Oz2010 – Sun 10th January
Our last Sunday in Western Australia… tomorrow we will be packing up our suitcases and getting ready for the 25 hour journey back to the UK.
John and Meg took us on a short road trip today to a place called New Norcia. It is the only monastic town in Australia and is host to a Benedictine Monastery. Arriving at the town was a strange experience; miles away from civilisation and yet boasting a collection of huge, grand buildings – it all seemed so out of place. Even with modern day conveniences nearby and a nod towards commercialism/tourism (in terms of the museum and gift shops) the whole place was very peaceful and tranquil.
After having a late lunch at the nearby Norcia Hotel (again, a rather seemingly grandiose building) we took a steady walk through the grounds around the monastery. A nearby workshed housed some very old work equipment and tools from a bygone era, all of which were used at some point by the monks as they worked the land and/or mastered a particular skill/trade. Many items were donated, many were built by the monks themselves.
Continuing around the grounds, we passed various statues of key figures in time whom were related to the monastery and very much a part of the history. Some of the buildings were used as colleges, others as places as worship (such as the abbey and church).
The area also had strong links with the Aboriginal people and many aspects of the monastery were related to the education of, and co-habitation with, the Aboriginals. On the opposite side of the road, where the active monastery is situated, plaques give details of village houses that once stood in the grounds. A small building in the grounds also houses various religious artifacts – mainly bits of stone and masonry from prominent religious sites around the world, such as The Vatican, Rome, and various tombs and cathedrals from around the world.
Sadly, we didn’t have sufficient time to take a walk around the musuem and art gallery as closing time was fast approaching. Climbing back into the car we took the short journey to the nearby petrol station and stopped to grab a drink and ice-cream. We were then back on our way to Wanneroo.
As we approached Wanneroo, clouds of smoke could be seen near the Barbagallo Raceway (where we’d been a few weeks earlier) and it was obvious that a bush fire had taken hold. Sure enough, helicopters were circling (ready to drop their water bombs) and emergency crews and firefighters were on the road and restricting access to the affected areas. By this time, the wind had picked up and was quite strong – not good when a bush fire is burning. Stopping at the roadside, we took a few photographs for the album. Many of the locals were also doing likewise so we weren’t the only ones!
After the helicopters had circled a few times, and we’d grabbed a few photos, we jumped back into the car and finished the journey back to John and Meg’s. So much excitement! 
John is currently enjoying a beer and Meg is making potato and leek soup for this evening’s meal. Lyn, having returned from a quick walk, has banned me from the bedroom whilst she packs a few items. I’ve offered to help but, well, she thinks she can do a better job if I’m out of the way… and she’s probably right. She’s a star as she’s also done the washing and hung it out to dry (even if it is approaching 9pm). That just leaves me to finish writing up this entry… which I’ve just done. 
January 14th, 2010 at 23:58
Shame we didn’t have time to see the musuem and art gallery but it was a lovely day and nice to see some of Perths country side and get a little more further out of town. I noticed the grass had now turned brown and it was only trees and shrubs that were green, also you could see dried up lakes. Strange to find a Monastery so far out in what appears to be the middle of nowhere makes you wander why they choose this area so many years ago as it would have taken them days and day by horse back or foot.