Looming over the landscape
We’re standing on a street corner in an Australian country town that’s halfway to somewhere and a long way from anywhere. The road to Katanning — 277 kilometres south-east of Perth — used to be a lonely highway. Not anymore. Tourists swarm across inland Western Australia, hauling caravans with silver carapace through the vast wheatbelt and salt-lake country, all the way to the wild Southern Ocean. It’s an epic 1000km journey along the Public Silo Trail.
An infinite mosaic of golden fields spools past the car window on a trail that leads through seven sun-baked towns: Northam, Merredin, Katanning, Pingrup, Newdegate, Ravensthorpe and Albany. Stubbly native grasses and wildflowers pass in a yellow and purple blur, then every so often, a flash of kaleidoscopic colour makes heads swivel.
Art is out and loud as
