Oct 1-7

1st October Sunday
Week 24
This morning we left Kalgoorlie and continued onto Menzies, which was a further 100 kms, and it was here at Menzies we stopped for an early lunch before walking across the road to view a disused roadhouse. The fuel pumps are now automated and can still be used by travellers, so whilst here we took photos of this unique roadhouse covered in number plates and signs.
Menzies is a town in the Goldfields- Esperance region of WA. Gold was discovered in the area in 1894 and it was a rich gold find- so much so the mining warden declared a townsite be declared in 1895. Railways, breweries and land sales boomed across the town pushing the population to 10,000 in 1900 and boasted thirteen hotels.
The gold rush lasted for about 10 years and by 1905 most of the miners had left town to try their luck elsewhere. By 1910 the population of the town had declined to less than 1,000.

Gold mining continues in and around Menzies to today. Population today is less than 100 however as mines open and close this number fluctuates.

We continued out further to Gwalia that was over 100kms from Menzies (233 kms north of Kalgoorlie) in the Leonora Shire. Gwalia is a former gold mining town and is a living ghost town boasting a re- furbished museum of past icons and is a doorway to a unique past.
Gwalia is a real gem from the gold mining era, with a huge open cut mine, Gwalia State Hotel, the old mines cottages and other commercial buildings left by residents in December 1963, when the Gwalia Gold mine closed. At the time it was the sixth largest gold mine in Australia’s history and one of only two mines outside Kalgoorlie-Boulders’ ‘Golden Mile’ to produce over two million ounces of gold.
Despite new facilities that were introduced and support from the State Government it was announced that the mine would close on New Year’s Eve. The population of Leonora and Gwalia was about 1,700 at the time and a mass exodus to work on other mines began.
On January 17th, 1964 Gwalia’s population plummeted to only 40 residents. Today the town still has small population of around 15-20.
One main attraction at Gwalia is Hoover House, now a guest house originally built in 1898 as a home for the mine manager.
This afternoon we walked through the display and took many photos of which I have posted here.
We are staying the night in the ‘ghost town’ of Gwalia.





2nd October Monday

Leaving Gwalia this morning but will take a walk around and view the very old corrugated iron huts that once housed the miners in bygone years. On our walk around, we met a young boy who resides here and was happy to show me all the relics and knew so much about some history for someone only 8 years old.

The next town was Leonora with more amenities, a school, pharmacy, information centre and other basic shops. Before we continued out of Leonora we checked road conditions for our next trek and decided to take the 150kms on dirt to Lake Ballard.
The road was good although as a precaution we let air out of all the tyres in case conditions got worse. We drive past salt lakes with very little animal life, although we did find a small fresh water lagoon where cows were visible.
Lake Raeside the remnants of a 65-million-year-old river system, that still flows when heavy rain falls. It was flowing today as the area had rain a week ago.
We had lunch at Granite Rock where a few other people were enjoying the view over Lake Ballard, where we will be going next.

Lake Ballard is a 10 sqm Salt Lake 50kms from Menzies and 180 kms from Kalgoorlie. Often described as a place in the middle of nowhere.
51 metal sculptures using local and aboriginal people as models were displayed across the Salt Lake as far as you could see.
Today we started our viewing with Billy in the lead, running off in the distance at quite a pace. We thought he may believe this was the beach and water was in the distance……
The temperature was hovering in the 30’s as we walked out across the crispy sand, and as the crust gave way the clay underneath was slippery as ice, leaving footprints of where we have been.
We only viewed three sculptures before walking back to the car due to the heat, and decided if it was a cooler day or much later in the afternoon we would have walked further.
So from Lake Ballard we decide we will drive back to Kalgoorlie for the night which is only about an hour and half and arrive by after 5.30 pm.

3rd October Tuesday
Early start from Kalgoorlie RV rest area as we have a fair few things to do in town.
Our plan today is to head towards Norseman taking the 160km Hyden dirt road. Just for a bit of trivia for those reading this, we were on this road 15 years ago (2002) and we were driving an 80 Series Landcruiser towing our then 2-year-old camper tailer. Our children were 10 and 8 and excited to go on a huge journey across to the East West corner. We went via the Great Ocean road then the Eyre Peninsula, Nullarbor, Hyden across to Perth.
As our journey progressed today along this dusty well-worn road we pass a walker pushing a trolley with all his possessions on board. We wave and drive past leaving him to continue his slow journey to wherever his feet take him.
We momentarily let a triple road train go past us and we had a chat on the HF, found that he travels this road constantly and no issues with road conditions in the dry. As he puts it “the first 200kms are good-the last 50kms get ordinary if it rains”.
The afternoon stayed overcast with light rain as we drove into The Breakaways camp ground. There were maybe three other people camping in different areas here, and at 10 degrees it was very cold.


4th October Wednesday
A very quiet night here at The Breakaways and slight rain this morning as we woke up. Still very cold at 10 degrees especially with the wind.

After breakfast we took a few photos of the area before leaving and continued back on the dirt road towards Wave Rock and Hippos Yawn.
As we enter the carpark for Wave Rock we remembered there  are fees to view the rock, so we park in a back carpark near Hippos Yawn take some photos then walk the 1.4kms to Wave rock.
A lot of other people walking this track as is a lost dog so we continue along the track until reaching Wave rock, looks just like it did in 2002.

After Wave Rock we only have 7kms to Hyden which is a very small town where we stop for lunch. There was an interesting section of art sculptures here to view at Hyden as well, so Sue took some pics.

We continued out of Hyden and decided to follow The Tin highway, and as the name suggests there were displays of horses made from tin barrels and all odds and ends of other materials set up in paddocks.

Tonight, we are staying in the town of Kulin which is a 72-hour rest area for travellers, the town has good reviews for food and welcomes everybody to stay.
It is so very cold tonight we have had to find all our warm jackets again.



5th October Thursday
After a look around Kulin this morning we plan to drive to Corrigin which is about 100 kms and we have a lot to see in that town.
Corrigin is 235 km south-west of Perth, on the Brookton highway. Situated in the Central Wheatbelt passing through Jarrah, Marri and Wandoo forests then the landscape changes into golden Wheatland, sheep and cattle farms.
Corrigin was widely known as a town of windmills due to the abundant supply of ground water. Almost every home had a windmill until 1960 when the town was supplied with scheme water.

Our first drive starts at the Corrigin Dog cemetery which came about by a local man who asked of a place to bury his dog. He then built a tombstone and from then, he cared for other dog grave sites that followed thereafter.

On the other side of the road is a 4km drive that has hundreds of different plants and shrubs and we took our time taking photos.


Cone flower- Isopogon
Little Balga-Xanthorrhoea
Dampiera lavandulacea

As we were very busy getting in and out of the car to take these photos, we realised when we had reached the lookout the camera lens cover was missing. We decided to go back on this 4kms dirt track and hope that we find it…. miracles do happen. The unfortunate thing was a tour bus followed us and then another car so our chances of finding it were very slim if at all. So off we go retracing our tyre tracks and remembering where we may have stopped to take photos and if it had fallen out the door, in the shrubs or where.! Looking on the sandy tracks and edges was becoming almost impossible but we kept going.
Sue remembered a particular plant that she had asked me to take on the camera so we stopped and searched that area, no luck right there but Sue walked back to the driver’s side and down on the track in the exact spot we stopped there it was…. covered in sand and we think had been run over but not broken. We were relieved to say the least and couldn’t believe we found it 😊
It was way past lunch time so that was next on the agenda and trying to find TV reception in all these small towns along the way was impossible, we also think we have a broken TV cable. We continue to a town of Beverley which was between York and Brookton to try TV but no luck. Lunch and move on and decided may as well head for York as we know it works.
Okay, the RV sites are full as we reach York and only one spot left so we take it and set up. Russell tries the TV and no luck, next decision we need a ladder, we don’t have a ladder neither does anyone else here. Next attempt is the local hardware and with 30 mins until closing a brisk 4-minute walk and Russell is back carrying a ladder that doesn’t open out but all good as we can still access the roof of the van.
So, preparation is the key and with no time to waste we have the ladder, soft mats to protect the sides of van, table, pliers, insulation tape and cutters, Russell climbs the ladder while Sue becomes the apprentice and secures the safety side of things. Ten minutes until hardware closes and the pressure is on to see what the problem is, and it’s not good. The aerial cable is broken we can’t really fix it so can’t watch The Block tonight ☹.
So Russell takes the ladder back to the hardware and returns frustrated, so we decide tomorrow we will drive to Northam which is only 24 kms away, and pick up what we need to hopefully repair TV.





6th October Friday
This morning we drive to Northam with a plan to fix the TV aerial and find what we need.
Russell purchases some coax cable and borrows a ladder and has it repaired in under half an hour at a low cost of $10.

Sue heads off to the shops after all is cleaned up and put away before we drive to our stop for tonight.


7th October Saturday
This morning we head back into York for the weekend so Russell can enjoy the Bathurst motor racing on TV, and Sue takes time out to continue with the photobook of this trip. Billy is relaxing on his bed and happy with the cool breeze brrrrrrrrr.
Very overcast and cold day in York so all the jumpers and jeans were needed as the wind just went straight through you.