Australia So Much to See
Newdegate is a town within the large Lake Grace Shire area, with the town adjacent to several larger salt lakes. Newdegate was
gazetted as a townsite in 1925, being named to honour a recent Western Australia state Governor.
Here silos were painted in June 2018 by Brenton See. The first is of a stylised raindrop, with abstracts representing the crops grown, and a pattern drawn from the earthy colours of the land and the scrub.
The Mallee Fowl (Leipoa ocellata) features next with a salmon gum tree in the background. Mallee Fowl were once common in the area,
but the clearing of habitats for agriculture and predators on these ground nesting birds have become a threatening species. These ground dwelling birds make a large mound to bury and incubate their eggs. The male bird tends the nest and regulates the
temperature. Chicks can fly and fend for themselves within several hours of hatching and digging their way out of the mound.
The tiny mammal, Red-tailed Phascogale (Phascogale calura) is featured next. This Phascogale was once widespread through the
state’s semi-arid regions, but is now a vulnerable species and restricted habitats within the southern wheatbelt. A Spotted-thighed
Frog (Litoria cyclorhyncha) appears at the bottom of the picture. This species of frog is found in the southern part of the state,
principally between Albany and Hopetown and inland into the wheatbelt. A population of this frog occurs in the Dragon Rocks
Nature Reserve.
A Western Bearded Dragon (Pogona minor minor) is a small dragon lizard which has a widespread distribution, although the habitats
have been reduced due to agriculture. The nearby nature reserve Dragon Rocks takes its name from this reptile. Stylised cowslip
orchids (Caladenia flava) which are also found in the Dragon Rocks nature reserve adorn this right hand side silo.
There are hot showers in the ladies and gents at the public toilet block opposite the post office and adjacent to the roadhouse, in
Maley Street, the main road through Newdegate. This has in the past been very welcome when on camping trips.
There
is a small caravan park which also has cabins and motel units in Newdegate, maintained well by very friendly hosts. More about
that shortly. In addition to these options, there are basic rooms available at the Hotel with shared bathrooms.
Heading north from Newdegate another large salt lake came into view, across a large area of salt pan vegetation above left). The land became more undulating than the previously quite flat farmland (above right). The road was straight until reaching Dragon Rocks Nature Reserve.
