TRIP to CANNING STOCK ROUTE DAY 22 - CSR

3 July 2012

STAGE 3 CSR Day 1

WILUNA, Well 1, NORTH POOL (28km)

When we drove into Wiluna yesterday we were comprehensive. The pub looked delapidated, all the windows barred. The campground was at the back of the pub and had a lovely grassy area. However, this place grows on you. There are very few white people here. They are mostly local indigeneous people and some Malays and Asians. The local indigeneous people at the caravan park were very friendly and took great pride in looking after their place at the park.

There are information stands throughout the town providing an historical perspective of the town.

We did some of the laundry as it was too late to hang out for the night. We were all parked between two permanent campsites. Other occupants further along told us it was very quiet there the night before. Well tonight it was not quite that way. Those living next door to us set up a campfire and started to play music. It was very pleasant to listen to but obviously there was a party going on. We could hear them talking in their own language. How wonderful!  Sometime later we were invited to join them. So all six Oka occupants joined in. We had an interesting and enjoyable evening interacting with family group. They were celebrating a birthday and a birth of a girl. They gave us some hints re the Canning and told us to go to North Pool.

This morning we attended to various tasks , restocked and some of us got a chance to get down to the Council Chambers. The art gallery is only opened on request so I asked to go in. The work was of a high standard and very interesting. The prints were exquisite.

Obviously I was taking too long as all the Okas arrived to collect two of us that were here. We drove up to the beginning of the CSR

and another kodak moment was to be had.

We then turned to have a look at Well 1. It was finished in April 1908 and is 45 feet deep. Apparently all the wells are 6 x 4 feet of boxed timber.

It is the only well with two drinking troughs at right angles to each other. Everything here was rusted and broken. The stock headed from Well 1 directly north to North Pool. So we did the same and continued onto North Pool.

What a magic place. The water looks red initially. Caning did not consider this a permanent water hole. However, the locals told us that they believe the serpent spirit resides here as they have not known it to dry up.

We decided to spend the night here.

Tall red river gums line the banks.

There was a rocky outcropt on one side of the river and vegetation was rather sparse.

We looked unsuccesfully for the initials FM on a tree marking the tree where the second aboriginal guide was brought to the Canning in 1906 and chained to a tree with his initials.

We sat around talking about various country music festivals before turning in as the night got cold - again at around 8:00pm.

It was a full moon and the moon looked glorious as it rose over the trees. We all went a bit crazy trying to photograph it – some more successfully than others.