Wheatbelt        

Our first strip away in the caravan after it had been repaired was to the Wheatbelt town of Goomalling. Named after the Aboriginal Balardong word for possom, this area used to abound in the Common Brush Tail Possums. Now, however, they have all but disappeared here.

In the last hundred years or so, the landscape has been transformed into an almost uninterrupted expanse of farmers’ huge fields bearing crops of wheat, barley, oat and lupin. No wonder the native animals struggle with loss of habitat!

We camped at the town’s caravan park which boasts an excellent indoor camp kitchen and really clean, tidy ablutions. It’s an easy stroll to the main street from there, past the Lions’ Park and the Pioneer Museum. It wasn’t open but can be on request at the information centre. There’s an old school bus and Konnongorring’s entire school (room) relocated here, about 30km away.

The staff at the information centre were very friendly and helpful, glad of the chat from out-of-towners I think. They said we’d missed the peak season for wild-flowering. Rare orchids grow in the area with several hot spots around the town. That just means we’ll have to come back again another Spring!

The café was highly recommended to us but we had lunch ready back at the caravan. We did a bit of shopping at the well-stocked Village Grocer and cut our thirst with a pint of beer at the Goomalling Tavern.

We did the walk-around looking at the historic buildings, a few murals, the railway station and the Dolly Partons – yes! – Dolly Partons! Goomalling boasts these dome silos, affectionately known as Dolly Twins, and are the only ones of their kind in the Southern Hemisphere. Your best vantage point is on Quinlan Street though you can see them poking up behind the tall trees from the main street, Railway Terrace.

The next day we drove on to Oak Park Reserve for a free camp by the waterhole. This is the largest of the nature reserves around Goomalling and supports a diverse flora and fauna population with an expansive wetlands called Lake Walyormouring. Picnic tables and a drop toilet are the only amenities and you’re allowed to camp for 3 nights.

The biting flies were alive! Despite their best efforts we managed to enjoy the walk trail on the picnic area side of the road. It’s a sandy track that is well signposted with information on what you can see. Trees, bird and animal life and the gnamma holes. These were used and maintained by the original land carers, the Balardong people, who knew the area ‘like the back of their hands!’ I was delighted by the plump tadpoles doing synchronised swimming displays in the clear water.

I found the information on the old school quite interesting. The school had a single teacher (3 in turn) and appeared to cater for 4 families over a period of 7 years. Following an inspection, one teacher was praised for having set her classroom out like a drawing room. I think it probably did double as her drawing room!

With birdwatching always on the mind, I was pleased to capture a good few shots of the bright Red Capped Robin and his family. I also spotted Grey Teals, Willy Wagtails, Australian Ringnecks, Yellow Rumped Thornbills, Chestnut Rumped Thornbills, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Grey Shrike Thrushes, Shelducks, Galahs, Corellas, Ravens and Rufous Whistlers. And then, suddenly something big, black and buzzing, like a huge bee, whizzed past my ear. I grabbed a photo and Google informed me it was a type of Bee Fly. A new one for me!

Westonia made us feel great last time around when it was our first night camping in October 2024 after leaving friends. Westonia made us feel very welcome and relaxed for two nights at its free camp by St Luke’s Church this time, too. Everyone we met on the street and shops said “Hello” with big smiles and often more friendly comments.

There’s a surprising bit to do here but we simply walked around town, enjoyed ice cream and a drink at the Westonia Tavern and rested. There’s a gold mine lookout, several rock formations nearby, wildflowers in season and a swimming pool. The town celebrates its early days with replica shop and services frontages, old vehicles and machinery and information boards.

Keeping a westward direction but off the busy Great Eastern Highway we drove through wheat fields to the Bencubbin area. We had one night at Marshall Rock. Two short walks help you take in the native flora and fauna as well as the vast views across Wheat Belt.

From there, we stopped a night at Wongan Hills in their free camp behind the swimming pool. It’s on old basketball courts and an easy walk into town. And another town we’d like to come back to and explore the surrounding area more, especially in WA’s famous wildflower season!

And then, Woodridge. Back to our starting point and friends. Chapter 2 of travel in Australia finished.

Chapter 3 in planning – what could I be up to next??

Greenhills feels like a long-forgotten town, now a townsite with 3 houses and a grand old Inn. It was the free camping and the excellent online reviews of the Greenhills Inn that drew us here and we did enjoy the campsite and the food.

You can take a walk through the townsite reading the signs telling you what used to be here, like the town oval and school that is now a paddock or the blacksmiths that has been earmarked by a corrugated iron roof – no walls, just the roof!

We did discover Bert Facey and his ‘A Fortunate Life’ (a book we enjoyed and mentioned in earlier blogs) continues to follow us! The picturesque cottage on the main street was used as the police station in the telemovie of the book.

Chatting with a local farmer at the bar, he explained he was the third of four generations to frequent the hotel trying to ensure the business stayed in town. “Otherwise,” he said, “It’s a long way to York for a beer!”

But for us, it was on to York though not necessarily for the beer.

York is an interesting and historically important town in Western Australia. The architecture from early wealthy days has been retained with various businesses trying to tempt the weekend visitors from Perth as well as serve the local community.

The free RV site in York is easy to find and in a great location. It’s on the banks of the Avon River next to the York Croquet Club, where a match was underway when we arrived.

Our first impression was the distinct increase in noise compared to the silence of Greenhills. Not because York is a buzzing metropolis of cars, people and business or even the cheers from the croquet game, but because of the number of birds living on and beside the water. So much squawking, quacking and screeching!

Included in our viewing were spoonbills, egrets, herons, coots, three duck varieties and a zillion white corellas.

We enjoyed York but Greenhills was our favourite spot on this route back into Metro Perth Area.

We had a lovely day out from Woodridge with friends to one of our favourite towns near Perth – Toodyay sitting along the banks of the Avon River.

Lucky for me I got to travel in the side car and what a treat that was attached to a glorious Royal Enfield. First time for me in a sidecar and in splendid scenery through rolling hills a rich golden colour, as the wheat harvest had begun, and through Julimar forest, past small farm holdings and their mini dams. See my video on Instagram.

Toodyay used to be called Newcastle and has been known since a flood and rebuilding by a derivative of the local Aboriginal name Duidgee. The Mill at the Visitor Centre is worth paying to take a look inside. Opposite that is the famous Coca Cola Café which is a very popular quenching spot for motorcycle groups having the day out. It’s for sale too for anyone wanting to try out a new business adventure!

There are several other heritage buildings in town still functioning in one form or another. I giggled at the windows of the Christmas 360 shop which is open all year round and doing excellent business.

The old gaol is an interesting place too. And you cannot come to Toodyay withour being introduced to the infamous Moondyne Joe, a convict, an escape artist and scoundrel. There’s a festival remembering him and his times on the first Sunday in May each year. Read more about him here.

We had planned on lunch at the Freemason’s Hotel, recalling fantastic steaks, but it was closed, presumably for renovations because our second option was the Victoria Hotel which has been refurbished to a very high standard.

I really enjoyed meeting two young locals, Joeys, at the pub. They were soft, gentle and inquisitive, wee fellows. See me with them on Instagram too.

The food was all excellent too: fish and chips, garlic prawns, salt and pepper squid and creamy chicken carbonara. Not all mine I hasten to add. We were a group of 5.

If you get to Perth, take a day trip out to this historic town only 90km from the city.

Named after a ship wrecked on the island just off the coast from the townsite in 1844, Cervantes is only 200km north of Perth. Originally and still a fisherman’s town, it’s also now a touristy town and for good reason.

Nearby is Nambung National Park and the Pinnacles made famous by Billy Connolly’s nude dancing around the limestone pillars which the wind and weather have left standing in the yellow sand like sentinels. It’s an amazing place we’ve been to many times, though we didn’t drop in on this occasion.

On the outskirts of town, there is an easy, flat walk around Lake Thetis to view Stromatolites. They are micro-organisms which resemble some of the oldest living creatures on earth and look like mushrooms of rock. Interpretative signs explain more as you stroll by the shore.

If you continue just past the turn off into the Lake Thetis car park, on a dirt track towards the beach, take the turn-off to the right and climb steps to appreciate the wide, sweeping views across Hansen Bay.

A friend fully recommends the Lobster Shack where you can taste succulent Western Australian crayfish and more. Drive north along Catalonia Street to their car park, saunter past the large, new houses or amble along the sandy beach to get there.

The RAC Caravan Park offers excellent facilities for all weather. The outdoor pool is heated and we watched the steam lift off it as we cooked our dinner in the well-equipped and spacious camp kitchen.

For those seeking simpler camping head east from Cervantes towards the farming town of Badgingarra and stop at Tuarts Reserve Rest Area. A peaceful and free 3-night stopover is possible here, listening to the birds sing and dart among the magnificent trees.

About 80km north of Perth, on the coast, is the little seaside village of Guilderton. The Moor River meets the sea here and for much of the year it is held back by a sandbank that breaches after winter rains and flushes out the brown, tannin-filled waters into the blue ocean.

The area surrounding Guilderton has been the homeland of the Yued people for thousands of years with the townsite gazetted in 1951. It was named after the Dutch ‘guilder’ coins found here following a shipwreck further up the coast. You can find out more about the history from the local visitor's website.  

Guilderton is a popular day trip out for Perthites with lots of recreational options. Sand dunes on the bank opposite the townsite give ample opportunity for sandboarding and can be accessed by kayaking or swimming. There are several free BBQs and a large grassed area with picnic benches dotted around. The shallow waters are ideal for young families and fishing off the beach attracts all ages.

There are cruises up the river, when the water levels allow. We enjoyed a twilight cruise with a glass of wine and listened to the informative captain/guide explain some of the history and environmental information.

It has several holiday letting properties and the well-maintained Guilderton Holiday Park for campers. The caravan park nestles behind the tall, grass-covered sand dunes on top of which is a viewpoint across the township and out across the Indian Ocean. This all makes Guilderton a fabulous stop for tourers exploring the wider coastal area and inland towards Gingin. Another wee gem outside of Perth!