SANDSTONE TO LAKE BALLARD

On the way out of Sandstone we stopped in the main street and took a couple of photos of the two main buildings.

After about half an hours driving we stopped to take some photos of wildflowers called Everlastings. It is so strange to see barren ground and then an area with all these white flowers growing. Truly beautiful!

We were going to stop at Menzies that night and drive to Lake Ballard the following morning. When we got to Menzies the caravan park was a paddock with a wire fence around it so we decided to drive on. Lake Ballard is 51 klms from Menzies on a dirt road. The road was surprisingly good so we made it to LB just on dusk.

There were a few vans and campers there so we found a good spot, with our door opening on to the lake.

The following morning .....

...we decided to go for a small walk on the lake and leave the main walk and photographs for later in the day.

The reason we came to Lake Ballard is to see the "Inside Australia" Exhibition by Antony Gormley. This incredible display of 51 sculptures are all derived from laser scans of the inhabitants of Menzies. The sculptures are cast in an alloy containing molybdenum, vanadium and titanium, materials that are found in the Archean rock of Western Australia. "The insider (as the sculptures are called) reveals an attitude in a taut abstract shape formed by the passage of the person's life. Out on the salt lake they become antennae in space in relationship with each other but also with the land and the limit of our perception: the horizon." says Antony Gormley.

Can you see Arnold on top of this very large hill?

I tried to climb up but only got to this tree before I got vertigo and couldn't go any further.

You can see the car and van and the huge expanse from up here.

We went back to the van. By this time is was quite warm so had to change into something cooler.

I decided to make donuts. We had so many we didn't need lunch.

About 4.00pm we put warmer clothes on as it was getting quite cold and we would be out till sunset taking photos. The area is so huge we walked and walked - we must have been out for about 2 hours. It was .... awesome!

Doesn't this next shot look funny - Arnold standing behind a sculpture.

We couldn't resist a hug!!!

The sun has gone down now. What a great sunset!

How amazing is this place! We will definately come back here on our next trip.

The next morning we drove back to Menzies, stopped to take some more photos, and then made our way to Kalgoolie.

We just happened to stop for morning tea about the same time as these trucks carrying huge trucks. Awe ... some!

So the next entry will be Kalgoolie and beyond. Bye Bye.