Gnomesville

If you don't like very strange things or aren't easily enamoured to a bit of whimsy then I suggest you look away now. What I am about to show you is very, very weird and also (if I'm honest about my proclivities towards the bizarre) a little bit freaking awesome.

About 2 hours drive south east of Perth there lies a magical place. A place so shrouded in myth and mystery that it attracts people from all over the world. Alongside a fairly average country road there lies a village of critters no taller than your knees. Gnomes. Yes, gnomes! Thousands of these critters inhabit a small strip of forest alongside a beautiful bubbling brook. And when I say thousands I mean THOUSANDS! Now, I didn't just stumble across Gnomesville. I deliberately set out to find it and had no navigational problems thanks to the directions of my mobile phone GPS. Yep, Gnomesville is officially on the map!

I only learnt of the existence of Gnomesville a few months ago. I was kind of mystified as to how I could not know about such a remarkable example of community outsider art in my own country, especially because it attracts visitors from far and wide. There were a number of international visitors exploring the site whilst we were there. It was truly marvellous to see people from all over the world smiling their way through the winding paths of Gnomesville! 

I love outsider art and kooky landmarks so Gnomesville was a bit of a dreamscape to me. Whilst there is undoubtably a sense of whimsy and childlike wonder surrounding Gnomesville, there is also an element of the macabre. Being exposed to the elements the gnomes are in various stages of decay. Some are faded, others chipped or dirty, the saddest creatures are missing limbs or wear large cracks in their gnome armour. Add in the gloominess of a dreary, drizzly overcast day and you could be forgiven for sensing something a little bit sinister happening amongst the inhabitants of Gnomesville.  Of course, this just adds to the appeal!

Would I recommend a trip to Gnomesville? Hell yes! If you're in WA and heading down to the Margaret River then be sure to take a little side trip to visit this remarkable site. It is really something to behold! The below photo explains the history of this most unusual shrine:

The Red Centre...

Life has been a bit of an adventure lately. And that's no understatement! It's all go, go, go! I've had little time to take photos, let alone process them, but I've tried to take my camera with me wherever I go to capture a little bit of my travels.

Last week my mum and I flew to Alice Springs to visit my brother and we had a week of wandering the desert landscape, fitting as much as we could into the 5 days as possible! Of course, no trip to central Australia is complete without making the journey to the great, solid heart of this country, Uluru, and the greater part of our week involved travelling to and from this iconic landmark. I last visited central Australia back in 2008 and was fortunate to see the desert in the midst of an intense rainy season. We battled storms and floods and pelting rain but were privileged to see Uluru covered in waterfalls, Kings Canyon full of streams and the Todd River flowing (a rare event I'm told!). This time the desert was as dry as one could imagine it - a hostile land of vast spaces, red dirt, rocky outcrops and dry grasslands. I am still suffering from wind burn on my lips and a dry throat made worse by sickness and allergies. But it was worth it to experience the wonders of the centre of this beautiful, resilient country. 

On our first day in Alice Springs we drove out to West MacDonnell National Park and took in the many sights along the roadway. Ormiston Gorge, The Ochre Pits, Serpentine Gorge, Ellery Creek and Simpson's Gap. We did lots of walking in the hot sunshine through rocky terrain and along sandy creek beds. There was water in some of the waterholes but the vast majority of the landscape was barren and bone dry. Wattle was flowering all over the desert and beautiful big River Red Gums and Ghost Gums lined the waterholes. It was a big day!

The next day my brother drove us out to Uluru and Kata Tjuta and we stopped at the few sights along the way. If you've ever done the trip before you'll know the excitement of first laying eyes on Mt Connor - often mistaken for Uluru itself! It's another great stone monolith that rises out of the vast desert landscape. Soon after, glimpses of Uluru start to appear on the horizon, peeking out from behind rocky outcrops and scrubby scenery. Uluru was every bit as magical as I remembered. A sacred site to the traditional owners of the land that surrounds it, there is little doubt about the power and significance of this amazing place. 

We spent the next day walking the ten kilometres around the base of the rock and taking in its majesty, then we went and visited Kata Tjuta which is another incredible formation of rocks that juts regally out of the red, dry desert landscape. Unfortunately we were too worn out to do the Valley of the Winds walk, but we made the short treck, in searing hot sun, up into the impressive gorge with sheer stone walls tightening around us. Finally, after a day of wandering in the heat of the desert we stopped to catch the sunset cast its glow onto Uluru. 

The next morning I woke up super early to watch the sun rise and take in the stunning golden light. It was cold, but well worth the early start. Then we made the long drive back to Alice Springs and we all fell in a tired, sunstruck heap! Haha. But it was a wonderful adventure and I was very pleased, looking through the images, that I was able to capture some of the beauty of this inhospitable, but incredibly striking landscape. I love this country. My home.