Samille Mitchell

Wet weather has wreaked havoc in the Midwest and Murchison in WA, with flooded roads isolating residents, power outages shutting down traffic lights, and more than 30,000 houses being left without power. Key points: Wild weather caused power outages to 30,000 people in the Midwest.

The Western Australian government has declared a new 1,000-hectare national park at Mungada Ridge in the Midwest to help protect its ancient landscape and rare plant and animal life.

Follow a road train roaring out of Perth en route to the resource-laden north and after a few hours you'll come across the township of Dalwallinu. At first glance it looks like a typical Wheatbelt township – surrounded by brown paddocks and wildflowers in spring, with a wide main street and a historic country pub. But look a little closer and you'll start to realise "Dally", as the local call it, is different.