Inside the Administration Building, Prince Graeme is eager to stamp passports. He's also more than happy to sell special edition stamps, bank notes and the highly prized Hutt River Principality stubby holder.
It is not the grand palace you might expect in the capital of a proud national capital. In fact, it looks rather like a converted farm building. And that's probably because it is. The little-known second country on the Australian continent isn't exactly a global powerhouse.
Before Britons had the admittedly entertaining idea of crashing their economy and embarking on political meltdown under the hazily spelt out notion of regaining sovereignty, Leonard George Casley had broken free from the shackles of Western Australia. An Auxit rather than a Brexit, if you will. 
In 1970, Casley's farm had produced a bumper crop of wheat, but the Western Australian government arbitrarily introduced quotas allowing him to sell about one-hundredth of what he'd already grown.
Understandably perturbed by this, Casley went into battle. A series of legal wrangles led to Casley declaring that his property had seceded from Australia. The declaration of independence was later followed by converting the 75-square-kilometre farm into a monarchy for obscure reasons under international law, then declaring war on Australia. Australia failed to send in the troops and, indeed, has shown little interest in reclaiming its territory since.
Graeme is the self-proclaimed Prince Leonard's son, and the Minister of State. He was a schoolteacher in Western Australia, but he has now returned to his homeland and given up his Australian citizenship. He proudly shows off items that give weight to Hutt River's claims of independence, such as the framed letter from the Australian Taxation Office declaring non-resident status for tax purposes.
Nain, the tiny capital of the Hutt River Principality, is down a dirt road about 45 kilometres north-west of Northampton and 517 kilometres north of Perth. It has slowly expanded over the years, adding a rather cute all-faiths chapel and unpowered camp sites for West Australians wanting an international holiday on the cheap. 
A giant brown bust of Prince Leonard's head can be found by the entrance, but his royal highness can usually be found pottering around the royal art collection. This 300-plus item collection is largely made up of gifts sent via the principality's "ambassadors" around the world. These include lavish fabric dragons, rocks sculpted into somewhat unfathomable animals and paintings of Chinese-style temples in the sky.
Around the world, there are supposedly 14,000 Hutt River Principality citizens, many of whom have been given ambassadorial positions or military commissions.
Prince Leonard, 91, not looking particularly regal in his unbuttoned shirt and slacks, takes delight in showing off the gifts he has graciously received. But then he moves on to his favoured subject - gematria.
This is a combination of mathematics, physics and religion that is utterly baffling to the outsider, and possibly meaningless to anyone who is not Prince Leonard I of Hutt. Everything has its own "Nature's Spirit Code", apparently, while nature has its own "basic construction code".
It is all explained in greater, head-scratching detail inside Princess Shirley's Sacred Educational Shrine, which the Prince had built in honour of his wife. She died in 2013. It takes the form of a temple, with several terracotta army-esque statues and the Stone of Light inside. There are also several models of animals, each with a plaque showing its Nature's Spirit Code.
Being led around is a surreal, perplexing experience. But as Prince Graeme explains: "It keeps his brain ticking - and he's still sharp as a tack."
After talking to the Casleys and reading the copious literature on the walls, it's difficult to work out how seriously to take the enterprise. It's too earnest and detailed to be tongue-in-cheek, but there seems to be a recognition that outsiders see the whole affair as a good-natured joke. And this is how the Western Australian and Australian governments seem to have treated it too. Neither officially recognises the Hutt River Principality but there have never been any real attempts to bring the dream crashing down either.
Hutt River residents aren't on the Australian electoral roll, don't receive the benefits and pensions that Australians are entitled to and don't pay Australian income tax. But diplomatic missives are generally ignored.
It's far more fun to play along. And every beer drunk from that Hutt River Principality stubby holder is a liquid salute to the man who fought for independence in the strangest of ways.
See also: 16 weird road signs you could only see in Australia
See also: 'Banned for life' - eight weird laws you can accidentally break overseas

Trip Notes
MORE INFORMATION
principality-hutt-river.com
GETTING THERE
Virgin Australia connects from Sydney and Melbourne to Perth, then on to Geraldton Airport, 100 kilometres south of the Hutt River Principality. See virginaustralia.com
STAYING THERE
The marina-side Mantra in Geraldton offers apartment-style accommodation with a large pool. Prices start about $190 a night. See mantra.com.au.
SEE + DO
There are no official tours at Hutt River - just rock up, get chatting and pay the $4 visa fee.
David Whitley travelled as a guest of Tourism Western Australia (westernaustralia.com).