DESCRIPTION
THEME: Experience wildflowers, the PUBLIC silo large-scale art trails, local indigenous culture, museums and other hidden treasures of the southern wheatbelt and Ravensthorpe regions. Travel in the Fitzgerald River National Park with a well qualified local guide, experience local farming communities with overnight stays, unique displays of local art, visit Noongar Indigenous cultural sites, the Yongergnow Malleefowl Centre in Ongerup and work by private land owners to re-establish the ecology of degraded farming country including those associated with “Goodwana Link.” Visit the Stirling Range and Bluff Knoll with its captivating views. With overnight stays in Hopetoun and Ongerup the unique experience concludes at a Porongurup Range winery meeting the owner and winemaker for tastings. This venture offers many stunning memories!
Day 1 Wildflowers and Ranges
- We start our adventure at Albany Visitors Centre with an 8.30am pick up. A quick stop to view the Aboriginal fish traps at Oyster Harbour. The Aboriginal Menang peoples of the Noongar nation trapped different fish species as a major food source. We resume our journey stopping at Wellstead to visit the Museum and enjoy morning tea
- We then proceed to Ravensthorpe via Jerramungup where lunch is taken at a local café in Ravensthorpe. After lunch guests take a nature drive to view the birdlife and wildflowers in the Ravensthorpe Range followed by morning tea in a bush setting or a visit to the Cocanarup TImber Reserve which is a more comfortable drive than the ranges. Viewing along the drive you can see the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo (Spring time), wildflowers, birdlife, old growth Salmon Gum woodland and Jam Tree mid storey, Sandalwood trees, a malleefowl mound, some Indigenous cultural and colonial and recent history.
- We then proceed back into Ravensthorpe where we take some photo shots of the artwork on the wheat silos before a tour of the Museum and Heritage Town Walk (time permitting) before heading to Hopetoun to get settled into our accommodation
- Please note that during the Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show the itinerary will change to match the Show activities and outings
Day 2 Biospheres and Gondwana
- After an early rise and breakfast we are in good shape for a morning adventure with a local guide who knows the country and takes us into the Fitzgerald River National Park (the core of the internationally recognised Fitzgerald Biosphere Reserve along with an internationally recognized Ramsar Wetland) to observe the stunning array of wildflowers and bushland backing onto wild coastal and marine eco-systems with incredible ocean views
- We then pack up and head back toward Hopetoun for lunch at a local café
- After lunch we travel back toward Jerramungup and link up with the Boxwood Hill-Ongerup Road where we stop to view ‘Gondwana Link’ properties that are important for reintroducing flora and fauna into degraded farmland that was not productive. Guests will experience local Aboriginal Noongar culture in a ‘meeting’ place
- We then travel on to Ongerup for an overnight stay and enjoy dinner at the friendly local Hotel
Day 3 Call of the Birds
- The following day we visit the Ongerup Museum and Wildflower Centre for a morning cuppa and visit a local farming property. We will then settle in for lunch at the Yongergnow Malleefowl Centre in Ongerup. The sanctuary is part of the National Malleefowl Recovery Program to protect Malleefowl and their habitat.This country is known for the massive deforestation or clearing of vast ecologically
rich and diverse Mallee scrub - We then continue onto the picturesque Stirling Ranges and home to over 1500 species of colourful wildflowers and spectacular bush walks. We enjoy the panoramic views of the surrounding plains and see if we can spot black cockatoos, birds of prey, purple-crowned lorikeets, scrub wrens and other birds in their natural habitat
- On our journey home we stop for afternoon tea and taste the intense varietal fruit flavours of the mineral-rich wines of a local Porongurup Range wine producer
