Judith is the quietest of the three friends in Bruce Rock. She grew up in Narambeen just down the road. A gentle soul with sadness etched in her face but ready to smile and stay busy. It would seem her story is unknown to the Bruce Rock locals despite the close community.

Veronica was the first person I met in Bruce Rock when I took refuge in the craft shop from the torrential downpour. Veronica was behind the counter, crocheting a blanket and up for a chat. I was struck by her energy and how active she is in the community - volunteering in the craft shop, helping out on the local newspaper, and a self-appointed chauffeur for her friends who can no longer drive, she also crochets blankets and makes greetings cards which her son sells in his shop in Alice Springs.

I explained the serendipitous circumstances that led us to De and Leigh Strange of Strange Images Photography in my earlier Bruce Rock blog post, and we still can’t quite believe how lucky we were to find them within an hour of arriving in town. De and Leigh not only let us camp next to their shearing shed, again amongst the beautiful salmon gums, they welcomed us into their home and into their lives.

We rolled into Bruce Rock a week ago, with no plan, just as the Wheatbelt’s long dry spell was broken by a heavy downpour and storm. The sleepy town centre has a row of maybe a dozen shops on one side - one shop is a cafe, as well as the butchers and the bakery. 

Worthy of a five star rating on Trip Adviser, the Kulin Bush Races in WA’s Wheatbelt is so much more than just a day at the races. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, it takes place over the first weekend in October and is an event for all the family to enjoy, with live music, good food and spectacular scenery as festivities are nestled between a granite outcrop and a salt lake.

I loved spending time at home with Lisa and Grant and meeting their gorgeous kids while we’ve been in Lake Grace. Theirs was the first wedding I photographed after we returned from our own honeymoon a few years ago.

Annie and her artist daughter Michelle were two of the first people we met when we came to do a recce in Lake Grace prior to our week long North of Us project almost a decade ago. They spent the day showing us around, and helped us find the perfect spot to set up camp. If you know of any lovely Oldies between Lake Grace and Bruce Rock (via Corrigin) we’ll be in the area for the next week or so and would love some suggestions :-)

Talented and respected Lake Grace artists Kerrie Argent and Tania Spencer took time out from installing the latest exhibition at the Multi-Use Art Space in town to show me around their studios.

Based a few kilometres north of Lake Grace, Tania and Jared own the most inland vineyard in WA and they needed photos for their website, social media and marketing. I spent an hour there one morning at sunrise and another hour at lunchtime over the weekend. At the end of that time they had a varied collection of images which now make up their very own stock library - this is just a very small selection of them. If you’re a small business in the Wheatbelt and would like to chat about getting a unique collection of photos, do get in touch :-)

When I was asking around about who I should be trying to photograph in Lake Grace, Neil and Elsie’s name came up again and again. Jim has lived in Lake Grace all his life - his family were amongst the first to start farming here. Elsie, a retired nurse grew up down the road in a little town called Newdegate.

I’ve always felt very honoured to share a couple’s wedding day with them, but over the years, I’ve discovered something even more special…photographing the couple who have now become a family.

Jim, a retired farmer, was born and raised in Lake Grace. He described himself as deaf, with one bung eye and the other doesn’t work at all. Walking slowly now with his frame, he’s still living at home at 88. We arrived at his farm to find him sitting in his ute, door open, old sheepdog beside him on the passenger seat, Radio National playing full blast, and pleased to discover he had visitors.

As coast huggers used to the background white noise of the ocean, we’ve been acutely aware of the silence and any sound that breaks it. At sunrise it’s the rowdy galahs perched in the salmon gums, shouting at each other and the world, and at sunset as the wind picks up it’s the rustling of great strips of peeling bark and leaves of the trees around us.

At last! We’re almost ready to hitch up our camper and set off on an adventure through Western Australia, from small country towns of the wheatbelt and goldfields and up into station country in the north. A meandering road trip with no set route and no set time frame.