What a gem. Not for the facilities available: it’s a conservation area so no ablution blocks, no water, no rubbish bins. Just grsded gravel sites in the Miners Campground. If you love history, beautiful surrounds, and sunsets, you’ll love this.
Absolute peace and quiet. No traffic noises, 34 kilometres from the nearest shops, and not many of those when you do get there.
Mingenew is the nearest town. It has a dump point, tap where you can fill up with water, reasonably priced fuel (we’re in the country now so don’t expect city prices), bottle gas refills, a pub, and the best pastrychef bakery shop we’ve been to in weeks.
Nothing to do here apart from read a good book, go for walks along budh trails, and fossick along the river bed. You will see the original coal seams, here rudimentary mining started in 1878, but it wasn’t a deep mine site, rather following the seams throughout the rock face, and it wasn’t very cost efficient nor profitable.
The park is one of Western Australia’s top wildflower hotspots, particularly from August to October after winter rains. It features dazzling carpets of everlastings (yellow, pink, white, and purple), along with banksias, hakeas, grevilleas, and other native species.
We were here in May for a few days – we came out for one night and kept extending. Too early for wildflowers, but pictures show a magnificent display of colours and species in August through to October.
The further north you go, the earlier start to the season.
Dongara and Port Denison are about 90 kms away, both on the blacktop. Care still needs to be taken on the roads, as there are frequent double and triple road trains roaring through, at all hours.
We’d imagine in seeding and harvest seasons it would be non-stop trucks out here.
The whole countryside is magnificent at this time, with farmers beginning their seeding of crops. Colours of the fields vary from dark brown or beige, which will soon turn into lush green paddocks as far as the eye can see.
Travel, either drive or a looong hike, up to Irwin Lookout, to get the history of the earth’s crust, and of birds and wildlife in the area. When we were on the way back to the car, we played dodgem with a couple of young grey kangaroos.
Along the riverbed, the land surface was greatly reduced, and you can see the red laterite on the top of the hills, the Victoria Plateau. In a good rain season, the rivers can reach a flood level of 20 metres, making it impossible to get to the campgrounds and beyond.
Usually we try and stay in quiet campgrounds for a couple of days but this time it’s been a little longer. Gorgeous.
After all, there’s no rush, no appointments to meet. The key is to enjoy life and take our time.
Have you been here? What did you think?
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