New Norcia

I started my day early with Pauline going to drench a bull. Pauline is a big and small animal vet who services a 230 km radius. She also has started a vet hospital on her farm. This is in addition to helping manage her own 14 thousand acre spread and being a mother to two teenagers. Before going the horses got a hug and fed. Then it was onto meet the bull. We were greeted by Dilly, Diesel, and wombat the farm dogs. The bull was directed into a crusher that held him securely and his head came through the bars of the crusher. Drenching just means dosing with medicine, in this case anti liver fluke stuff, white and sticky. First attempt the bull won by keeping his head down and out the stuff came. Round two went to Pauline after she made a rope halter and pulled his head up.

Give me a recalcitrant toddler any day. We picked up supplies for the vet clinic.


Then it was back to The House of 5 chimneys for breakfast before setting off to New


Norcia.
This is a town settled in 1864 by 3 Spanish Benedictine monks as an Aboriginal mission. They reached out to the land and people, learning the language and as a result it flourished where other missions failed. They based their approach on self sufficiency. The architecture is Spanish influenced and stands out from the surrounding towns and buildings. It started with the residences progressing to chapel after chapel. In it's evolution, it began with a boys school expanding to women and Aborigines and an agricultural college. The schools have all disbanded and the complex exists with tourism and produce to support themselves. There are only 8 monks left. There is a hotel, with restaurant and bar. They produce wines, port, olive oils and nut and chocolate biscotti. Big bread baking supplies the local markets. Of course we had to fortify ourselves before braving the two hour tour with an Abbey Ale. It was breast cancer awareness day, so the staff were wearing a lot of pink and tiaras.





We borrowed the New Norcia wheel chair which meant that all of us had a chance of tipping Michael onto the ground. The left hand break could not be undone, which made for muscle making exercise. As the complex evolved, so did the number of chapels...








So feeling religiously fortified it was onto Morra for a long black and flat white at The Kumquat Mayand then back to our farm base.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Kayanaba road western ausrtralia