The Extra Mile

Ancient Sentinels of the Nambung

These ancient sentinels rise up out of the sand that was once covered by the sea, which is now to be found beyond the distant trees.

When the sea retreated some thirty thousand years ago, huge deposits of sea shells remained. Over time the elements have eroded the sand and soil away. All that remains are these limestone pillar-like structures.

The ranks of these limestone guards have been thinned as the winds have eroded them away. Who knows what will remain of them in another thirty thousand years?

The Pinnacles, now part of the Nambung National Park, can be found about 250 km north of Perth in Western Australia. You can find more photos of them and other scenic wonders of this big state in our West Coast Tour photo set.

Memorial to selflessness - Halls Creek WA

You'll find these two chaps, immortalised in bronze, outside the shire offices in Halls Creek in Western Australia.

 'Russian Jack', as the wheelbarrow pusher was known, made himself the stuff of legend when he pushed his gravely ill mate over 300kms from Halls Creek to Wyndham.

Can you appreciate the magnitude of this feat? Just walking 300 km would be arduous enough, but then add pushing a wheelbarrow with, oh say, a 70kg man in it. This man is not just dead weight either, he is very sick and needs to be looked after, all the while you're pushing him across the desert toward medical help. Then there is food and water for both of them, so add that to the wheelbarrow's weight.

Russian Jack will be wearing his work boots as he trudges through the sandy soil toward the distant horizon. Not for him the super technical walking footwear of today or a nice flat even surface to walk on. This fellow is tramping along a rutted desert track, sandy and boggy in some places, rocky and gibber strewn in others.

The level of sheer guts and determination needed to accomplish this feat is incomprehensible these days. We wouldn't have a clue what it would have been like for these two hardy gold miners - we can only imagine. This is true heroism.

Want to see more? Then come and have a look at our Across the Top 2010 photo set.

Red and Green Kangaroo Paw

It's not hard to see where this strikingly coloured and uniquely shaped flower gets its name.

The Red and Green Kangaroo Paw is the official floral emblem of the state of Western Australia and can only be found in the south western areas of the state. 

In these areas it usually flowers between August and October, depending on seasonal and local conditions. It occurs naturally in heath, growing on either sandy or gravelly soils.

It is classed as protected flora and so collectors of whole plants or flowers must be licenced.

Much more of the beauty of Western Australia's flora can be found in the Western Australia Wildflowers photo set.