Mon, 15th Sept, 2025 (Part 2) Burra Rocks Reserve campground, south of Coolgardie to Lake Douglas Reserve campground, west of Kalgoorlie, WA (Cave Hill Reserve)

Headed back out to the main road and continued southward to Cave Hill Reserve. Passed a sign - Woodlines Track 4WD. Decided to skip that in case it became a narrow track and rutted like we went through on the Holland Track. Through changing plants, tall gums then low shrubs then back to the tall gums again. Lots of yellow, purple and some white flowers along the roadside. Stopped to get a photo of the purple ones - so vibrant.

Turned off into the Cave Hill Reserve. Met two vehicles coming out on the narrow track but we passed each other ok. A big tree has come down over one of the tracks.

We pulled up at the info shelter and had a cuppa while reading all about the area.

We drove along the track to the 3 dams area. Followed the track, dodging some fallen trees and pushing through the shrubs to the rock. Needs a bit of pruning around here. Lots of ‘poos’ about too.

Spotted the first dam up the slope a bit. There is a water catching wall above it and the remains of a fence. The wind hasn’t let up yet and it still cold.

Above the dam is the next one on the other side of the trees. It has a bigger catchment.

Walked to the end of the wall to get over it. More poos here - maybe donkeys or ponies. Would be interesting to see one trotting around up here.

Around the top of the dam which is in two halves. Plenty of rock above it for the rain water to flow down when it rains.

Not sure if they just decided to make a little garden here or the rocks were stacked up and the dirt has slowly filled it and made the garden.

Around to the other end of the 2^nd dam and then up a bit to the 3^rd dam. Out of the wind here so we stood in the sun for a bit to warm up. Water is clear - no fish!

Walked back between 2 and 3 dam - water leaking from dam 3 going into a natural rock pool.

Continued around and noticed another rock pool and ‘garden’ below the water wall.

From that spot, looking across to Dam 3, then 2 then down to 1.

Checked out the old fence - two logs laid flat with the upright wedged between them then the rocks put around to keep it upright. Must have worked for a while.

View over the expanse of trees around the rock.

Heading back to the 1^st dam - looking up at the trees of the 3^rd dam and the natural flow of the water down the rock to the dam.

Back to the truck then back to the info board and around the big tree and the campground area. Continued on to the track for the Cave & Wave. Just follow that man! No signs, just a few rock cairns to follow.

Up the rock ridge between the Cave (to left) and Wave (to right). We checked out the Cave first.

Fabulous weatherworn granite.

Onto the boardwalk - selfie time.

Pushed our way through the bottle brush bushes with pretty pink flowers. Another cave up high but nothing else on the other side of the walk.

Back to the middle ridge then over to the ‘Wave’ side.

Along the wall to where water flows down in good rain - that would make a good photo.

Continued along to the Wave area. Did these rocks fall out of the cave above.

A tall ‘wave’ here.

More ‘caves’.

Headed back along the lower section - lots of wildflowers about.

Darker clouds coming over and a few spits of rain hit us before we got back to the camper. Inside for lunch. Another couple pulled up with two little kids and two dogs. Loaded the kids into the backpacks and leads on the dogs and off they went. Then another shower of rain came but it wasn’t heavy and moved on quickly.

Back out to the circuit track and continued another 4.5km around to the Main Dam and camping area. Lots of water coming down where the track is.

Up to the main dam. There is a gap then the wonky wall starts and heads around the rock.

We walked further up the rock to another group of trees to see if there was another rock pool - just trees. Above that another hollow with shrubs where the water would flow down in good rain.

Looking down to our camper.

Walked around the rock a bit to see more of the ‘rock’.

Further around another ‘rock’ is visible - not sure if it is part of this one.

The wall continues around - doesn’t look like it would take the water to the dam but it must have.

Panned around. Still cold and windy - Steve was being brave in shorts.

Back to the truck. This is where the Woodlines Track comes out that we saw after leaving Burra Rocks. It definitely looks a ‘rugged’ 4WD track so glad we didn’t try it. Drove back to the info shelter area then back out to the main road as a shower of rain started.

The misty rain continued till we nearly reached Widgiemooltha and the Coolgardie/Esperance Highway. It is home of the Golden Eagle, the largest gold nugget unearthed in WA (the replica is larger than the real one of course). Now that would be fun to find! At the current price of $5500/oz it would be worth $6,242,500 - WOW. I wonder how much money they got for it. It was sold to the WA State Government to provide funds for the state and was later melted down - what a shame.

Back onto the bitumen and headed northward to Coolgardie. Passed the turn off to Kambalda and Kalgoorlie which we drove on when we first came to WA in 2016. We haven’t driven this section to Coolgardie so I can now mark it off in my map book. Unfortunately nothing exciting to see along the way other than the water pipeline that goes down to Esperance. There was no signs about the sandalwood reserve that I saw on the map back at the roadhouse. This bitumen is rougher than the gravel we just travelled over!

Another misty shower of rain fell as we neared Coolgardie. Turned back onto the highway and headed back to Lake Douglas for the night. Decided to try a different spot for a change.

Had our drinks then put the heater on as it is cooling down quickly.