Going For The Goldfields Water Supply Scheme

One of the iconic, yet strange sites while driving out to Kalgoorlie from Perth is a large, endless water pipe. It's above ground, snakes back and forth from each side of the road, goes through fields, is ever present. Someone really was thirsty somewhere.

Turns out, it was the boom town of Kalgoorlie and surrounding areas. Gold was discovered, people flocked to the area and then toilets needed to be flushed. Long story short. Let's build a pipe. It was completed in 1903.

The pipe to everywhere.

It's a non-stop juggernaut. Impressive, still in use today. The system still includes some original pipe sections and original bases.

Paying homage in a diorama at a pump station that's now a museum.

Old water tower. The pipe, transitioning from field to forest.

Going and going....

Hopping In To Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park

There's a nice, reserved cemetery north of Perth called Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park. It's more of a park than a traditional graveyard, think less stone, more green.

People have left lots of plastic items, flowers, toys.

Wait, what?

Yup, kangaroos. Lots of them. Turns out, one of the best places to see these hoppers is Pinnaroo.  Who knew?

Some other fauna roams the park. More plastic.

Momma with the next generation.

Western Australian Botanic Garden In Perth

Perth has a great botanic garden, right in the center of the city. Inviting.

Beyond the central lawn and lake, plenty of flora to admire. The landscaping is subtle, no showy beds of flowers, just rambling sections of nicely mixed area plants.

If you don't like the local plants, there's a section of jumbo images of natural highlights of Australia.

Getting close, digging a bee doing its work and a look at an iconic Aussie flower, the kangaroo paw.

Beyond the botanic garden is a large park, complete with a wilderness section.

More looks at the flora.

Wall o' distant palms.

Awesome Australia

James and Sarah took a recent trip Down Under to see what's up. They started in the western city of Perth, headed out to Kalgoorlie, down to the beach town of Esperance, over to wine country in Margaret River. A road trip full of Aussie diversions.

Clean, calm Perth.

The view of the harbor in Albany, site of the Anzac convoy for WWI. Gnomes. Yes, gnomes.

Sarah in a field of rapeseed plants with the sun setting. And a rainbow.

Curiosities. Scary wax figures and super pits (apologies to David Bowie).

Silos as art projects.

More curiosities. Bridges and belters.

Yea, gotta watch out for those -roos.