When travelling, many people like to make a round trip – create a loop and see much more. So if you have decided that this is the year of the great Aussie road trip, then we have a suggestion if you are leaving from Perth. Take the coast road to Karijini National Park, then through Tom Price, Newman or even further north, heading home down the Great Northern Highway. Well, of course you could do it the other way around! For lots more detail check this out: www.minerspathway.com
Along the way you can get to experience some absolutely amazing sights in towns and locations with unique historical, geological and financial contribution to Western Australia. It doesn’t have to be a straight road, remember you’re on holiday and this is not a race! In many locations you will be able to search for gold; we know that good sized gold nuggets are still being found. There are courtesies and laws, check it out on www.dmp.wa.gov.au
Perhaps start with The Pinnacles, make your way to New Norcia, on to Geraldton – port head for agricultural and mining products, Kalbarri for stunning natural beauty, Carnarvon for its space museum honouring our collaboration and links to the American space race. You won’t want to miss Ningaloo Reef and swim with the whale sharks; an event you’ll remember for life. You could follow the Kingsford Smith mail run, (which wasn’t made by plane), wonder at the legends of the old shearers on the Wool Wagon Pathway through huge spinifex-filled paddocks (bigger than some small countries) or experience the Miners’ Pathway through Payne’s Find.
Go on to Yalgoo, Mount Magnet where there is a very interesting mining museum, Sandstone, Cue where the Shire office has a priceless collection of photographs of the town history and where the old bank always used to store a ton of gold and you can see the only two-storey tin Lodge building in the world, Meekatharra and beyond. Every little town has a story to share. An interesting, hands-on education about our local history awaits you as you travel up the North West Coastal Highway and down the Great Northern Highway!
Vary your accommodation – enjoy the peace of a former abbey at New Norcia, any number of family run station stays, camping grounds of varying sizes and standard of amenities, guest houses like ours, Queen of the Murchison, Cue, quirky outback pubs frequented by miners or just find a shady spot by a billabong on the way. Whatever you do – make sure part of your journey is on the Great Northern Highway.
Image courtesy of www.australiasgoldenoutback.com.