Deciding where we would go on our first camper van trip was very important! We had spent months working on the van and creating our little home on wheels so we wanted it to be a memorable experience.
While we have seen the signs for Wildflower Country on many occasions and have caught fleeting glimpses of its explosion on the landscape, we never really saw it at it’s best.
Since our plan was only for one night away, we wanted to try and take in as much as possible in the short space of time. The one thing that was at the forefront for me was reaching Coalseam Conservation Park. The pictures illustrating the floral covered landscape was enough for me to know that I must see this for real and I must get the perfect photograph to cherish!
Coalseam Conservation Park was a 4.5 hour drive from Perth, quite a distance for one night. After some convincing William came around to the idea, knowing that this trip was as much about the journey as it was about the destination. We took the route through Moora, Coorow Three Springs and Mingenew before our adventure into Coalseam.
The drive was certainly not a boring one, each town having its own Wildflower Country experience to offer. The road was full of camper vans/trailers and caravans all taking advantage of what the season had to offer. We made a brief stop in Moora on our way, unfortunately a little early for the visitor centre which didn’t open until 10.00am, but early enough to take in a lovely country town with lots to offer.
The journey produced hints of what was to come. We finally arrived in Mingenew, which was, I guess you could say was the gateway to Coalseam Conservation Park. We popped into the tourist centre where the lovely lady was full of information and tips on where to go, what to see and where to see them. She also recommended a visit to the local bakery, we didn’t need much convincing! We grabbed two caramel slices which would be a nice post dinner treat.
On we went, with Coalseam on our mind. The hope was to camp at Miners Campground which had toilets and, according to Wiki Camps a good communal campfire, although it was such a beautiful day, a fire was the last thing on our mind. As we turned onto Coalseam Rd, the excitement levels were rising. The road soon turned to gravel and the fields turned from green to all shades or yellow, pink, orange and purple. It was really incredible and what I can only describe as a magical floral paradise! The road was well maintained, while corrugated in parts, generally it was an easy drive in once we took our time.
Once we arrived at Miners Campground, we were greeted by the lovely camp hosts. We found our spot- close to the bush loos and fire pit. Every single site was surrounded by wildflowers and beautiful scenery. We set up camp which, with our home on wheels did not take long. Once we got the awning out, the chairs and tables set up, we were ready to start exploring.
There is a walk trail from the Miners picnic area (adjacent to the camping area) to the Johnson Shaft Viewing Platform. The trail takes you across the usually dry bed of the Irwin River to the platform. It is believed the shaft was sunk circa. 1917. Parts of the seam can be seem at the bottom of the shaft. Pretty interesting to see. We then proceeded to walk along the riverbed which was so peaceful and picturesque with flowers blooming along the river bank and from crevices between rocks.
We headed back to our van and had a little drink to celebrate our first trip! As the sun began to set, the sky painted an array of orange and pink, the landscape was radiant, with changing colours. In the bush, we spotted a kangaroo and her joey out for dinner.
We settled into cooking our dinner and enjoying our surroundings. We watched the communal fire in the distance as people chatted and enjoyed each other’s company.It hadn’t crossed our minds that we wouldn’t have any phone signal in the park, however it was good to have a ‘digital detox’ and spend time together without the distraction of phones buzzing. As the light faded from the sky, we felt relaxed and happy, having a break from the world!
We woke the next morning to the sound of the birds singing and chirping. It was so nice opening the van door to our own floral garden.
After breakfast, we packed up and headed to Irwin Lookout. One Word. WOW! What a great view over the Irwin River and down towards River Bend picnic area and of course of the wildflowers. A nice 560m loop brought us through a path along the cliff edge and back to the van.
Our time at Coalseam was coming to an end, we made our way back along Coalseam Road and turned for Morawa. The drive through Wildflower Country was always interesting with plenty to look at along the way. We arrived in Morawa, a nice town with a lovely picnic area and plenty information boards. It seemed a popular spot with heaps of tourists stopping to get some insight from the tourist information shop or for a morning coffee at the roadhouse.
Onwards we went through Perenjori, Wubin and into Dalwallinu. Another lovely country town with a great picnic area and a lovely craft shop, we met a lovely Scottish lady who we had a great chat to about our wildflower experience!
As we headed back through New Norcia and Bindoon, we were greeted to fields and fields of yellow canola, blanketing the countryside. What a sight it was!
Soon we were back in sight of home. We had a wonderful overnight stop in Wildflower Country, the only problem was, it was too short. Unfortunately, we also missed out on the wreath flowers. I guess it gives us a great excuse to do it all again next year; we will make sure we have extra time to take in some more. If you are considering a trip, think no more, go and see it for yourself, you won’t be disappointed! 🙂
Ginger and Brown Adventures 