Via Carnamah-Perenjori Road, Carnamah
Strip your blues away
This place holds a special place in my heart. The ‘Strip’ was the very first place Blue and I went for a walk together.
Before doing so, we played in my grassy, unruly, back yard on Robertson Street to get to know each other better after his owner Ian enjoyed a cuppa and a chat before heading off to Perth to help his family start a new life in the big smoke.
It was obvious that Blue was a little confused about where Ian had gone to but he seemed content to play and come with me for a walk.
Collared and clipped on his lead, we strolled up Lang street, turned off into the Rec Centre side entrance, walked past the livestock ramp, climbed over an old rusty fence, jumped the water-race, and arrived at the end of the air strip. It was here that I let Blue off the lead so he could really stretch his legs and sniff around his new territory.
Initially, Blue hesitantly took in the growing crop in each side of the airstrip while pausing at the Patterson’s Curse bushes to investigate the smells in there, but soon enough, he was galloping up the stretch of flat dirt, getting smaller and smaller in view.
I was thrilled (and relieved) when I called out to him to come back and he actually did! That was a good sign. I even recorded this very moment in time. Forgive the amateur sound quality but I’m sure you’ll recognise the joy in my voice at his return.
Blue and I have since walked this airstrip umpteen many times. He gets to have such a good run-on here. There have been very few times occasions when we’ve heard or seen a crop plane get ready for take off along the dirt here in the hours from 9am to 2pm, but we typically walk the Strip outside of those hours and have always felt safe to walk here.
There is a service road on each side of the strip which are just as interesting and enjoyable to walk along. On these outer tracks, Blue tends to pounce (unsuccessfully) on the field mice and grasshoppers that inhabit the area.
The north track of the air strip features a fenced-in damn; a water source the Shire Council uses to irrigate the hockey field and footy oval. You’ll often see ducks raising their families on the damn, while at night you’ll hear the entertaining Motorbike Frogs that reside here. At other parts of the air strip, you’ll hear the amusing coo of the Western Spotted Frog. In fact, we’ve even submitted some audio of the frogs that inhabit this area to the Australia Museum project FrogID.
We always feel happy and rejuvenated after spending time on the air strip or listening to the frogs. Its a really lovely place to walk your blues away.
Let us know about other great dog walks you’ve gone in the Mid West at blueswalkies@gmail.com