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With the Anzac Day long weekend I thought it would be a good time to take my brother in law (and best mate) camping – he’d let it slip a few times that he wouldn’t mind giving it a go so I planned a trip out to the Helena and Aurora Ranges in the Yilgarn district east of Perth. Nothing too difficult for someone who’s job involved making smooth roads, not riding on rough ones.
Friday night involved a quick dash to the old Mount Palmer townsite, south of Yellowdine and a favourite jumping off point when exploring the Goldfields. For those familiar with Mount Palmer, there are new leaseholders out at Palmers Find Mine and they are expecting to start excavations and extractions in the next couple of weeks as they take the top off the existing hill and rework the old tailing heaps. So the old remnants of previous endeavours will soon disappear and access will be restricted. Their expectations are high.
After a last look at the soon to disappear mine site, it was off up the Great Eastern Highway and then north up the Ryans Find Road and across the transcontinental railroad.
Palmers Find ruins dating back to 1942 - soon to be demolished
Transcontinental railway line crossing, Ryans Find Road
Past Jaurdi station the next stop was Wallangie Soak and Ive Rock.
Wallangie Soak and Ive Rock in the background
From there we headed north again to Kurrajong Rock which covers quite a large area and contained many small water filled rockholes.
Kurrajong Rock
Wanting to make the Helena and Aurora Ranges the next camp, we had to push on past Pittosporum Rock heading south west towards the ranges which have recently been declared a conservation area, locking one of the last remaining banded ironstone formations in the area away from mining – for the time being at least.
To our surprise, at the top of the ranges we found a flag pole flying the Australian flag and figured it had something to do with Anzac Day which was two days away, so we decided we’d have an early Anzac Day ceremony of our own and watch the sun rise beside the flag on the 24th.
Sunrise 24th April
Just as the sun rose, a Wedge-tailed Eagle soared up from the plains below right in front of us and was so close you could almost reach out and touch it. My brother in law almost jumped out of his skin with excitement and pride and now claims it as a memory that will stay with him forever.
Wedgetail Eagle soars
Helena and Aurora Ranges panorama
From the ranges we planned to head north west towards Atkinsons Find Mine, but unmarked and restricted access mining roads meant we had to make a few deviations before we eventually came out on the Bullfinch Evanston Road after a quick stop to look at diggings around Boondinie Mine and Marda Dam.
Boondinine Mine
Marda Dam
Friday night involved a quick dash to the old Mount Palmer townsite, south of Yellowdine and a favourite jumping off point when exploring the Goldfields. For those familiar with Mount Palmer, there are new leaseholders out at Palmers Find Mine and they are expecting to start excavations and extractions in the next couple of weeks as they take the top off the existing hill and rework the old tailing heaps. So the old remnants of previous endeavours will soon disappear and access will be restricted. Their expectations are high.
After a last look at the soon to disappear mine site, it was off up the Great Eastern Highway and then north up the Ryans Find Road and across the transcontinental railroad.
Palmers Find ruins dating back to 1942 - soon to be demolished
Transcontinental railway line crossing, Ryans Find Road
Past Jaurdi station the next stop was Wallangie Soak and Ive Rock.
Wallangie Soak and Ive Rock in the background
From there we headed north again to Kurrajong Rock which covers quite a large area and contained many small water filled rockholes.
Kurrajong Rock
Wanting to make the Helena and Aurora Ranges the next camp, we had to push on past Pittosporum Rock heading south west towards the ranges which have recently been declared a conservation area, locking one of the last remaining banded ironstone formations in the area away from mining – for the time being at least.
To our surprise, at the top of the ranges we found a flag pole flying the Australian flag and figured it had something to do with Anzac Day which was two days away, so we decided we’d have an early Anzac Day ceremony of our own and watch the sun rise beside the flag on the 24th.
Sunrise 24th April
Just as the sun rose, a Wedge-tailed Eagle soared up from the plains below right in front of us and was so close you could almost reach out and touch it. My brother in law almost jumped out of his skin with excitement and pride and now claims it as a memory that will stay with him forever.
Wedgetail Eagle soars
Helena and Aurora Ranges panorama
From the ranges we planned to head north west towards Atkinsons Find Mine, but unmarked and restricted access mining roads meant we had to make a few deviations before we eventually came out on the Bullfinch Evanston Road after a quick stop to look at diggings around Boondinie Mine and Marda Dam.
Boondinine Mine
Marda Dam
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