Day 101: Thu 27 Jun 24 - Northam to Southern Cross

Thu 27 Jun 24 - Northam to Southern Cross (270km) 

7 Deg and 1 mm of rain overnight, to 18 Deg C at Southern Cross, mostly cloudy with a few light showers between, and again from 7:00pm. 

We drove away from Northam at 08:30am, and the road east along the Great Eastern Highway was a little bumpy in places, but mostly in very good condition. As expected, we had to share the road with a lot of trucks, but all drivers were as considerate and professional as we have experienced this trip (in WA). There wasn't a lot to see today, so we had only 2 stops - Merredin and our final overnight stop at Southern Cross. 

At Merredin we stopped at the Merredin Silo Art for a photo on the way into the township, then found a small cafe for our morning brew. After a short walk along the main street we continued on our way towards Kalgoorlie. We had the option of driving all  the way to Kalgoorlie (500km), but preferred an overnight stop at a free camp to break the trip. Because there was so much water beside the road from overnight/morning rain, we opted for an overnight stay at the 24hr RV park in Southern Cross where the ground was high and firm. There were a lot of other potential free camps along the main road, but they looked wet and boggy. We arrived at Southern Cross at 1:30pm, parked and had a bite to eat, then went for a walk into the township. There isn't much to see in the streets, so Noel returned to the van to prepare tonights dinner, while I visited the local history museum. Southern Cross, named after the stars that guided early prospectors, was founded in 1888 after gold was discovered here in an 1887 expedition. A succession of gold rushes in the region, led to the subsequent discovery of gold at Coolgardie in 1892, and Kalgoorlie in 1893. Reading about the town's history in the museum revealed a much more interesting town than first realised. After a walk along a local heritage walking trail to nearby Wimmera Hill Lookout, I returned to the van for a couple of beverages in the warmth of the setting sun, then we had dinner and a very quiet night in, and under, (the) Southern Cross (not that we could see the Southern Cross because it started raining).

Merredin Silo Art

Merredin Street Art

Southern Cross - Yilgarn Muesum

Southern Cross - Yilgarn Muesum

Southern Cross - Yilgarn Muesum

Southern Cross - Yilgarn Muesum

Southern Cross - Yilgarn Muesum

Southern Cross Heritage Walking Trail with farming and mining equipment

Southern Cross Heritage Walking Trail with farming and mining equipment


Southern Cross Heritage Walking Trail with farming and mining equipment


Southern Cross Heritage Walking Trail - Open cut mines in the background

Southern Cross - Heritage Walking Trail. View from Wimmera Hill Lookout 

Southern Cross - Heritage Walking Trail. Wimmera Hill Lookout. Pioneer Monument with a pick and shovel to represent the early mining settlers in the district, and a scythe and rake depicting the farming industry in the Yilgarn Region


Southern Cross - Heritage Walking Trail.Wimmera Hill Lookout. Pioneer Monument with a pick and shovel to represent the early mining settlers in the district, and a scythe and rake depicting the farming industry in the Yilgarn Region. The water pipe depicts the lifeline of the region, the Goldfields Water Supply that delivers potable water from Mundaring Weir in Perth to communities in the Eastern Goldfields, including as far as Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. The pipeline was clearly visible above the ground as we drove along the Great Eastern Highway today. 

Southern Cross - Church


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