1200km

No recent updating of the blog because I’ve been away on a 1200km fishing trip in the southeast of the state. 

The trailer was towed onto the front driveway and then packed.  Three important categories of items needed to be loaded.  Food, water and fishing gear!

Knowing what a poor cook I am Jan had pre-prepared a number of frozen meals which went into the trailer front freezer.  Eggs, bacon, sausages, bread, milk, etc went into the fridge.  I filled the 50 litre water tank and took a further two 10ltr containers of potable water.  This trip I intended to trial the shower and ensured that was loaded. 

The first stop was 20km south at Costco where I topped off the Isuzu tank and filled five 20ltr jerrycans of diesel at a cost of $260 (ouch).  Still, I knew this would be the cheapest fuel I’d be able to purchase during the trip.

The route was SE down the Brookton Highway and then south down the Great Southern Highway to Pingelly before heading SE to Wickepin where I stopped for a rest and lunch (banana & apple). At this point I had driven 214km

Wickepin is a small town (pop 381) supporting the local farming industry.  It is part of the great southern wheat belt.  Like many of these small towns it seeks to claim something making it noteworthy.  In Wickepin they have claimed Albert Facey.

If you haven’t lived in Western Australia you probably have never heard of Albert Facey.  When we first arrived Perth during the early 90’s I’d not heard of him.  It wasn’t until our oldest son bought Albert’s autobiography home from school as compulsory reading that he first came to my attention.

Albert Facey was born in Melbourne, Vic but lived most of his life in Western Australia.  At various times he was a farm boy, drover, boxer, soldier and tram driver.  Albert never attended school but subsequently taught himself to read and write.   It was his autobiography “A Fortunate Life” which brought him to national attention.  His life was full of hardship and tragedy which suggests he had a very positive outlook on life given the title of his book.  More interesting read here <wikipedia>  

Albert farmer in the Wickepin area for a decade between 1924 and 1933 when they were forced off their land by the Great Depression.  He died in 1982, nine months after the publication of his autobiography.  In 2000 the Shire of Wickepin relocated his old farmhouse to the town as a tourist attraction.

Note the heat reduction measures of a steep pitched roof and wide veranda on all sides.

Time to continue the journey