Article Comment: Holland Track

decemeber in perth look at doing a trip from augusta to albany . there is enough to see in 10 days . Don't bother with the holland track or anything east of perth as you will be in 40+ degree heat with a shitload of flies and it won't be enjoyable

Benoit, the previous comment regarding heat and flies is very relevant. A trip down south taking in some of our wine regions would be excellent use of your time. Also east of Albany you have Esperance which has some excellent beach driving and the cleanest water and sand you will experience anywhere. And you have a bay down there called Frenchmans Bay where the kangaroos come down to the beach. the D'entrecasteaux NP just east of Pemberton provides some amazing scenery camping, bush and beach driving.

By the way if you do consider Esperence, you can take the inland route via Hyden (Wave Rock fame), and down through Lake King etc and then back to Perth via Albany and the Wine regions.

If you contact Chris Morton of Western 4WDriver (chris@4wheelproductions.com.au) they can organise some publications of travel guides for areas around the south west and also the goldfield areas. These publications aren't expensive and provide a stack of 4wding experiences and some magic camping areas. There is anon-line shop.

cheers and happy camping.

Dunc

Hi Benoit,

If you want to see outback your will have to get out of Perth and that patch of green called the south west.

I'd be heading up to Paynes Find, swing out north east a bit and come back via Kalgoorlie. Go back to Perth via Great Eastern Highway or Hyden Norseman Road.

There's plenty in that area to keep you busy for your allocated time period.

It's usually a bit hot that time of year but the weather may be unseasonal. Surviving the heat in the outback is great character building anyway so you will feel good about yourself (when you get back).

Just enjoy it - you'll be amazed at how much natural and man made attractions there are out there.

Always take PLENTY of water with you - no matter what time of year.

Cheers
Alan

I would readily admit that the Holland Track would not be my preferred destination in December but it should be said that the southern half of WA is not like the Pilbara or the interior where there is day after day of unrelenting 40C plus temperatures from October to April.

The highest maximum last December in Hyden, basically the start of the track, was 40C. Once. The mean maximum was 33. Near the other end, Kalgoorlie had more days in the high 30s but some cooler.

The Holland Track is no vehicle breaker and can easily be traversed in three days with several bail out options along the way.

If I wanted to do a trip in the outback close to Perth with a short time frame, up the Holland Track, on to Helena and Aurora Range and maybe up to Lake Ballard would be a possibility. You would rarely be more than a day away from a town.

Sure it will be at warm, maybe hot. Some people are more bothered by flies.

The original poster says he has been around. If that's true there's not much in that area that should bother him.

The usually provisos apply. Water, food, some communications (there is a mobile signal on parts of the HT), let people know where you think you will be and when. Carry a PLB.

Whatever he does I hope he enjoys WA.

Cheers