18 February - Hyden to Albany


18 February – Hyden to Albany
The motel where we stayed had a standard continental brekkie. An older lady who had been sitting at another table, but obviously had a connection with staff, came to remove our empty bowls. Turns out she’s there as a volunteer, helping out with whatever was needed. I spoke with her later. Her name was Marion. She’s 85, a widow of 20 years, from Canberra, and a retired teacher. After retirement and the death of her husband, she volunteered as a teacher in isolated communities. Now with connections she has made, she finds herself in Hyden helping at the motel.

When we left Hyden, I double checked a brochure of the region and we decided to take a 100 km detour to check out some silo art in Newdegate. For those who are not familiar with this new art form, an artist is commissioned to decorate grain silos in towns around the country. I had read there were some in this otherwise insignificant town. So, we decided to detour and take a look. Well worth it! Local Perth artist Brenton See has been commissioned for this work and the result is absolutely beautiful.

We grabbed a coffee in Lake Grace before continuing on. We did stop by the info centre to find out more about other silos in the area, as well as info on the salt lakes.

We drove out of town to the salt lakes after which the town is named. A little bit of a challenge to get onto the surface of the lake, but fun to actually walk on a salt lake nonetheless. The surface is quite fragile. Just below the surface there is regular, slippery mud! Walking carefully, though, it does not crack.

The value of popping into local info centres led us to adjust our route. This took us through Pingrup where we could see another set of beautifully painted silos. This time by a Miami based artist. Evoca1. Next, we stopped briefly in Katanning, a substantial regional town, where Brenton See has also painted several murals around town.

Then it was on to Mt Barker. Our friends had recommended a winery to visit, Plantagenet Wines. Lots of wineries in and around this town. We had a taste of their whites, but although we had enjoyed one with friends, the current vintage was not to our taste. So we will have to buy our two bottles for the cruise elsewhere.

We arrived into Albany around 4pm. Perfect timing really. We settled in then found somewhere for dinner. The White Star Hotel is a heritage listed hotel with links to the original White Star Line. Food was very good and we were early enough for happy hour – cheap drinks!

We drove back towards our accommodation and took a look at what’s on for tomorrow – breakfast by the beach, a visit to the ANZAC Centre and a walk along the waterfront Ellen Cove Boardwalk. Lots to do in Albany.

Silo art in Newdegate


The cafe in Lake Grace has some lovely wall decorations




The silo art usually depicts images relevant to the local industry

Silos in Lake Pingrup

Still driving through Wheat Belt country

Some amazing clouds


Mural in Katanning


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