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Its been a difficult year in our house the past 12 months so I was determined to get away over Easter after missing the opportunity last year. However, due to the usual dramas the decision to go was not actually made until after work on Thursday evening, so it was a late departure at 8pm. I was also keen to test out the new water tank on the trailer before we head up north to Rudall River later this year.
The first stop was supposed to be Mount Palmer 400kms east of Perth but along the way I changed my mind and decided to try and find Condarnin Rock which is on the road into Mount Palmer. However by 1am in the morning the whole idea lost its appeal to the troops, so after driving down a few tracks we pitched camp near a place called Heaneys Find.
Heaneys Find campsite
A quick stop in Coolgardie for a bite to eat and then it was off on the Golden Quest Discovery Trail. First stop is Kunanalling an old mining town that is now little more than a crumbling hotel ruin.
Kunanalling pub
Then it was off through Ora Banda and Menzies and on to Niagara Dam for the night. The water levels in the dam were a lot lower than last time at Niagara but the place was quite busy with lots of Easter campers.
Niagara Dam
Our Niagara campsite
Around 1.30am a large family group decided it was time for a good old fashioned donnybrook, so for an hour or so we all had to put up with lots of screaming/shrieking, bad language, revving engines and crying kids.
The next morning wasn’t the best after two poor nights sleep in a row and the gas stove deciding not to work properly. If you’ve got your gas bottles attached to your camper trailer, make sure you have a cap on the top as it stops dust etc getting into the valve and blocking the gas flow.
After a slow pack up it was off to Kookynie, another old mining town. A quick look around at some old ruins and abandoned mines saw us at the pub. I’m not sure what it is with this place, but the hosts are not the friendliest people you’ll ever come across, you almost get the impression you’re in their way.
Whats left of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Kookynie
Kookynie Pub and number one son
Who said one arm bandits are illegal in WA?
Unfortunately I don’t think there’s a lot happening in Kookynie apart from tourism, so that probably explains why the place is up for sale. Twice I’ve been there and both times I’ve left without buying anything. It’s a shame as the pub is like a museum for the district and is really interesting.
We set of for Laverton passing some old railway bridges left over from an abandoned railway line between Laverton and Leonora. Lunch was had a Laverton where we were amazed at how green the grass was. Closer inspection showed it wasn’t real lawn but a replacement.
Old railway bridge and my daughter
Laverton lawn
Around this time my wife started to feel off colour so we decided to camp the night in the caravan park in Leonora. After a couple of days in the dust it was nice to have a shower again.
Next morning we headed off but somehow managed to miss Gwalia (bugger), so the next stop was Granite Creek. During breeding season budgies are known to breed here, but this time of the year it’s generally dry and parched and there wasn’t a budgie to be seen.
Granite Creek
The next destination of note was the Snake Hill lookout overlooking Lake Ballard. Lunch was taken amongst the wind and flies before heading down onto the lake to look at the statues.
Snake Hill Lookout
Lake Ballard is your typical dry salt lake but someone has placed a load of statues on the salt flats. The statues are based on the residents of Menzies and have become quite an attraction locally. Quite a bizarre concept.
Lake Ballard statue
Next it was off to Ularring Rock. Earnest Giles visited Ularring in 1875 and was confronted by a group of around 100 odd local aboriginals he later described as the most organised and disciplined group he had ever encountered. A battle followed after which Giles and his men made a strategic withdrawal, but not before erecting a rock cairn at the top of the rock. The cairn is still there today.
Rock cairn built by Earnest Giles on top of Ularring Rock
Ularring Rock has a soak at the base and a well was built to water Cobb and Co horses that passed through there. The well is now covered by some old pieces of corrugated iron, surrounded by a fence.
Ularring Rock well, once used to water Cobb and Co horses
Next stop was Davyhurst another abandoned gold town with little more than an open paddock to show for its former glory. We had hoped to camp here but decided to move onto Rowles Lagoon. The Davyhurst cemetery is a very sad place, with lots of infants buried there including two little brothers aged 5 and 7 who were both killed in an accident.
Davyhurst, a shadow of its former self
A very sad sight at the Davyhurst cemetary
On to Rowles Lagoon just north of Coolgardie we found a nice secluded camp site where we were able to have our first campfire for the trip. Shame it was the last night. Rowles is used by the locals from Kalgoorlie for water skiing and had considerably more water in it than the last time we were there.
Rowles Lagoon campsite
Rowles Lagoon
We packed up the next morning and started the drive back to Perth, stopping briefly at Meckering. Meckering was the site of one of Australia’s largest earthquakes in 1968, measuring 6.9. The whole town was destroyed but no one was killed fortunately, and now after 40 years very little evidence is left apart from some just visible fault lines in paddocks, and a few piles of bricks. A house has been left as it was as a reminder of what happened on that early October morning.
Meckering ruins
All up we did 1920 kms and used 307 litres of fuel towing the trailer. If you get the chance to do the Golden Quest and you’re interested in a bit of history and mining its well worth it. But I’d suggest you get the book that goes with the tour, we didn’t and I couldn’t help but think we were only seeing half of what was out there. It comes with CDs as well.
It was quite hot, being in the mid 30’s and the flies were atrocious, but we all enjoyed ourselves before heading back to face life in the rat race again.
The water tank worked perfectly too, all I have to do is get rid of the horrible taste so we can actually drink from it.
Now to start planning for Rudall River.
The first stop was supposed to be Mount Palmer 400kms east of Perth but along the way I changed my mind and decided to try and find Condarnin Rock which is on the road into Mount Palmer. However by 1am in the morning the whole idea lost its appeal to the troops, so after driving down a few tracks we pitched camp near a place called Heaneys Find.
Heaneys Find campsite
A quick stop in Coolgardie for a bite to eat and then it was off on the Golden Quest Discovery Trail. First stop is Kunanalling an old mining town that is now little more than a crumbling hotel ruin.
Kunanalling pub
Then it was off through Ora Banda and Menzies and on to Niagara Dam for the night. The water levels in the dam were a lot lower than last time at Niagara but the place was quite busy with lots of Easter campers.
Niagara Dam
Our Niagara campsite
Around 1.30am a large family group decided it was time for a good old fashioned donnybrook, so for an hour or so we all had to put up with lots of screaming/shrieking, bad language, revving engines and crying kids.
The next morning wasn’t the best after two poor nights sleep in a row and the gas stove deciding not to work properly. If you’ve got your gas bottles attached to your camper trailer, make sure you have a cap on the top as it stops dust etc getting into the valve and blocking the gas flow.
After a slow pack up it was off to Kookynie, another old mining town. A quick look around at some old ruins and abandoned mines saw us at the pub. I’m not sure what it is with this place, but the hosts are not the friendliest people you’ll ever come across, you almost get the impression you’re in their way.
Whats left of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Kookynie
Kookynie Pub and number one son
Who said one arm bandits are illegal in WA?
Unfortunately I don’t think there’s a lot happening in Kookynie apart from tourism, so that probably explains why the place is up for sale. Twice I’ve been there and both times I’ve left without buying anything. It’s a shame as the pub is like a museum for the district and is really interesting.
We set of for Laverton passing some old railway bridges left over from an abandoned railway line between Laverton and Leonora. Lunch was had a Laverton where we were amazed at how green the grass was. Closer inspection showed it wasn’t real lawn but a replacement.
Old railway bridge and my daughter
Laverton lawn
Around this time my wife started to feel off colour so we decided to camp the night in the caravan park in Leonora. After a couple of days in the dust it was nice to have a shower again.
Next morning we headed off but somehow managed to miss Gwalia (bugger), so the next stop was Granite Creek. During breeding season budgies are known to breed here, but this time of the year it’s generally dry and parched and there wasn’t a budgie to be seen.
Granite Creek
The next destination of note was the Snake Hill lookout overlooking Lake Ballard. Lunch was taken amongst the wind and flies before heading down onto the lake to look at the statues.
Snake Hill Lookout
Lake Ballard is your typical dry salt lake but someone has placed a load of statues on the salt flats. The statues are based on the residents of Menzies and have become quite an attraction locally. Quite a bizarre concept.
Lake Ballard statue
Next it was off to Ularring Rock. Earnest Giles visited Ularring in 1875 and was confronted by a group of around 100 odd local aboriginals he later described as the most organised and disciplined group he had ever encountered. A battle followed after which Giles and his men made a strategic withdrawal, but not before erecting a rock cairn at the top of the rock. The cairn is still there today.
Rock cairn built by Earnest Giles on top of Ularring Rock
Ularring Rock has a soak at the base and a well was built to water Cobb and Co horses that passed through there. The well is now covered by some old pieces of corrugated iron, surrounded by a fence.
Ularring Rock well, once used to water Cobb and Co horses
Next stop was Davyhurst another abandoned gold town with little more than an open paddock to show for its former glory. We had hoped to camp here but decided to move onto Rowles Lagoon. The Davyhurst cemetery is a very sad place, with lots of infants buried there including two little brothers aged 5 and 7 who were both killed in an accident.
Davyhurst, a shadow of its former self
A very sad sight at the Davyhurst cemetary
On to Rowles Lagoon just north of Coolgardie we found a nice secluded camp site where we were able to have our first campfire for the trip. Shame it was the last night. Rowles is used by the locals from Kalgoorlie for water skiing and had considerably more water in it than the last time we were there.
Rowles Lagoon campsite
Rowles Lagoon
We packed up the next morning and started the drive back to Perth, stopping briefly at Meckering. Meckering was the site of one of Australia’s largest earthquakes in 1968, measuring 6.9. The whole town was destroyed but no one was killed fortunately, and now after 40 years very little evidence is left apart from some just visible fault lines in paddocks, and a few piles of bricks. A house has been left as it was as a reminder of what happened on that early October morning.
Meckering ruins
All up we did 1920 kms and used 307 litres of fuel towing the trailer. If you get the chance to do the Golden Quest and you’re interested in a bit of history and mining its well worth it. But I’d suggest you get the book that goes with the tour, we didn’t and I couldn’t help but think we were only seeing half of what was out there. It comes with CDs as well.
It was quite hot, being in the mid 30’s and the flies were atrocious, but we all enjoyed ourselves before heading back to face life in the rat race again.
The water tank worked perfectly too, all I have to do is get rid of the horrible taste so we can actually drink from it.
Now to start planning for Rudall River.
ops:
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