Christmas Rock Walk
Wongan Hills
Directions - Located right near the centre of Wongan Hills, the Christmas Rock Walk is located on Wandoo Crescent, just down the road from the Caravan Park. Look for the street sign for the trail and small gazebo, where you'll a large information board.
The Hike - With a fun introduction to Wongan Hills in the form of a hike at Gathercole Nature Reserve, I was ready to move onto the next one. Having spoken to a fellow orchid enthusiast at Gathercole, I had confirmation that there was an orchid species I had been wanting to see for a while at Christmas Rock. Driving into town, I made a note of where the bakery was for later, and was soon parked up along Wandoo Crescent ready for some slow and observant walking.
Scanning the information board under the little structure at the start of the trail, I took a photo as this is an area that has lots of different goat tracks running through it. I wasn't necessarily worried about the quality of this trail in terms of epic scenery, or being immersed in nature, as it's so close to town. The real drawcard for me were the wildflowers and orchids, with anything else being an added bonus. Ready to head off, the start of the trail sees you walk through a tunnel of vegetation that was in flower during the time of my visit. With wildflowers at shoulder level, I made sure to also scan the undergrowth, in case there was something lurking in the shadows. I was rewarded with some Blue Stars and an Acacia variety as I continued to walk along the well formed path. The thick vegetation ended after a couple of curves in the trail, and the scenery started to open up with large trees coming into view, along with wide spaces.
There were a few different paths to take through here but I kept going as straight as I could, as the paths to the left head into the heart of the reserve, and the paths to the right head towards private property. The larger trees were a welcome sight, with some thicker trunked examples not what I was expecting so close to town. Having not seen an orchid just yet, I wasn't too worried as this type of terrain didn't look very fruitful for orchids as it looked like it had seen a few different land uses over the years. Making up for the lack of orchids were different types of Acacia and a Grevillea in flower. Heading away from town, the scenery was starting to improve as I reached a little dip where a small creek flows through the landscape (an important feature for later on in the post). Coming across the first sign or marker for the trail since I started, the large Christmas Rock Walk sign was a bit large for where it was placed, but as I was about to find out, it was there for good reason.
Before moving onto the main attraction, which I didn't know was there at the time, I decided the tiny creek line was worth exploring just to see what was there. I was rewarded with a Blue Fairy Orchid, along with my first Spider Orchid of the trail, but not one I could identify given the species that grow at this time look very similar. Happy with my orchids finds, I continued on and started to climb through some thicker vegetation, eventually reaching the main feature of the walk, Christmas Rock. I can't find any information about why it's called Christmas Rock but I'll hazard a guess and say it might be because of the WA Christmas Tree that flowers during early summer in WA. I didn't notice any obvious examples while I was there but then again, I wasn't really looking for them. Stepping out the vegetation, you are presented with a pair of stainless steel guard rails either side of some steps, while useful for those with mobility issues, doesn't really help for the rest of the granite surface, which can get quite slippery when wet.
Staring out over the expanse before me, it was a nice illusion that Christmas Rock kept going, fading into bushland that extended a long way to the east. In reality, the Wongan Hills Airport is right next to Christmas Rock, but I enjoy that you won't notice it unless a plane is coming into land or taking off. Exploring the granite expanse, I followed a path of bare rock as it heads north, dodging carpets of moss and gnamma pools. I gravitated towards the eastern side of the rock, where a small wall has been built, part of a larger water diversion tactic I'll talk about further on. This has created a space for the soil to build up, and provides a home for a variety of orchids species to thrive, including Lemon-scented Sun Orchids, Little Laughing Leek Orchids and Chameleon Spider Orchids. Being patient with the winds that were blowing, I took a lot of photos before continuing on down the slope to where the trail continues, spotting a Granite Kunzea along the way. Following the rock wall as it guides you down and off the granite, this was a curious structure built onto the rock.
It turns out this was a way to divert water from the rock, and direct it towards a dam to the west that was being used for the steam railways, and even as a supplementary water supply for the town right up to the 1990s. Now a relic of a bygone era, once you're off Christmas Rock, the shorts walls serve to provide a memorable walking experience that is super photogenic. It also raises the nearby vegetation to a higher level, making Leave No Trace photography much easier. Through here were some of the best wildflowers and orchids of the walk, with a Yellow Spider Orchid and Pink Candy Orchid being my favourite finds. Between the two main channels is another granite bubble, and here I found some small marbles dotted over the place, and more Spider Orchids lurking just near the rock walls. Joining another long drainage channel, the overhanging trees provided some quality scenery as I headed towards the next turn in the loop. At the bridge crossing the channel you take a hard left and join a wide path as it makes its way back to the start. There are lots of information boards through here to keep you entertained, highlighting the flora, fauna and local history of this area, which is good because the wide track isn't all that inspiring on its own.
The large Salmon Gums and swathes of flowering Wattle were impressive, along with carpets of small white flowers just off trail. Being right near a power line would usually annoy me but with the quality of the trees through here, and the wildflowers at ground level, it wasn't that much of a distraction. Reaching the small creek I had passed on the journey out, there is a path that runs parallel to it but I continued straight to finish the loop. The remainder of the walk was nice, including some distant views of the canola fields near town, and soon enough I was back at Wandoo Crescent and heading back to the car. Having not seen a Clown Orchid, I was a little disappointed, and the lady I met at Gathercole had said she found some here but not on the main loop. With that in the back of my mind, I headed back out, and explored the trail running parallel to the creek, which was a fantastic decision given how many orchids I found including the elusive Clown Orchid (also known as the Ant or Jack in the Box Orchid). Happy to have finally seen one, I was content with my Christmas Rock Walk experience, and ready to move onto the next one.
Final Thoughts – Looking at this one from the starting point, you might not think it is going to be a good walk, and depending on the time of year you visit, you might be right.
Visit at the right time of year (July to October), and you're in for a pleasant surprise with lots of wildflowers and orchids about.
The trail itself might not blow you away for the entire time but exploring Christmas Rock was fun, and the walk along the channels was a unique experience. Add in the informative signs and this was definitely a worthy trail if you're visiting Wongan Hills.
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