Holland Track (Oct ’11)

The Queens Birthday public holiday is declared by Western Australia to fall on a different day as when it is celebrated by the rest of the Australian States and Territories. Just to further confuse the general public, in 2011 and in honour of the Queens physical presence in WA at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the date of the Queen’s Birthday public holiday was changed from Monday 3 October to Friday 28 October 2011.

This change happened after this weekend was planned…and so we stuck to the plan.

Much has been written about the Holland Track. Some of it is even true.

We’ve previously seen the southern end of the track near Hyden…it was…uninspiring. The northern end at Coolgardie was different(?), promising woodlands, and attracted us to do the track.

One vehicle in the party set out on Friday, going counter clockwise via Hyden, while the other two set out from Perth on Saturday via the Great Eastern Highway with the intention (surprisingly successful) to meet up at Victoria Rock on the Sat evening.

Sunday was spent on the Holland Track, which we travelled from its start/end on the Victoria Rock Rd to the crossing with the Barker Mount-Day Rd (thought to be a major road…which it is NOT) and where we turned NW towards Marvel Lock with the intention of overnighting at the old Mt Palmer mine site.

Four pm struck while we were still in the Jilbadji Nature Reserve where the “rules of travel” came into synergy with “sundowner hour”.

Sunday saw us continuing onwards via disused mine haul roads and “Closed Roads” to the Palmers Find mine site and then on to Yellowdine. The promise of some interesting exploration around the old mine sites (plenty around this spot) will bring us back to this area.

Holland Track - Eastern End Landscape

Holland Track - Mid Section Landscape

Barker Mount-Day Rd

 

Highly intelligent fauna

We may even get a group photo to publish…hey Michael?

We will remember:

• Many, many wild flowers
• Shortcuts…
• Good company
• Tips for very practical cooking utensils
• Not to touch hot stuff
• Early morning birdsong

oooOOOooo