Back yard Tourist

Sunday drive

Recently we had a dry-ish sort of day, the sort of day that invites you to jump in your car and go explore the countryside.

Not ones for too great a distance for a day trip, we head to a nearby water fall – Noble Falls. With the idea in mind that, after exploring the tumbling waters, lunch at the tavern across the road would be ideal.

Short drive or long?

We drive the half hour – yes – a short ‘day trip’ indeed, and discover that there has been enough rain in recent weeks for the falls to be running.

My memory flashes to our trip to Canada several years ago, and again, more recently, where the sight of rushing rivers, debris ridden, gushing beneath bridges and down the rocky mountainsides literally took my breath away! I had never seen so much fresh running water in one place in my life! You can read about my trips and why I travel, here.

It is still a strong memory, of the powerful, gushing water washing over rocky beds and fallen tree trunks. Of leaf litter and smaller branches tumbling. Of the sheer volume of water!

Being a local tourist

Back to Nobel Falls, off Toodyay Road, north of Perth. A small tumbling stream by comparison. Yet it is evidence of rain having fallen this winter. It is still a dry season, by comparison. And farmers, further along the road, in the adjacent wheat belts will have dry-seeded long before now.

A tourist’s memory lane

Back home, I touch the remnant broken stalk of wheat from the last crop my father grew nearly 25 years ago. (Thanks to our kitty cat who played with vase full and left one tiny piece for a keepsake! Yes, I am a sentimentalist, to a point!) My main point here is, it reminds me of the challenge of farming, of late rains or rain-less seasons, the hope for a crop that yields enough per acre (back then), (hectare now) to cover costs and make enough money to support the family.

Feeding a nation and more

I only talk about a tiny corner of the bigger picture: that of ‘feeding a nation’ which my grandfather proudly contributed to. My memory recalls a visit with him at his home in our country town where he proudly stated his role and contribution.

I take a brief look even further back, to the land his father, my great grandfather, pioneered to become part of the history that has made wheat production one of the key exports of the nation.

According to statista, Australia is known for its vast agricultural land and diverse range of crops…Wheat, barley, and canola are the three winter crops most frequently cultivated in Australia, (now) with wheat contributing the most to the total yield.

It is no comfort to read that 2024 is projected to yield less than the previous yearly incremental increase that meant good yields for over a decade.

Childhood links

As a child, I was naively unaware of the uncertainties of how much the weather impacted our daily lives and potential income. Of my two brothers, my younger brother undertook the scope of work involved in continuing the family legacy. Not an easy task. Much of the land is now either sold, or leased.

All of these thoughts tumbled forth after a simple visit to a running stream of water!

Back to the Falls

Fellow picknickers – it is school holidays – play in the water. Children throw sticks into the creek of water and watch them tumble over the rock. We take photos at the wonder of some running water and leave.

Images from a previous visit to Noble Falls, with my granddaughter, flash through my mind.

Time to eat

We try the tavern across the road. It is closed. Despite billboards and Facebook ads of Open 7 days a week, shutters are down, the car park is empty. We won’t be enjoying a meal here, as we had on a previous visit, with our granddaughter.

A great meal at a local bakery

We bite the bullet, and head back home. On the way we discover the delicious range of baked goods, fresh bagels and coffee at the Gidgegannup Bakery. We bask in the warmth of the sun on the screened verandah outside. The food is delicious, the café is busy with people waiting patiently to be served. The staff are efficient and greet each customer with a smile. We have discovered another local place we can haunt in the future. If it were summer, children could play in the safe, fenced space where outdoor tables invite – if it were summer!

We head home, light the fire and sit in the warmth of past and freshly created memories.  

Are you a back yard tourist?

Where is your favourite coffee shop to grab a bite to eat and enjoy a great brew – a local place you love to support? Let me know in the comments below.

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