Gathercole Nature Reserve
Wongan Hills
Directions - Located ten minutes from the centre of Wongan Hills, take Northam Pithara Road south, turning left onto Manmanning Road after 800m. Follow this for six kilometres, eventually reaching the right turn for Moonijin West Road, where after four kilometres you will reach the left turn for Gathercole Nature Reserve. Take the unsealed road (2WD accessible) all the way to the car park, with the large trail head located on the eastern side.
The Hike - August in the South West corner of Western Australia is just about my favourite time of year. It's cold, wet, there are plenty of wildflowers and orchids starting to bloom, along with the UV being limited to a couple of hours in the middle of the day. This is the perfect recipe for exploring the areas around Perth, and having become more of a wildflower and orchid enthusiast in the past couple of years, I wanted to head north at this time, given the Spider Orchids tend to bloom here first.
After a fantastic trip to finally visit Kalbarri and the Kennedy Range, I had booked myself in for an upgrade that had been long overdue. I finally got LASIK surgery on my eye in late July, and this meant no more glasses for long distance and nighttime viewing, but it also meant I would be out of action for a couple of weeks while they recovered. Along with the new eyes, I had purchased a new Garmin watch (Instinct 2X Solar), so a day spent wandering around Wongan Hills was the perfect way to test out the upgrades. After a lovely drive past the bright green and yellow canola fields that this area is known for at this time of year, I arrived at Gathercole Nature Reserve ready to explore. I had selected my walks today in a specific order, so I would minimise travel time, and to hike the trail I most wanted to visit (Mount Matilda) in the afternoon light. Being the southernmost trail I was going to visit, Gathercole was first up, and based on the photo on the Wongan Hills Tourism Group website, I was going to enjoy it.
The day I had picked for my visit was a little cold, wet and windy but that wasn't going to phase me. Getting my gear together in the car park, the surrounding area was low heath and not terribly inspiring but some of my favourite walks in Tasmania have started at nondescript places on the side of the road. Having a read of the large information board, it outlines the history of the area, why Gathercole Reserve was spared from the extensive land clearing that occurred all over the interior of WA, and highlights similar granite outcrops in the area you might want to visit. Pressing start on the new watch, I trundled down the path to begin the walk, open to what experiences and sights may come. The first section was full of head high vegetation that wasn't in flower but was host to a variety of super cool lichen that I love to photograph, along with plenty of Drosera glistening in the morning sun. Popping out into a grassy area, this part of the trail leads towards the edge of the reserve and along the fence line.
The farmland extended up the hill to where a line of trees was located, and looked quite pleasant in the morning light. Climbing slightly, the slightly waterlogged area looked pretty cool, and was home to a few wildflower varieties. Walking along the fence, I came to the first of the granite outcrops that looked to be off-trail. It was too inviting to not have a look around, sticking to the open rock of course, and not stepping on the delicate moss. I soon found a trail marker, checked the map, and yes, this was where the loop section finished. Deciding that I would finish my loop here on a high, I backtracked to the trail near the fence, admiring the Lemon-scented Sun Orchids that were starting to open up as the temperatures climbed into the double digits, along with the Drosera loving life in the moist mosses. Back on the right trail, I continued along wondering if/when I would be seeing my first Spider Orchid of the day, when I looked down and to my left to see a few right on the edge of the path.
Unfortunately there are a lot of different types of Spider Orchid that are found here at this time of year, and some of them pretty much look the same, so without a ruler to measure the leaf, flower height and other details, I'm not sure which one it is. It could have been either a Chameleon Spider Orchid, Dwarf Common Spider Orchid, Yellow Spider Orchid, Drooping Spider Orchid or a Common Spider Orchid. Excited with the find nonetheless, I continued on, rising to the top of the hill where I got some better views of the surrounding area, including patches of distant canola fields. I soon arrived at another granite platform, and encountered the first of many interpretive signs along the route explaining various geological and fauna/flora related occurrences. With an expanse of granite, there were different views, this time to the north, and the moody skies made for a nice scene. The trail doesn't take you over the granite but you'll get a chance for that later on.
Following the narrow path as it starts to descend once again, you walk through green fields of intricate little plants, mixed in with some larger ones. I spotted a Sea Urchin Hakea just off the trail but unfortunately I was a month or two late for their unique flowers to be in bloom. There were plenty of interesting rock formations along here, including a series of blocks that looked to have been purposely stacked on each other, but their formation is explained on a nearby sign. Rounding a corner, you are now facing east again, walking up towards another granite platform, this time a much larger one that the trail does head onto. Spotting more Lemon-scented Sun Orchids, there were a few that had opened wider than any I had seen all morning. Stepping onto the granite, the mass of rounded boulders ahead looked promising, and it's a great delight to explore these areas to see what you can find. Like the stacked blocks, the rounded formations sitting on bare granite are naturally created over many thousands of years.
Having a wander around, it was fascinating looking in all the gnamma pools for signs of life, along with checking out the different mosses and lichens that grow near the boulders. Away from the boulders, there was a bounty of Sun Orchids, so I focused on getting some better pictures of these stunning little flowers waving in the wind. Finding the trail markers to keep moving in the right direction, I found the way off the granite and was immediately stopped in my tracks again. A Pink Candy Orchid was hiding just off the trail, so of course I had to photograph it. I love these little orchids, a colourful little clone of the Spider Orchids but what I refer to as stumpy. Back on the trail, the path winds through what looks like introduced grasses and weeds, mixed in with She-Oak that did not fare well over the dry summer and autumn we experienced in WA. This was a spot where I could speed up the pace as it was devoid of any wildflowers, but I did stop occasionally to admire the rocky ledges that have formed.
Happy for the dead and weedy section to be over, I was presented with a flat expanse of granite, with all the little gnamma pools reflecting the grey and blue skies to the north. Careful to pick my way through the moss, I spent a bit of time here just scanning the nearby scenery with my updated eyesight. There was a small stream flowing along the lower slope of the granite, and I figured this might be a good area to find something new, and I was right. Bright yellow Featherflowers were on display in this one particular area, proof that just because you haven't seen something yet, it could appear at any time along a trail. Leaving the granite, a faint trail through a grassy patch indicated this might the way, and sure enough it led into another She-Oak glade. This one looked to have a few surviving trees left standing but the others made it look like a bit of a graveyard. Hopefully some more trees can grow in their place but they'll need some good conditions to get the best start in life.
Winding through the gloomy scene, this turned out to be a good area for orchids, thanks to some Cowslips, an albino Blue Fairy, and a Pink Fairy Orchid. Having been a bit early last month to see the Kalbarri Cowslip, I was hoping this was that particular variant but it was just the regular old Cowslip. Winding between small exposed boulders, this would be a sign of things to come, as I was soon staring at a larger grouping of rocks. Spotting the trail markers, you go right through the middle of them, another fun little element to the hike, before heading through more open greenery. A solitary She-Oak stands tall in front of you, signaling the next part of the journey that caps off what is an excellent little loop. Arriving at the base of another granite expanse, this is the largest you'll walk on by a significant amount, and one that I found to be full on wonder. Following the information boards, there are sections of relatively bare granite to walk on, and large areas of deep green moss that was home to fields of Lemon-scented Sun Orchids, almost in plague numbers.
Between stretches of bare granite where it narrows into a channel, I noticed a splash of red out of the corner of my eye, and I was rewarded with the intricate flowers of the Granite Kunzea, a species I have planted in my own garden that hasn't yet flowered. Seeing it in the wild was pretty special, and I look forward to seeing that in my garden every year. Starting to climb as the trail follows the western edge of the granite hill, my new eyes also spotted something bounding away in the distance, so I quickly raised my camera and snapped away at the Wallaroo hopping away. Rising up the granite, the views overlooking the surrounding farmland opened up, with the fleeting sunshine illuminating fields of canola every now and then. Leaving the granite briefly, you do a little half loop to see some Gungurru trees, before heading through a small section of vegetation to reach the next piece of granite. Here I bumped into a lady who was doing the same thing I was, searching for different kinds of orchids.
She was heading in the opposite direction, so I let her know about my finds, and as she had already explored other areas of Wongan Hills the previous day, she was nice enough to share some of her finds and the rough location. This turned out to be invaluable for me, as I wouldn't have seen a Clown Orchid without her. Funnily enough, she really wanted to see the Lemon-scented Sun Orchid, so I told her that just down the hill, she couldn't miss them. Continuing on, I reached a flatter section of granite with more fantastic views of the green farmland and moody skies. I had one last treat in store, with some Little Laughing Leek Orchids and another Spider Orchid located right along the trail. The final part of the trail before finishing the loop section was through another boulder field, where I discovered some dark brown fungi, and the last of the canola views (for this trail at least). Returning to the car park via the linking trail, what a first trail experience in Wongan Hills, and I was looking forward to what the rest of the day had in store.
Final Thoughts – What an introduction to Wongan Hills, plenty of granite, loads of wildflowers and orchids, and stunning views throughout.
It's shame that we only have these little postcard sized pockets of remnant bushland scattered about the place, as even this small area is home to an incredible amount of biodiversity.
Enjoying what we have left, I really enjoy my walk around Gathercole Nature Reserve, and will be visiting again in the future. If you are planning a hike here, remember to stick to the trail and stay off the moss when you can.
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