Today is Thursday, day 3 of our Slow Boat to China. We woke to a magnificent blue sky, a warming sun, no wind and lots of internal condensation. Will leaks like a sieve around his perimeter, but we were as snug as bugs in rugs under two thick quilts. Our custom made mattress has proved to be worthy of the price we paid, as being aged beings, we are delighted to rise without much pain from our arthritic joints!
The Nungarin Caravan Park, which is being redeveloped, borders what we assume is the sewerage treatment ponds. Apart from its high earth walls giving its function away, there were no unseemly sights or smells emanating from the structure. The new facilities are not quite finished so we have been using the toilets and showers in the adjacent sports centre. Hence, we parked Will and Lily as close to the entry point as we could. However, the Caravan Park promises to be lovely, with extensive landscaping and a military vehicle on a jaunty angle at the entry.
At first, Nungarin puzzled us as the town (which is pretty tiny in terms of population) was very spread out. The main drag was at one end of town and the houses were dawdling in varying directions with no apparent pattern. That mystery was solved upon learning the history of the town. During the Second World War, inland settlements were designated as army depots, transport hubs and service centres. The Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum tells the story of that purpose.
Do yourselves a favour and spend a morning or afternoon or both in the Museum, speak to the knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers (thank you to Gary and Cass) and wander through the exhibits, which include vehicles of all kinds, collections of tractors, generators, machinery and domestic goddess appliances, a recreation of the soldiers camp, a workman's room and a blacksmith's shop (under construction). The loos were divinely clean and luxurious. There is also a homely and spotless kitchen for making tea and coffee and enjoying scones, mini muffins and biscuits. Being akin to a huge warehouse, we dressed warmly for the conditions.
Now, I am not normally a fan of most war museums. The exception, until now, was the museum in Cairns. The Nungarin museum is up there, possibly even better, without the entry price tag and with with only minimal merchandise. The six minute video tells the informative and fascinating story of thousands of personnel stationed in Nungarin, particularly in 1944, when the threat of invasion by Japan was deemed imminent by the military boffins. I had no idea that this scenario had even been considered.
Hence, the area required for the base was huge. Vast swathes of bush have overgrown the site, which was decommissioned in the 1960s, the infrastructure moved, sold off or dismantled. The town swimming pool, I suspect was the base's pool, hence being somewhat detached from Nungarin's centre. The museum is housed in the only remaining structure and was also home to the shire's works depot. That facility has now been moved to a new site, allowing the museum to expand to its full size.
We also dropped into artist Natalie Veal's Studio on the main street, and spent a very agreeable hour admiring her works. Then to the Visitors' Centre, with Diana manning that establishment. We had lunch at the town's cafe and convenience store (yum) and met other residents such as Tracey, who seemed to be volunteering in every enterprise Nungarin offers. In fact, the entirety of Nungarin's population appears to be volunteering in one form or another.
An attraction we missed was a walk on Nungarin's heritage Walk trail, which will be absolutely stunning, come the wildflowers. We have also not experienced the local markets yet, held on the first Sunday of each month. We did take a drive past the extraordinary remnants of the giant army storehouses, a series of massive brick walls left untouched in the surrounding wheat fields. Alas, the pub was closed, due to ill health, but that was the only minor disappointment.
So, in closing, we fell in love with this speck of a community forty kilometres north of Merredin. Embarking on a slow expedition is allowing us to stop and take in the ambiance of places like Nungarin that we might have previously zoomed past in our haste to chase the sun. We hope to stop on the way back and take in some stunning farming scenery and experience the beginning of the Wheatbelt's wildflower season. We just need to remember to dress accordingly!
Stay tuned for the next exciting episode...and do visit Nungarin!
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