Like many of the exposed granite outcrops in the goldfields, Dordie Rocks was an important stopping place for the natural collection of water between the various goldfield settlements. Along the way are various scenic sights such as the spectacular Bunda Cliffs, which drop vertically for 100 metres or more off the plain into the Southern Ocean waters of the Great Australian Bight. The sun was low in the sky as we headed south out of Norseman to pick up the Balladonia telegraph track and old coach road. This track was fairly easy. As I pulled up in some shade on the other side of the highway Scotty, who was behind me, radioed that I had a flat. the Road/Track is not a recognised road In fact it was referred to as the 90 mile tank track. this was a extremely well planned trip with great people. Scotty had a previously arranged engagement and had to leave us here. Brookton Highway looking west as you cross Stinton Creek at Karragullen, 12km east of Kelmscott. Brookton Highway looking west near Sherlock Creek, 33km west of Brookton. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Joe to the rescue! Service signage westbound on Brookton Highway, 5km east of Hyden. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. SR40 trailblazer on Brookton Highway looking east approximately 66km east of Brookton. A 24-YEAR-OLD man took his own life after surviving a crash on a remote West Australian road that killed his two friends. For the purpose of captioning the images below, I have used the Brookton Highway name. Note the slip lane for left turn traffic. Photo credit, An occasional bend on encounters along the way. LAKE SHARPE TRACK Lake Hope Track After 20 kilometres of westward travel we turned north onto the Lake Hope Track and a short time later stopped for lunch under a solitary stand of trees. Gold was discovered in the area in the 1890s and the townsite grew to a population of 112. The Breakaways (Hyden): All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go - Tripadvisor The Lake King - Norseman road IS a gazetted road, but conditions on it can vary greatly. RD sign eastbound on Brookton Highway after the Canning Road (SR41) junction at Karragullen. We arrived five minutes late and, after Scotty introduced himself to everyone, we headed towards Cave Hill. Brookton Highway (Brookton-Corrigin Road) looking west through a winding section of road, 5km east of Brookton. RD sign eastbound on Brookton Highway, east of Brookton. WIN a share of $75,000 in cash prizes with the worlds richest short story competition. To the 3 boys that I spent my childhood with to be taken is devastating. Note that Perth is signposted via Kelmscott, despite the route via Lesmurdie being shorter. AD sign on Westdale Road approaching the junction with Brookton Highway. Extensive upgrades since the late 1990s have increased the popularity of the route for heavy vehicles, as well as continuing shift away from rail transport for grain. They were clearly of a later vintage than when the telegraph line was put through in 1896. Tony Overstone Then east to the Rabbit Proof Fence and then out to Hyden Norseman Road. The road is not sealed in parts, but last time I used it it was in very good condition. The 72-kilometre gravel road, built at a cost of just over $800,000, links the communities of Cascades and Lake King from the Esperance Shire boundary to the Lake King-Norseman Road, 40 kilometres east of Lake King. Gold and nickel continue to be mined around Widgiemooltha today. Contact the local Goverment Authority IE Shire Council or MRD. RD sign westbound on Brookton Highway approaching the junction with Corrigin-Quaraiding Road & Rabbit Proof Fence Road, 7km west of Corrigin. Rain was threatening but held off. The discovery of the Golden Eagle nugget in 1931, the biggest nugget found in the history of Western Australian goldfields, sparked a rush to the area that saw a thousand men working the field. Service signage eastbound on Brookton Highway near the junction with McLennan Road, 5km west of Hyden. New RD sign southbound on Brookton Highway as you leave Corrigin. Note the dodgy coverplating job on Varley and also note that now there's no advice as to the next fuel stop north of Lake King. AD sign southbound on Brookton Highway approaching the junction with Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Road, Lake King. Some sections of the road are quite sandy (and it is nice when it has rained on these parts) while others are quite reasonable dirt (and you don't want rain on those parts). Brookton Highway looking east near Koorikin Rock, where the route crosses a number of shallow, mainly dry lakes, 36km east of Corrigin. Services signage southbound on Brookton Highway as you enter Lake King. Terra nullius? Brookton Highway looking east into Hyden. Once we hit the Widgie-Burra Hill Road it was an easy drive to Widgiemooltha with Scotty giving commentary the whole way. There is another road is the Hyden to Marvel Lock road it is gravel but can be travelled by small two wheel drive,in fact ive done it with a small ford Metero,but then i have a sence of adventure. EARLY DEPARTURE WAS NOW STANDARDand we drove out of Norseman before 7.00 a.m. Access to the road across Lake Cowan was not initially clear but after a short time casting around we picked up a track that led to the road and started our journey west. Brookton Highway looking northwest towards the junction with Hyden-Norseman Road. In the early 1950s the switch to coal-powered boilers and diesel-powered generators greatly reduced the demand for wood. Lake King is a small town situated 465km from Perth and 115km from the town of Lake Grace. Graham went to cross and he got bogged to the right of the track. A T & R J Sugg & Sons Pty Ltd, Farmers & Agriculturalists, listed under "Farmers & Agriculturalists" category, is located at Lake King-norseman Rd Lake King WA, 6356, Australia and can be reached by 0898744022 phone number. AD sign northbound on Williams Street approaching the junction with Brookton Highway at Brookton. Ms Withers expressed her sorrow on Facebook. Here, you can immerse yourself in the rugged beauty of Frank Hann National Park, challenge yourself to a rock-climbing expedition on Peak Charles or drive Western Australia's longest salt lake road. Hyden-Norseman Road - YouTube Brookton Highway looking south towards Aldersyde North Road, 30km east of Brookton. This section lies almost entirely on the Nullarbor Plain. The rehabilitation and containment of the open cut is somewhat lacking. RD sign westbound on Brookton Highway at Westdale. AD sign westbound on Brookton Highway approaching Melba Street, Karlgarin. 1. The 72-kilometre gravel road, built at a cost of just over $800,000, links the communities of Cascades and Lake King from the Esperance Shire boundary to the Lake King-Norseman Road, 40 kilometres east of Lake King. Imagine a drive, a thousand miles long with no turns or bends, across a vast featureless plain with repetitive landscape, and hundreds of kilometers between towns and service stations. I had scheduled to rendezvous with Scotty Wilson from Kalgoorlie at the Cave Hill turnoff at 11.15 a.m. and given our early start we were going to be way early. Brookton-Corrigin Road, Kunjin Street, Corrigin-Kondinin Road, Graham Street, Nichol Street, Kondin-Hyden Road, Marshall Street, Hyden-Lake King Road, and Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Road. Police said they believed the crash happened some time during the night. This is one of the more important granite outcrops in the area. A member of the public found the rolled ute on Lake King-Norseman Road on Saturday morning and called police. Those living north of the river would head to Quairading, those south of the river would head to Brookton. Ten kilometres out I raised Scotty on the UHF. Note the coverplate covering the fuel symbol and someone's clever addition to the kilometre plate. My maps say it isnt. Other places of interest along the way include Newman and Afghan Rocks near Balladonia, the Eyre Bird Observatory, the famous Cocklebiddy Cave, the view from Madora Pass, whale watching at the head of the bight, several sink holes and blowhole, to mention just a few. Wish you where here boiis. (sic). The journey back to Perth on the Monday was to be through Annes Pass before following the margin of Lake Sharpe to the Lake King Road, the 90 Mile Tank and Frank Hann National Park. Photo credit, Sources: Wikipedia / Mike on Bike / www.cmca.net.au. Esperance, Eyre highways reopen as firies get ontop of Norseman blaze AD sign westbound on Brookton Highway approaching the junction with Northam-Cranbrook Road, 2km east of Brookton town centre. Lake King Shire of Lake Grace Lots of lessons learnt. species 192. Another magnificent tourist attraction on the eastern end of the Norseman Road is Peak Charles, which rises 480 metres above the surroundings. After arrival in Norseman to refuel we met at the Caltex service station to decide what to do in the face of impending storms. WE LEFT KELMSCOTTon Thursday evening in two groups to minimise disruption to other traffic. Photo credit, Mundrabilla Roadhouse, a typical Nullarbor roadhouse. Is the road from Hyden to Norseman sealed? Pizza Kings Manor Lakes. Telstra have used this route for their fibre optic cable. RD sign northbound on Brookton Highway as you leave Lake King. The road distance is 440.4 km. Dusty went off the track a mm and went down about 300 mm. Hyden Norseman Road; everything you need to know Brookton Highway looking west towards the junction with Lovering Road, 2km east of Hyden, showing signage for the Wave Rock turnoff. At their peak, the timber companies employed 1500 men and supplied over 500,000 tonnes of firewood and mining timber each year. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Preston Resources mined it as an open cut circa late 1980s. Brookton Highway looking east through the catchment area at Warrahdale Road, 55km east of Kelmscott. Brookton Highway looking east to the triangular junction with Bulyee-Quaraiding Road at Bulyee. AD sign eastbound on South Coast Highway approaching the junction with Brookton Highway, 3km west of Ravensthorpe. Ill perish the thought then doesnt sound like the road i want to go on. Very interesting geology and very peaceful. Kim Epton 2015-2019 That road has become a bit of a goat track lately I believe John. Old black fingerboard sign assembly at the intersection of Brookton Highway & Canning Road (SR41), Karragullen. The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is 2003-2023 Interactive Omnimedia Pty Ltd. You can syndicate our news using one of the RSS feeds. Note the absence of any reference to Norseman for through traffic - the route consists of almost 200km of remote, unsealed road. Turn off to Kings Rocks and head to Corrigin via Billericay and Bendering. This section was part of the Esperance to Coolgardie telegraph line that was put through in 1896. It may be shorter in distance but a hell of a lot longer in time. Emus came in to drink at the gnamma aware of our presence but showing no trepidation. AD sign westbound on Brookton Highway approaching the junction with Albany Highway (SR30). Brookton Highway looking north, 50km south of Lake King. RD sign eastbound on Brookton Highway near the junction with Corrigin-Kulin Road, 23km east of Corrigin. This westernmost 12km of the route is of less importance as many heavy vehicles leave the highway at Canning Road, bound for the Welshpool/Kewdale areas and for light vehicles it can also be a significantly quicker journey into Perth via Welshpool Road East. Being a playboy: Musicians shock take on WOMANISING, Terri Irwin UNRECOGNISABLE in stunning new look. i am pretty sure it is not sealed. Cave Hill woodlinewas in operation until 1938. Travelling the Woodinup and Coujinup Tracks - Day 3 Old Hyden Norseman This comp is for you! Planning on coming back for a long weekend from Perth with the caravan next time! Brookton Highway looking west near Collins Road, approximately 62km east of Kelmscott. This road comes out in Norseman township. Not sure what is going on with this sign - Narembeen is not left aligned properly and the '273' is clearly oversized. This type of junction is fairly common in rural WA as roads zig-zag along property boundaries. He headed back to Norseman just after 6.00 a.m. His input into the trip was huge. Dodgy AD sign facing southbound traffic on Bulyee-Quaraiding Road at the junction with Brookton Highway. There are no ID signs for traffic turning towards Pingelly, which is pretty standard in rural WA. Reviews Q&A. Filters. To differentiate between the two Scotts we referred to the prospector in the Toyota Landcruiser as Scotty and the fireman in the Suzuki Jimny as Scott. Aside from the two highways, the Hyden-Norseman Road between Marvel Loch-Forrestania Road at Norseman is also closed. The Balladonia telegraph track wound its way up to the top of a hill where there were several open areas that would have made a comfortable camp site but it was still a bit early. Pink Lake Tourist Park (Nulsen) Note the recent shoulder widening. Read more about the telegraph line and how vitally important it was to Western Australia. It is an excellent alternative to travelling the Great Eastern Highway. Well, I wish I had gone the long way as negotiating the 3.4 tonne patrol through the lake which was a bit wetter than originally anticipated, I found the left hand side of the car sinking. Very interesting rock formations and certainly worth stopping for a look and a walk around the camp site. Photo taken: May 2011. Hunt noted red ochre aboriginal hand prints when he named the hill. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. ID sign at the intersection of Brookton Highway & Aldersyde North Road. Sign instructing westbound trucks to engage low gear as you begin to descend the Darling Scarp near Eugene Place, Roleystone. The town is located just to the east of the Brookton Highway. There is also no mention of Hyden, which was shown on signs at the intersection in Brookton! Some roads in Western Australia have a name for addressing purposes and a different name when classified under the Main Roads Act 1930. HaydenMillar Though it was considered very unlikely that the vehicle could catch fire, Harrison had a fire extinguisher readily available. Cascade Road The Cascade Road is a remote road with a gravel section approximately 120kms in length. Brookton Highway looking east through a curving and undulating section of the route, at Sloan Road, 4km east of Kondinin. Travelled Lake King to Norseman 10 days ago lots of place under water like 1/2 km at 500mm deep and lots of deep wash always has been like this since Jan. Two blokes from Northam hade to be resued by Ses 2 days aftre we went throught Lake King to Peak Charles 160kms travel time was 4hr in 4x4 Got lots of good photos. There is no 'END SR40' sign to denote the end of the route, nor an RD sign for eastbound traffic. There is no AD sign on this approach and no other indication that SR40 turns left, other than if you spot the reassurance trailblazer to your left while sitting at the junction. We pulled into a rest area just north of Ravensthorpe and set up camp just in time. A 24-YEAR-OLD man took his own life after surviving a crash on a remote West Australian road that killed his two friends. Tony Nissan Navara ute hung up at Cave Hill mudhole. State Route 40 traillblazer on Brookton Highway eastbound, 6km west of Hyden. ID sign assemblies at the intersection of Albany Highway & Brookton Highway, Kelmscott. Brookton Highway looking south to the junction with Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Road, Lake King. Dodgy AD sign northbound on Rabbit Proof Fence Road approaching the junction with Brookton Highway. The UHF arial broke off when first coming across the corrugations, could not brake to slow down, just had to let the speed wash off. Kim, Scotty, and Greg made it across and parked on firm ground. The Brookton Highway is one of these. After a group discussion I was presented with Hobsons Choice (wont happen again) and we elected to stay the night in Norseman. Lake King is an unusual settlement - the two businesses in town are located well apart from each other, on different roads; the general store is on the Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Road (SR107) and the tavern is on Brookton Highway. Lake King to Coolgardie/ Esperance road - Railpage