Australia So Much to See
The Hyden-Norseman Road east to west
This is a well maintained and wide unsealed road with lots of interesting stops. It is sealed for 49 kilometres on the east
side of Hyden. The road leave Norseman nine kilometres north along the Coolgardie–Esperance Highway, but there is a narrower
link road heading west from “the camels roundabout” and crossing the lake to join the Hyden-Norseman Road twelve kilometres to the
west.
Places well worth stopping at, or for overnight camping, include Lake Johnston, McDermid Rock and The Breakaways. There are
pit toilets at these sites.
A signed walk goes over the large McDermid Rock, featuring gnamma holes and vegetation. Views to Lake Johnston from the top. McDermid Rock also has a wave face.
Photos from McDermid Rock above taken in 2007.
Wildflowers were blooming, particularly on the perimeter of the salt flat. The morning was cold and frosty, with ice crystal
formed on these flower buds (above left).
One of the featured sites on the Granite Woodlands Discovery Trail is Grevillea Hill. Here a small picnic table gives views to the
south, and being August, a number of different wildflowers were starting to bloom. The very first I saw as I stepped out of
the car was in fact a Grevillea.
A variety of colours on the rock faces, with some turning gold in the early morning sunlight (above).
The Breakaways camping area has been reduced in area since our 2007 stay, with bollards preventing camping close to the colourful rock faces. The group camping area is still across the other side on what in wet weather could become a lake. Salt tolerant plants grow through this area (above left).
We had camped inside this “rock alcove’ in 2007 (above right), as did others
we met who have been there in the days before and after us. It is now blocked off by bollards and the picnic table has been
removed. See campsite description here.
The parking and camping area on the western side of Lake Johnston (at right).
A marked nature walk goes along the
edge of Lake Johnston.