Wickepin to Collie

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Wickepin to Collie

Out at Lewisdale Merino Stud by 7.30am for breakfast with Ray and Helen Lewis was made easier by the fact we did not have much to pack away , which was a good thing considering our night out at the ‘Wicke Pub’ the night before ! A full cooked breakfast was a very welcome experience we would never have expected 24hours earlier as we had driven towards Wickepin. After breakfast, Ray took us up to the ram shed to look at a couple of rams and a few outstanding fleeces. Lewisdale Merino Stud is one of Western Australia’s leading Merino Studs and Ray has some strong views on where he sees the future of the Merino. Many Merino Studs are starting to promote the benefits of a dual purpose Merino, meat and wool and ray says he has been doing this for years. ‘The Australian Merino is the most profitable dual purpose sheep in this country’ he told us. One of the rams in the shed is ‘CHOGM’ (or Horse as he is also known) a 170 kg Stud Merino Ram that displays many of the traits that Ray is discussing with us. He is a poll ram with fantastic constitution and great wool type, clean legs, breech and poll and a big plain body that produces a big fleece that will fill bales.

We were then taken on a tour of the property and a look at some of the young stud rams. I was completely surprised to find this little oasis situated in a shallow valley basically on the outskirts of Wickepin. Yes, there had been a pretty good season this year after the horror of last year but, the paddocks and crops looked fantastic and the stock were in great condition, Lewisdale did not reflect the lighter country around the district. It was fantastic of Ray and Helen to afford us the hospitality and time they did, and we truly appreciated not only breakfast, but also having a look around their property. www.lewisdale.com.au

Unfortunately we could not stay longer as we had ‘that date’ to keep in Busselton and so had to keep moving on. Our next stop was Narrogin. First settled in the 1870’s, the town’s name is derived from the Aboriginal word ’gnarojin’ meaning waterhole. Narrogin is the commercial hub of a prosperous agricultural area with cropping and sheep being the main focus. I had been here before and had heard that the town had possibly ‘deteriorated’ since this visit but I was more than pleasantly surprised. Narrogin presented as clean, prosperous, and a busy hub with all the facilities of a major service centre. We spent some time exploring the shops and then driving the streets looking at all the sites as we went.

Next stop was Williams, a small town on the Williams River servicing a cropping and sheep growing region. Probably surviving and prospering more from the fact that it is a popular tourist stop on the way to the South from Perth on the Albany Highway. The Williams Woolshed complex is definitely worth a stop and a visit. The Woolshed complex houses a number of small shops including a café, art and craft work, as well as local produce.



Next stop is Collie and our stop for the night. Noticeably we have now left the vast flat ‘wheat belt’ region and have entered country that is undulating with rolling hills which would have traditionally been sheep (wool) country. As we approach Collie the country becomes even more hilly with larger areas of Jarrah forest. Collie is Western Australia’s only coal mining town. The area was first explored in 1829 and was originally considered ideal for timber production and pasture lands. However the discovery of coal along the Collie River in 1883 changed the region’s fortunes. The town looks like a ‘coal town’, however, it is situated in a small valley alongside the Collie River with Jarrah forests on the surrounding hills which ‘softens’ this coal town feeling that we had. Our caravan site is very convenient and we had a good stay here.

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Photos

Wickepin
Lewisdale Merino Stud

Collie
Western Coal No1 Mine