If you want to get away from the never ending caravanning crowds and congested parks, there’s really a simple solution. Head a couple hundred kilometres in land.
For example, that’s what the Wool Wagon Pathway offers. You won’t necessarily end up like the poor vehicle in the above photo, but it may be just one of many different sites and experiences you’ll have off the road less travelled….
The Wool Wagon Pathway is an outback road in Western Australia connecting cattle and pastoralist stations from below the Pilbara down through to the wheatbelt. Over twelve hundred kilometres, twice the distance of the Gibb River Road. It may be a gravel road, but by comparison it’s in excellent condition. (PS … let’s keep this to ourselves…. if this gets out these roads will end up being corrugated just like the Gibb!!)
The thing is, you won’t have the ever popular coastal views, but you will certainly have something else very special. An outback experience. And it will be almost to yourself. Instead of sea views with thousands of others, it will be more of what makes Downunder here unique. With at the most just a few others, camping on the banks of massive rivers surrounded by clusters of towering white gum trees. The rivers will typically be dry, but that doesn’t stop being in awe of their sheer size, imagining the power of the water filling these huge chasms when in flood.
Being able to enjoy the charm of a campfire at night… even if it’s not that cold. Enjoying the freedom of a shower under the stars or even a touch of moonbaking on a balmy night! Then smelling the freshly baking damper for breakfast in the hot coals from the night before.
Experiencing a stay at a cattle station and enjoying a unique wood heated hot water shower under the stars.
Taking a detour en route to the biggest monolith rock in the world, Mt Augustus, twice the size of Uluru. But I must admit, while it’s big, I can see why Uluru is the golden child rock. If you didn’t know WA’s version of a big rock was actually a rock, you could be excused for thinking it was just another small mountain range. But still, definitely a must visit rock!
Then there’s the wildflowers. Dotted everywhere along the road. Purples, pinks, red, yellow. However, it is after you discover the wreath flowers further south at the tail end of the pathway, can you not be truly amazed. As if nature laid a couple hundred metres of wreaths on each side of the road in respect of….. well someone?
Of course, heading closer to civilisation, the totally yummy pies at Mingenew bakery…. they’re definitely worth stopping for! And a country pub to enjoy an evening dinner at Three Springs.
But it’s the onset of the cooler temperature and having to walk back from the pub in the rain when the realisation sets in that our journey is near an end.
Having the pleasure of also catching up with family and great friends along the way, it’s more than caked on red dust we bring home, but an enriched out back experience.
Hey and special thanks to you Bronny for being a part of our Aussie Senior Gap Year adventure. It’s been so much fun sharing it with you….
And to you reading this, thank you also for being a part of our journey. I love sharing it with you. We’ll be back. Stay tuned. We so look forward to you joining us on our next adventure!
Unique Wreath Flowers in WA – in fact amazing!
There’s even beauty to be found camping in a Gravel Pit!