel as if we have been sitting in a hurricane for three months. We are so used to the roar of the wind, rain and ocean – we can’t believe the peace and calm of a pleasant day. Tomorrow will even be quite warm. We are going to hit the road though, and head East to Hopetoun then to Esperance before crossing the country to SA. We heard you are having some boisterous weather in some parts at present and we will probably run into it again within a day, ourselves.