Brunonia australis Native Cornflower Archives

Datjoin Rock

Datjoin Rock and Well Reserve, 18km east of Beacon in North East Wheatbelt is a natural attraction, a popular picnic and free camping spot. It is home to some interesting rock formations which are quite picturesque. During the months of spring the reserve is full of beautiful wildflowers. At the time we visited, there were mostly everlastings. Orchids do grow there too, but they finished blooming earlier, and we missed them by a couple of weeks or so (we visited this place end of September). Datjoin Rock is part of Wheatbelt Way self-drive.

Carpets of everlastings (above left), Brunonia australis Native Cornflower (above middle), Waitzia acuminata orange immortelle (above right).

Camping at Datjoin Rock reserve

Camping is allowed at the Datjoin Rock Reserve, near the well. There are no facilities, so you would need to be self-sufficient and take all rubbish with you. As with most Wheatbelt places, cooler months are the best for camping. During the months of April and September you can have camp fire there.

Location

To get to Datjoin Rock reserve, travel from Beacon for 18km eastward on Burakin/Wialki road. There is a narrow track entrance on the left. This track is suitable for for 2WDs but it is too narrow for caravans. There is another entrance to the actual rock 2km further eastwards on Clark Road, on the left, at the top of the rise. This second area is a narrow 4WD track only. We found the main Datjoin Rock and well reserve to be picturesque enough. So, if you get lost looking for the second entrance to the actual rock, you won’t miss much, as the Rock reserve has everything you need, including camping area.

Elachbutting rock

Elachbutting Rock is one of the more popular rocks in Eastern Wheatbelt. It is located 70 km northeast of Mukinbudin, (the nearest town). While not as big as Wave Rock, it is still quite big and has features similar to Wave Rock.

While it looks like Wave Rock, it is not.

The name Elachbutting means “big thing standing” for its sheer size, making it a prominent landmark with sweeping views from the top.

Campground

There is a large picnic and free camping area (suitable for at least 50-60 vehicles) with toilet and picnic tables.

The view of the camping area from Elachbutting Rock

Not far away from the camping area, there is an old well established by early settlers to provide them with drinking water (which is not drinkable now).

The gravel track around the rock is 6km long (which shows how big the rock is) with the camp area on one side and the wave rock formations on the other side. Nearby is Monty’s Pass, a 30m tunnel, caused by a rockslide.

Next to Monty’s Pass is King’s Cave. While the word Cave might be an exaggeration, as it looks more like a hollow, King’s Cave is said to be acoustic, providing good echoes. In any case, it is a fun place to visit, especially for kids.

Flora and fauna

Elachbutting Rock is surrounded by Elachbutting Nature reserve, which means it is home to many birds and wildflowers.

Elachbutting Rock 4WDriving and climbing

We climbed onto Elachbutting Rock and we drove onto it (part of it using a 4WD only track). The views from the top of the rock give you a perspective of the vastness of the land, and you can marvel at the patterns and the colours of nature, the shapes and the lines that form a sophisticated and beautiful puzzle.

Kids found their own entertainment on top of the rock – walking on stones inside a small puddle.

The Elachbutting granite outcrop (or part of it) provides an interesting background when taking pictures of a night sky, with millions of stars rising up above horizon.

Billiburning Rock

Billiburning Rock was our favourite out of the 4 rocks in Wheatbelt area that we visited during our 9 day holiday through the Wildflower Country and Wheatbelt. Being 35km north of Beacon (the closest town), it is a bit out of the way and thus less popular than other rocks. We were happy to have a lot of space for ourselves with fantastic views.

Camping

The view of the campground from Billiburning Rock

Billiburning Reserve has 3 camping sites, located at the base of the Billiburning Rock. The first one (Gecko Grounds) is an open space, suitable for large vans and caravans. To get to the second (Echidna Expanse) and third ones (Kangaroo Corner), you would need to drive around the rock, crossing a small section of the rock (10 meter section).

Each of the other two sites are rather small, enough for 4-5 campers each, offering the views of the rock on the left and the views of the bush with abundant wildflowers on the right. There is a drop toilet and a water tank next to it with non-drinking water between sites 2 and 3.

We stopped at Echindna Expanse site (number 2) which we shared with another camper for the first night and had it all to ourselves for the second night. The place being so serene, pristine and inviting that we did stay 2 nights there.

Enjoying our time at Billiburning Rock during the day and night

We climbed over the rock to take the pictures of the sunrise.

Then we climbed it again during the day. Later we marvelled at the way the rock looked when the setting sun was casting its last rays onto it, making the colours of the rock look warm and orange. When the sun set, the colours turned cold and blue.

Flora and fauna

Billiburning Reserve is home to many wildflowers.

It is a great spot to observe wildlife.

And of course, no camping experience is complete without a campfire under the stars!

Millions of stars and the Milky Way is what you see in the outback at night.

Wreath flowers at Pindar (near Mullewa)

Wreath flowers (the scientific name is Lechenaultia Macrantha) are very rare and unique flowers which only grow in the Mid-West region of Western Australia. They flower between August and October, depending on seasonal rainfall. These circular shape low lying plants grow on sandy soils, often on the side of the road. One of the biggest displays of wreath flowers can be found near Pindar, east of Mullewa (mainly along Pindar-Beringarra Road). Tourists go there in big numbers, cars lining up, just to see these beautiful flowers, which grow there on the side of the road.

It was my dream to see these unique and unusually shaped flowers. So, I planned a trip around the Wildflower Country, which included visiting Coalseam Conservation Park, Depot Hill near Mingenew and Mullewa. We parked our car on one side of Pindar-Beringarra Road, following the directions from the Mullewa Visitor Centre and then walked across, through a small patch of bush to the parallel road to find the wreath flowers. The track was very picturesque by itself – especially the combination of blue Native Cornflower (Brunonia australis), yellow Waitzia acuminata (Orange immortelle) and orange Bush Pomegrante (Cheyniana microphylla). That place is full of colours, shapes and is just pure delight.

Seringia hermanniifola Crinkle Leaf Firebush

But of course, wreath flowers are the main attraction.

Have you seen these beautiful flowers yet? Share your experience with us!

Tag: Brunonia australis Native Cornflower

Datjoin Rock

Camping at Datjoin Rock reserve

Location

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Elachbutting rock

Campground

Flora and fauna

Elachbutting Rock 4WDriving and climbing

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Billiburning Rock

Camping

Flora and fauna

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Wreath flowers at Pindar (near Mullewa)

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Camping at Datjoin Rock reserve

Location

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Campground

Flora and fauna

Elachbutting Rock 4WDriving and climbing

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Camping

Flora and fauna

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