Gwalia WA

Travelled: 172km via the Golden Quest Discovery Trail from Lake Ballard to Leonora/Gwalia RV park, Western Australia

After a very quiet night and the coldest morning so far (2.5°c inside van) we packed up and set off along the Golden Quest Discovery Trail to Leonora. The gravel road was 90% good condition allow us to travel at approximately 80km per hour. Our first stop was at Snake Hill  just 1km on and looked out on Lake Ballard.

We continued on to Copperfield, an abandoned gold mine.

Along the way we saw lots of evidence of animal presence, and after asking google, appears it could be camel or donkey poo! But alas we didn’t see them. We did spot an emu and some cattle tho.

We stopped again at Granite Creek which had a little water. Red Gums grow along the waterway which attracts budgerigars. Unfortunately we didn’t see any.

We eventually reach Leonora, another gold mining town, which has become a service centre for the surrounding mines.

The closest being Gwalia (Welsh name for Wales). We parked up in the RV area and went off to explore.

We started with a visit to the museum. The mine operated from 1896 to 1963. It then reopened in 1983 and became an open cut mine.

Herbert Hoover (31st President of the USA) was appointed as mine manager in 1897.  He designed the Managers House.

The mine had the largest timber incline headframe in Australia.

One of only three Fraser & Chalmers winder engines in the world.

We looked out at the open cut mine.

We then went to visit the unique heritage town site, known as the Ghost town. Which incorporates numerous buildings that were restored during 1995 and again in 2013. We walked in and around miners’ cottages of yesteryear giving us an insight of their living conditions.