Explore Helena Aurora Range, Lake Ballard, and the Goldfields (Golden Quest Discovery Trail). 8 Days

Join Dave on an 8 day Camping Adventure to the Helena Aurora Range, Baladjie Rock, Lake Ballard and the Goldfields, along the Golden Quest Discovery Trail.

These four diverse regions of WA offer a combination of remote, rugged beauty, tranquility amongst cultural significant landscapes, reflections (and Bronze sculptures!) in vast salt lakes all the way to the horizon, and history dating back the Gold Rush of the late 1800’s.

Sensational views from the top of the Helena Aurora Range over the Greater Woodlands (160 000 Sq km’s of Salmon Gum Trees). 4WD further into the outback, north of the Helena Aurora Ranges to Lake Ballard, a photographer’s paradise, camping next to this huge salt lake. Then into the Goldfields to view the Old Ghost Town of Sons of Gwalia. The mine is still in operation today.

This is truely a unique opportunity to explore Helena and Aurora Range which is soon to become our next National Park.  We camp 1x night at Baladjie Rock just North of Merridan on our way to Helena Aurora Range, via Southern Cross. 2x nights camping at Helena Aurora Range. If our participants have a PREFERENCE to travel to Beeringbooding Rock and camp at Elachbutting Rock then we can change the Itinerary to just make Baladjie Rock a sightseeing stop and not a campsite. Discuss this option with David.

Helena and Aurora Range is only 488 km’s East of Perth and part of a rugged, remote, woodlands Landscape. Bring your trekking shoes so we can walk along the ridge and take lots of panoramic pictures of this impressive woodlands. Bring warm clothing and your favourite bottle of wine to enjoy around our cosy campfire. A great place to get away from the crowds and become a totally independent camper. Click on this link to find out more on this little known area of Western Australia.
https://www.helenaaurorarange.com.au/

On our first night camping at Baladjie Rock learn of the Aboriginal cultural significance of this area and trek to the top for a great view over the landscape. You won’t be disappointed!

Merredin is the main Agricultural hub in the Central Wheatbelt, roughly midway between Perth and Kalgoorlie, on Route 94, Great Eastern Highway.  The town’s name is derived from the Aboriginal word “merrit-in” the place of the merrit tree, a eucalypt used to make spears.

Westonia is small, charming, mine town, rich in history, with a terrific Museum and coffee shop. Ideal for a lunch stop on the way to Baladjie Rock.

The Sculptures on Lake Ballard. The artist and Turner Prize winner Antony Gormley installed 51 metal sculptures over an area of 10 square kilometres (4 sq mi) on the bed of the lake. Each sculpture represented a local resident of Menzies, derived from the laser scans of the town’s residents. This Lake is 50Kms long by 20Kms wide offering amazing reflections of these sculptures, all the way to the horizon. Take the opportunity to walk out to the sculptures in what is very shallow salt water, and watch the colour of the lake change over the course of the day. 

Gwalia Ghost Town and Museum. A real gem from the gold mining era is Gwalia Museum, one of the most fascinating places in the Western Australian Northern Goldfields. Its main points of interest include the magnificent Gwalia State Hotel, a large open cut mine, the old miners’ cottages and other commercial buildings, left by residents in December 1963 when the Sons of Gwalia Gold mine closed. A very special attraction is Hoover House, now a guest house, but originally built in 1898 as a home for the mine manager. Herbert Hoover, who commissioned the house was later to become 31st President of the United States of America. Hoover designed the Oregon head-frame, now a landmark at the Museum, it is believed to be the only wooden incline head-frame left in Australia. 

Niagara Dam (our campsite) was Constructed by the Railways Department in 1897 – 1898. The intention was that the dam would provide plentiful fresh water for the locomotives that would soon be steaming along the new railway linking Kalgoorlie with Malcolm. Such a time was not to come, however for over a century this oasis in the wilderness has provided a picnic, swimming and camping spot for visitors and locals alike. The dam took its name from the nearby town of Niagara, which was booming at the time of the dam’s construction.

Rowles Lagoon (our campsite). Located approximately 70 kilometres north of Coolgardie, Rowles Lagoon is a set of semi-permanent lakes measuring almost two-kilometres across, providing watersports enthusiasts with a unique camping experience in the desert.

Karalee Dam (our campsite) is a natural rock formation that was adapted to maximise the catchment, delivery and storage of rainwater which was essential to railway development in the Goldfields region. This spectacular natural reservoir is now a popular picnic spot and was listed on the State’s Register of Heritage Places in 2001. The site includes a large camping ground with fire pits for cooking.

Helena and Aurora Range is a special place in the Greater Western Woodlands –