This is a trip with a lot of driving in it for a weekend, around 787km, but most of the roads are well maintained and, if you take off on Friday afternoon and stay at Southern Cross overnight, as Nick and I did, or even Yellowdine it becomes easily achievable over the remaining two-day break. The route takes in the early gold mining centre of Southern Cross at the edge of the wheat belt, Yellowdine Rock further East and its former railway dams, a lonely granite dome out in the bush called Condarnin, and the fascinating abandoned settlement at Mount Palmer. You’ll return via Marvel Loch, Frog Rock, and Jilbadgie Rocks. We chose to camp at the latter spot on the Saturday night but there are many other options. Most of the wheatbelt can be recrossed following the old Goldfields Road, the same track used by the wheelbarrow pushers of Western Australia’s fabulous goldrush years. The Goldfields Road also approximates the route pioneered by that indefatigable explorer of the 1860s, Charles Cooke Hunt. The trip notes will guide you to several of his watering places and other wells used by settlers, travellers and teamsters on the original road to our eastern goldfields. Coming home by this route on a drowsy December Sunday some years ago, Nick and I passed only four vehicles between Jilbadgie Rocks and York. If you run out of time on the return journey, it’s easy to regain the highway from practically any of the crossroads you encounter. After Youndegin and York on the Goldfields Road, it’s an easy drive through the hills to Perth. No fuel is available on the trip noted route between Yellowdine and York, but short detours will get you to roadhouses in Merredin, Kellerberrin or Tammin should you need to refuel along the way.

 

Please note that you can purchase this and 17 more great day trips out of Perth in 4WD Weekends out of Perth