Camping with heritage - Karalee & Boondi Rocks - Western Australia

Over the last few weeks or so I have taken you up the Holland Track to Thursday Rock, Cave Rock, Burra Rock, Coolgardie and along the Perth to Kalgoorlie Pipeline. Today we continue our journey, turning westward along the Great Eastern Highway which connects  Perth and Kalgoorlie. 

If you missed my post about the pipeline, you can check it out by clicking here - The need for water on the goldfields

It can be a long drive from Perth to Kalgoorlie,  especially if you are exploring the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail, but there are a couple of great picnic stops and campsites at granite rocks which I recommend you to stop and take a look at between Coolgardie and Yellowdine.  

The rocks are a great opportunity to take a break, explore and learn about the rocks, the goldfields, pipeline and railway and their importance to the development of the interior of Western Australia. 

Karalee, Boondi and Woolgangie Rocks feature rock catchments and dams built in the 1890s to service steam trains travelling between Perth and the Goldfields.

Thousands of years ago Aboriginal people camped at these rocks and collected water from the gnamma holes and soaks.  Early explorers, sandalwood cutters, travellers, prospectors, and supply teams also camped here, as well as construction workers building the railway line in the late 1800s and the Goldfields Water Supply Pipeline in 1902.  

Kilometres of granite slab walls up to a metre high, all cut from the rock and laid by hand surround the enormous rock catchments, directing the rainwater into the dams. It is amazing to see these constructions which were an enormous achievement of both manual labour and horsepower.   

In the mosaic below you can see the rock walls around the base of the rock, the channels through the bush, and the outlet into the dam at Karalee Rock.

 WOOLGANGIE

70 Kilometres west of Coolgardie is the remains of the former Woolgangie telegraph station. The rock catchment and dam was used by travellers on route to the goldfields before the railway line reached Woolgangie in December 1895. During the two months that Woolgangie was the railhead it became one of the busiest towns in Western Australia. During this time the region was gripped by severe drought. 1000 horses were stranded here quickly diminishing the water supply. A heavy thunderstorm on 9 January saved the dire situation. 

All that remains today at Woolgangie is one wall of the telegraph station, and the pipeline, but it is still an interesting stopover for a morning tea or lunch stop.  Sadly we didn't make time to climb up the rock (I wish we had). 

 BOONDI ROCK
7 kilometres west of Woolgangie is Boondi Rock, located in the Goldfields Woodlands National Park.  The day use and camping area, which is managed by WA Department of Environment & Conservation (DEC) is 3km north of the Highway. At Boondi Rock rainwater is directed off the rock into the Boondi dam by way of rock lined channels.  A walk trail takes you over the rock to the quarry and then back through the bush along one of the rock channels. You can see it in the picture below.

KARALEE ROCK

131 kilometres west of Coolgardie is Karalee, my favourite of the rocks along this section.

Karalee was officially gazetted as a water reserve in 1888 and by 1895 around 600 teams and 4,000 horses plying their trade between Southern Cross and Coolgardie regularly stopped here.

When the railway between Southern Cross and Kalgoorlie was completed in 1896 a series of rock walls, an aqueduct and 48.3 million litre dam was constructed at Karalee. Rain water is directed to flow off the rock into the dam via rock walls and a large semi-circular steel flume aqueduct, hand riveted at each joint. The flume has been conserved by the National Trust of Australia (WA) for its heritage value so we can still see it today.  The water was then pumped 3.6 kilometres south to the railway siding. 

Thanks to the National Trust and Southern Cross community, visitors can camp or picnic in the peaceful shady surrounds. Two marked walk trails with interpretive signage start not far from the camp ground and take you through bushland and over a section of rock. You can also walk around the dam wall.  When we camped here the sunset from the rock was magnificent. 

You can see the flume in the images below -

KARALEE & BOONDI CAMPSITES

The shady open campsites at Karalee and Boondi are lightly wooded with salmon gums, eucalypt and mallee trees.  Both are suitable for caravans, camper trailers and tents, although it can be sometimes difficult to hammer in pegs!  

We found that there were a lot of birds around the dam area, making it a great camping place for bird watchers. During spring the surrounding bushland would be ablaze with wildflowers. You may see red fruited quandong trees which were an important food source for Aboriginal people and early settlers. You can see the quandong fruit below.  Isn't that a wonderful sunrise?

One of the things I enjoy about bush camping is the sunsets. Away from the city lights they are amazing - how about this sunset at Karalee Rock......

I hope you have enjoyed the continuation of our tour.  Have you ever seen rock catchments like this in your part of the world? Do you have a favourite bush camping spot?
Have a great week. I look forward to hearing from you.


So how do you get there? -
Karalee Rock – GPS: -31.250561 119.84024 - 5km north of the Great Eastern Highway, 51km east of Southern Cross and 131km west of Coolgardie, on the northern side of the highway.
Boondi Rock – GPS: -31.181156  120.384468 - 3km north of the Great Eastern Highway, 108km east of Southern Cross and 77km west of Coolgardie.
Woolgangie –  GPS: -31.16235 120.55886 – approx 7km east of Boondi Rock on northern side of the Great Eastern Highway.
Facilities: Information boards, echo flushing toilet, hand washing basin, picnic tables and fire rings. Bring own firewood, be aware of fire restrictions and take away rubbish. The camping areas are suitable for caravans, camper trailers and tents. Non potable water.  There is a RV dump at Karalee. 
Wheelchair access: Wheelchair friendly toilet. 
Rates: Free
Pets : Not permitted at Boondi Rocks and not encouraged at Karalee due to wild dog baiting. 

Interested in learning more?  A couple of websites for you to check out - please click on the links -

DEC campgrounds Western Australia
Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail

Valuing heritage

You might also like - 

Camp food and wheatbelt granite outcrops 
Discover gold at Dundas
Camping in the beauty of Western Australia's National Parks

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