This tour extends eastwards from The Lakes Roadhouse via the Great Southern Hwy, West Talbot Rd and a series of fenceline firebreaks to the rural road network in the locality of Dale within the Shire of Beverley. From there it trends northwards through some of this State’s most picturesque farming countryside, past the Avondale Agricultural Research Station to historic St Ronans Well on the Great Southern Hwy before returning to The Lakes. The route circles between the headwaters of Christopher Brook and the Dale River before following the valleys of the Dale and Avon rivers. The fenceline firebreaks alternate between sandplain country with a rich diversity of wildflowers and park-like stands of wandoo in laterite country with interesting granite outcrops surfacing occasionally. Grand outlooks over rolling farmlands can be had from every high spot and the rounded granite tors and buttresses such as Mt Cole, easily recognisable by the seemingly vertical stripe of its summit access track, Bald Hill and the antenna-topped Mt Bakewell add much variety to the vistas. (And no, you won’t be driving up these hills as they’re all on private property.) While it’s a pleasant springtime tour rather than a 4WD challenge, this trip is eminently suitable for the soft-roader contingent.