Tammin has proven to be a great stop it is a shame though that so many of these Wheatbelt towns are dying, and while attracting travellers has proven to be good for the community many seem to have left their run to accommodate them too late and consequently shops and services have closed.

We are making an effort to head east at a greater pace.

We are camped at Boondi Rock, Goldfields Woodlands National Park. We are camped next to Boondi Rock a large granite outcrop located about 83–103 km west of Coolgardie. It’s a surviving example of early efforts to solve very practical problems (how to supply water in remote, semi-arid zones), especially for steam powered railways. The infrastructure of rock catchments, walls, channels, dams are evidence of labour, design and adaptation to local geography and climate. For the Indigenous people it was an important place for water — vital in an often dry landscape.

There are wildflowers, lizards and plenty of birdlife here. The rocky outcrops create special niche habitats, many waterholes support water loving plants and tadpoles. The rocks slabs and crevices provide an ideal environment for lichens and other miniature plant life, sundews do well here and are in flower. To avoid the intensity of the afternoon sun, these encrusting plants grow more commonly on the sides facing south and east.

The woodlands of the Goldfields are a marvel of nature. Nowhere else in the world will you find such a diversity of tall trees in such an arid climate. Many of these occur only in the ‘Coolgardie bioregion, an area where plants and animals are a blend of arid-zone species and those of the wetter southwest. This diversity of wildlife, landforms and vegetation types conveys significant conservation values to the region.

There were interesting geologic features to observe.

The Gimlets look beautiful in the setting sun, and the stars were spectacular.