Blue Arsed Fly: Exploring Leonora to Mintaro

This is the latest installment in Bruce and Elaine’s journey around Southern Western Australia. See their previous update to learn about their adventures so far.

Overall, the drive from Geraldton to Leinster is through the outback and the scenery is the same all the way, fairly flat with scrubby mulga and red sand. But as it had rained few days earlier there were wildflowers all the way along the roadside, mainly pink and purple bushes.

The next town was Leonora, same old scenery but there was something knew, quite a few mines on the way. Leonora CP $30 p/n, level gravel sites, amenities ok. About the only thing to do is drive 3 k’s sth to the old gold mining town of Gwalia where you can walk around the houses that are there. In 1963 the place was abandoned over night when the mine closed down due to an accident. The open pit gold mine is now going again and there is a museum where Herbert Hoover (American President) was once the mine manager. It is $10 pp ($8 for the oldies) to go in and it is well worth the money.

Menzies was the next place on the way to Kalgoorlie for an overnight stay at the CP $27 p/n with level gravel sties and good amenities. Again there are drives that go for lots of kilometres if you are so inclined.

Our stay in Kalgoorlie was for 5 days, what I didn’t realise was the week we were there was the week of 3 race meets with the Kalgoorlie cup on the W/E. We were lucky to get a site at the Prospector CP on the main Hwy, $42 p/n with seniors discount, level gravel sites amenities good. There is a lot to see and do in this place and my advice is to go directly to the Tourist Bureau in the main street and find out what and where to go. There are two lookouts, the one overlooking the super pit an open cut mine and it is a very deep pit and the one overlooking the town, a mine museum and a tourist mine you can go down. The only tourist drive we went on was to have lunch at the historic Ora Banda Inn about 100 clicks to the north, all but about 10 k’s is sealed. Then we drove onto to Coolgardie which is almost all unsealed but a 2wd could easily do it.

Then south we went to cross the Nullabor again, we stayed at the Fraser Range Station about 100km’s east of Norseman, $30p/n with power and water and costs $1 for 5 mins to have a shower. They have cooked meals at the camp kitchen $25 pp. There is no tv w/o a dish, no communications but they have a satellite pay phone or computer connection. We stayed 2 days and I think that was too long, they have a sunset tour in a 4wd tank (bus) if you want to partake but for the disabled it would be exceedingly difficult to get in the bus. I think you can drive around the station and I would advise you to notify them first before heading out into the scrub. Then across the Nullabor we went stopping o/n at Eucla Motel/C/P $25p/n electricity but no water and you pay $1 for 5 mins for a shower. Drove to Ceduna for an o/n stay, luckily we were already here when the big winds hit and it was the strongest winds we’ve experienced in the van, it felt like the van was about to take off. Onto Port Augusta and stayed 2 days at the Big 4 C/P.

Then on to Wilmington of the other side of the Flinders Ranges and it’s like another world, the west side on Spencers Gulf is dry, salt bush and red sand. On the Eastern side it is green grass, lush forest with tall gum trees. Stayed at the Beautiful Valley C/P $125 p/n and believe me it is far from beautiful, park where you like on fairly level gravel sites, amenities are good. Wilmington may have about 100 residents but also has 2 million flies per person. You can do several long or short drives, a must see is Alligator Gorge, the road is opposite the C/P and is about 13 k’s on a made road, look out for very big red roos when you get into the park.. Don’t take your van because there are steep hills, and plenty of dips and no where to park your van. It costs $8 for seniors car to get in and take your walking shoes with you. The C/P has only analogue TV and you aim your aerial at the owner’s house to get 4 channels.

85 k’s next day to Gladstone a small C/P $22 p/n with level gravel sites and good but small amenities, nothing much going on in the town, good for an o/n stay. Clare was different, one C/P, a TT park on the hwy $35 p/n w/o discount with very good amenities. This was holiday time in SA so I booked ahead and was glad I did because the park was booked out, even the cabins were all taken. There is a lot to see around Clare especially if you partake in plonk, many, many vineyards here. A must see is the old Martindale house, you don’t have to go to Europe to see a manor house, there is one such edifice here from the squatter days, you can even stay there. A few scenic drives and old towns like Mintaro which is on the way to Martindale House. Stop there and walk around, have a meal in the Magpie & Stump pub if it is open or the café, last time we were here we had a Devonshire tea at the café, it is worth the time to look around. There is also a few lookouts if you are inclined to walk a few metres or so….

To be continued…

Image: Spinning Things