Pluto

Pluto never was much of of a planet being smaller than many moons but Merriwa is devoted to it.

The idea of Siding Spring to Merriwa representing the Solar System at scale does not make sense without some small spheres to represent planets and minor bodies.

Nearly home

The parrot thinks Salisbury St is the way home.

Rain Rain Rain

In the last 53 days I drove from Brisbane across the Nullarbor to Busselton and back to reach Cobar.

All along the way there has been rain, including a hail storm and several thunderstorms. Tonight it is thunderstorms again. 

The rivers, creeks, flood plains and drains have been full of water. And the country is so very green.

The miners

Across the street from Pro Hart's gallery is Pro Hart's Sculpture Park -

It never closes.

Pro Hart depicted miners in paintings and sculptures as having masked faces.

Pro ants

Pro Hart included ants in his art.

This Rolls Royce at the Pro Hart gallery has ants circling on the hub caps.

The movie in the gallery said that they represented the miners toiling collectively underground. 

Nothomyrmecia macropes

Poochera SA is almost a ghost town but it has an open air museum with a public toilet.

The museum has a display of rusted farm machinery and an ant.

The actual ants are nocturnal and solitary out side of their nests so are very hard to find. It is thought that this behaviour is similar to the first ants. There is a large model and some photographs on site at the museum.

Monitoring the floods

I am monitoring which roads are open and which are closed with widespread flooding in NSW and Victoria. 

The app is called Live Traffic NSW but information from other states can also be displayed.

The highway West from Broken Hill was closed this morning so I made a contingency plan but now highway is open so back to original for now.

It looks like the side trip to Meninde Lakes will be cancelled for flooding.

The Crossing Part 2

Crossed the Eastern end of the Nullarbor from Ecula to Ceduna. This part is about 500km- Shorter and so easier than the previous 800km section.

It was another rainy day and there were many shingle backs crossing the road.

We were prepared for quarrantine inspection and had nothing to declare as we entered Ceduna. 

The Crossing Part 1

Crossing the Western Nullarbor today from Norseman to Ecula.

Watched thunderstorms and lightning strikes across the plains. The only wildlife we saw were two different parties of emus.

Road lovers

The shingle backs continue to cross the road in front of my car.

The car really move fast on their stumpy legs - if they want to.

Hopetoun Beach

Hopetoun Beach - lovely. 

Eagle Eye

 We spotted this wedge tailed eagle hiding at the side of the road. It did not like that we spotted it and flew off higher and highrer up into the clouds.

Plant natives

Revegetation effort at Lights Beach near Denmark WA after carpark works.

Tuning in

Australia has a series of 50kW AM radio broadcast stations two or more in each state. With a good radio it is possible to receive news from across the country.

In Albany WA, I am receiving 612kHz Brisbane QLD.

Boddington

Boddington has many welded steel sculptures.  And also a magnificent playground played for by a mining company.

Warning - the Old Bakery might have good reviews but it is a haberdashery not a bakery.

Dead trees

At Kent St Weir Canning - dead trees are trimmed and left standing to  preserve nesting hollows.

Seriously big nest boxes

Large birds like large hollows for nests. This nest box is attempting to imitate a hollow tree probably for cockatoos. At Kent Street Weir in Canning, Perth.

Spiced Ginger Beer

It's not Xmas and I can get my favourite non-alcoholic drink. Yaaay!

Pink sunset

Smoke makes the setting sun pink in Perth.