Karalee Rock is a natural attraction in the Goldfields region. It is part of the Golden Pipe Heritage Trail. This is the route of the historic water pipeline from Perth to Kalgoorlie. The place is known for the historic Karalee Reservoir, which was an important water supply for steam trains. The dam and the well were constructed in the 19th century at the base of the rock to catch the water during storms and heavy rain.
Free camping at Karalee Rock
Nowadays, Karalee Rock is a popular picnic spot and a free camping area. There are plenty of shaded spaces, with picnic tables and fire rings. The toilet is there, but unfortunately, no longer working.
You can walk around the dam and over the rock. The places are very picturesque, especially during sunset and sunrise when the nature really shines.
It is also a place to view beautiful wildflowers. We camped at Karalee Rock on our way to Central Australia in July 2025. There were not many wildflowers but I was happy to find these cute Pterostylis setulosa Hairy-stemmed Snail orchids.
Other wildflowers I spotted were numerous drosera plants and Wurmbea tenella Eight Nancy.
(Wurmbea tenella Eight Nancy)
A team effort of drosera flowers to catch a meal :).
How to get there
Karalee Rock is located between Southern Cross and Coolgardie. It is 4km off the Great Eastern Hwy via dirt road.
And that’s us on a cold morning in July 2025.