Australian_Traveller-May.June.July_2019

AdventureintoWesternAustralia’sRUGGEDOUTBACK.

Road to the rock

Findoutmoreataustraliasgoldenoutback.com

THROUGHTHEHEARTofWA,there’s
aself-driveadventurelikefewothersinthe
world.Windyourway1,000kilometres
northofPerthandyou’llfindyourselfface-
to-facewithMountAugustus,theworld’s
biggestrock.Anepicroadtripbestdone
overatleastninedaystogiveyoumaximum
enjoymentoftheamazingsightsalongthe
way,itbeginsasyoustrikeoutfromPerth
towardMountMagnet,viarollingcanola
fields,tinyoutbacktownsandheapsof
Aussiecharisma.
Nextyou’llhitCueandits
surroundingnaturalattractions
likeTheGranites–astrikingset
ofrockyoutcropsreaching 15
metreshighthatarehometo
Aboriginalrockartdatingback
9,000years.Asiteofgreatcultural
significancetotheBadimia
people,it’sespeciallybeautifulat
sunrise,whenyou’remostlikely
tospotashykangarooamongst
theboulders.

Yournexthighlightcomesinthefamiliar

formofWalgaRock;atnearlytwokilometres

inlength,it’samazinglysimilartoUluru,and

isAustralia’ssecond-largestmonolithafterits

morefamouscousin.Asiteofsignificancefor

theWadjaripeople,therockhidesanancient

galleryofAboriginalrockpaintings–the

largestinWA.

ThemainattractionontheRoadtothe

Rockis,ofcourse,MountAugustusitself.

At1.7billionyearsold,it’sthreetimesolder

thanUluruandtwiceitssize.Youcanhike

toitspeak,enjoythemanywalkingtrails

aroundthebaseorswiminthecooling

watersofnearbyCattlePool.

OnthewaybacktoPerth,besuretocheck

outtheKennedyRangeNationalPark.Ifit’s

spring,prepareyourcamera:theroadhere

trackswesttowardsthecoastline,andasyou

traversethecontinentitsfamouswildflowers

beginappearinginthickclumps,sometimes

evenscatteredincarpetsofyellow,white,

purpleandred.Toseemoreofthefamous

wildflowercarpets,stopinatCoalseam

ConservationPark,ashelteredvalleywhose

mineral-richsoilshavecreatedidealconditions

forthearea’snativeeverlastings,whichbloom

hereincarpetssothicklyknottedit’snighon

impossibletoseethegroundbeneath.

In partnership with Australia’s Golden Outback

CLOCKWISE

FROMTOP:Sunset

overMountAugustus;

CanoeingonWooleen

Lakeintheremote

GascoyneMurchison

regionofAustralia’s

GoldenOutback;

WA’swildflower

seasonisfamous

throughoutthecountry.