Exploring Western Australia can be a real drag when you find yourself driving long stretches between locales with nary to see save your fellow travellers, an occasional cow and in summer, our friendly flies.
The trick is to find the little attractions in between, to break up the monotony that can excite, revitalise and perhaps educate.
For starters, let's look at the Wheatbelt.
Whether travelling through Western Australia's breadbasket on the way to Kalgoorlie or exploring the region for its own merits, there are certainly a number of attractions to see and do.
These include wildflowers in spring, Wave Rock and numerous heritage sites.
What I would like to focus on are the Merredin Military Museum as well as the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum, both of which touch on the rich history of the region and offer a little something for the military enthusiast.
Merredin Military Museum
Located along the Great Eastern Highway about 256 kilometres from Perth, the Merredin Military Museum is hard to miss with the large cannon right at its doorstep.
The museum offers a range of military equipment that dates back beyond World War 2, providing a window into Merredin's role in the defence of Australia.
These include a Vietnam War era Huey helicopter, a number of World War 2 era tanks, a collection of military support vehicles and weapons.
As an added bonus for the military enthusiast, there is a rare Universal Carrier with a 2 pounder cannon, though it has seen better days.
Other vehicles include another Universal Carrier, a Valentine Tank, M3 Stuart and a M3 Grant.
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Universal Carrier
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M3 Stuart
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M3 Grant
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Valentine Tank
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Cannon at the gates
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Collection of small arms
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Universal Carrier with 2 pounder
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Entry was less than A$15 for my five year old son and I. Your mileage may differ if you're travelling in a large group or are a student or pensioner.
In addition, the Merredin Railway Museum is just a literal stones throw away, giving you the opportunity to explore further without driving.
Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum
Just 90 kilometres north of Merredin, the Nungarin Heritage Machinery and Army Museum offers a further dose of history.
Do not be put off by the rusting hulks at the entrance or if the gates are locked during opening hours, the real treasures are located within the large warehouse while the curator lives just a couple of metres away.
There is a large range of exhibits within including historic artefacts, toys, one of the first advertised washing machines, agricultural tractors and of course military vehicles.
Curator Les is a treasure trove of information and more than willing to regale you with the history of the region and I have to say that I genuinely enjoyed chatting with him.
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M3 Stuart
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Staghound Armoured Car
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Remains of Valentine Tank
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Wrecked M3 Grant
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Some important numbers here
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Old washing machine
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Entry was A$5 for me and free for my young fellow traveller. Again, your mileage may differ.
Opening hours are Mondays to Fridays, 9 am to 12 noon and 2 pm to 5 pm.
Phone: 08 9046 5108
Just the tip of the iceberg
It is worth noting that these are just two of many attractions in the region.
To break up the drive from Perth, you could drop by the town of Northam, where the annual Avon Descent in September begins, or stop by The Big Camera - Photographic Museum in Meckering, which sadly I couldn't explore due to a certain cranky five year old in the car.
Some other locations can be found here.
http://www.wheatbelttourism.com/heritage-the-arts/historic-sites-and-buildings-in-the-wheatbelt/
So if you're travelling in the region, make it a point to include these museums in your itinerary as the curators are ageing and given their locations away from Perth, I have genuine concerns about the long term future of the museums.
Western Australia has a number of lovely beaches, but sometimes the sheer number of people at the popular beaches can be daunting.
