What to do in Dalwallinu

Located in the Wheatbelt area of Western Australia is the agricultural town, Dalwallinu, and it’s time to put this pretty little town on the map. Smack bang in the middle of wheat country, most Australians, including many living a short distance away in Perth, have not experienced Dalwallinu’s raw natural beauty and rich pioneering past.

Dally, as it is affectionately known, has a great side hustle drawing in thousands of wildflower and nature lovers who stop by to soak up a true country experience, just hours away from Perth. Home to one of the most diverse and colourful range of plants in the world, this quiet location offers the comforts of home away from home, with genuine country hospitality at its best.

In addition to being one of the largest wheat producers in the state, Dalwallinu has the highest density of wattle anywhere in the world, and the two are reflected in the town entry signage, quoting it to be a place of wheat and wattle. In wildflower season from July to October the easy 248km drive from Perth is very popular with thousands of lovers of nature and wildflowers.

Bindoon

It’s an easy drive to Dalwallinu, but only an hour in, you’ll arrive in the picturesque town of Bindoon. Many day travellers and holiday makers take a sustenance stop here, with many roadside fruit stalls, wineries and outlets selling local citrus, olives and honey. However a stop at the famous Bindoon Bakehaus & Café in the scenic Chittering Valley location is a must. There you can find an extensive range of rustic and flavoursome gourmet pies and a great coffee. You could even add a Banoffee Éclair to your order as Prince Harry did when he was passing through in 2015.

New Norcia

Another great diversion to the driving is to follow the New Norcia turnoff and take a break at the only monastic town in Australia. The Monastery, the heart and soul of New Norcia, has been home to a population of Benedictine Monks who since 1847 have lived a simple communal life of prayer and work in the area. The Benedictine community recently closed the doors to the New Norcia Hotel, but the Abbey Church, St Gertrude’s and St Ildephonsus are architecturally striking places with their Spanish influenced design and worth a photo stop.

The monks were famous for their delicious bread baked in the combustion ovens of St Josephs kitchen and in 1879 the New Norcia Flour Mill was built. Today you can tour the mill and see the old machinery.

 

A self guided walk around New Norcia on the Heritage Trail will take you to the Flour Mill, the cemetery, and the old Gaol. Many are unaware but New Norcia also has its own tracking station’s space dish.

 

Ruins of Waddington

Just north of New Norcia is Waddington, a small township that was a stopover for travellers and convicts, established in 1878. Waddington consisted of the Victoria Plains Hotel, which also operated a post office and telephone exchange. The small township grew and later included a stable, general store, blacksmith, carpenter and bootmaker stores, a goal and a hall.

All that remains of the derelict town today are two stone structures with no roof or floors in place. These were occupied until the 1960’s, later being abandoned and falling into a state of disrepair. The buildings sit on either side of Great Northern Highway, and apart from surrounding farms the area is now a ghost town.

 

The larger building, the former hotel is most intact with a prominent chimney stack, is made up of non-connecting rooms. The building on the other side of the highway shows how the elements have eroded the bricks and is now in two sections. It is believed this was the stables for the stage coach horses.

Dalwallinu History

Dalwallinu has an interesting history starting in 1907 when European settlers arrived, developing the area into a wheat growing region. Despite basic living conditions and demonstrating tremendous strength, the first pioneers established and produced the first crops in the area. The first to arrive were the Benedictine Monks of New Norcia who originally came to graze their sheep, having taken up pastoral leases. By 1914 towns had formed in the grazier district and a railway was completed and in 1932 two engine driver grain elevators were installed at the railway siding.

Occupants of the land prior to European settlement were the Badima and Galamaia people, nomadic Aboriginal groups who used the area for hunting and gathering.

Dalwallinu Wildflowers

Visitors in search of the elusive Leschenaultia Wreath flower find Dally is a great place to base themselves to explore the wildflowers when in season and enjoy the relaxed pace of life. The Wildflower Way stretches from Perth to Geraldton, showcasing beautiful outback wildflowers and Dalwallinu is the first town along the way.

 

Dalwallinu is best known for the abundance of yellow wattle blossoms from the many varieties of acacia brightening up the roadside in the region. Carpeting the countryside you can enjoy the rare and beautiful sight of some of the most diverse and colourful range of plants in the world.

To enjoy the rolling countryside at your leisure, take a self drive tour, a walking trail tour or just enjoy a picnic near a blanket of white, pink or yellow everlastings, in the area’s flora rich bushland.

Dalwallinu offers a profusion of wildflowers peaking in August, September and October and is known as the “gateway to the world of wattles” as it boasts more species of wattles than any other place in the word. The many rock formations make it ideal for the delicate native orchids.

 

Walking around the flat granite outcrops in the area you will come across Spider, Donkey, Cowslip and Blue Fairy Orchids commonly found in the area. Gravelly roadsides seem to be the best place to find the unusual and sought after Wreath Flowers. It is amazing how these beautiful flowers just pop up and grow in this harsh dry area.  Unless you book a coach tour or speak with a local gardening expert you do have to wander around until you stumble upon current information leading you to the extraordinary wreath flower.

Surrounding areas of Maya, Mingenew, Morawa, Perenjori and Wubin are all great areas to search for wildflowers and see canola fields.

 

Dalwallinu Accommodation

There are choices of hotel, motel, B&B and farmstay in Dalwallinu. Or for $32 you can get a powered site at the local, no frills caravan park with clean, modern ablutions.

We stayed one night at The Old Convent, 1 kilometre southeast of the townsite on the Dalwallinu/Kalannie Road. The hosts were friendly and for $120 per night provided a welcoming place to unwind and relax. Our room was a spacious King room off the passageway in the main building with a shared unisex bathroom accessed via French doors onto the back verandah. I was interested to learn the wooden staircase leading to the 2^nd floor was acquired from the Foy & Gibson store in Perth when it was demolished.

The nighty rate included a continental, self serve breakfast and included in our room was tea/coffee making facilities, a bar fridge, extra pillows, blankets, fleecy robe and had air conditioning/heating, a work desk, TV and wi-fi. Half of the rooms in the charming old building open onto a veranda overlooking the front garden where is a putt putt course. We found they have ample parking, lovely gardens, a pool and being pet friendly it is a great home away from home feel. Full of character and charm, with 16 rooms in the original Old Convent and 12 new units adjacent, set on 50 acres of land, there is lots of space to enjoy the tranquillity of country living combined with good old fashioned hospitality.

The Old Convent, built in 1923 as a private residence until it became a convent day school and boarding facility for Roman Catholic girls from 1933 until 1968. The Old Convent was run by the Catholic Church as church room and 2 classrooms until 1972 when it became privately owned and remained so until 1987.

The buildings were repurchased in 1987, renovated, and a 2^nd storey added and in 1991 opened as a Tourist Accommodation Lodge. The property ran as a B&B until 2004 when the original The Old Convent section closed and became the owners’ private residence. It was reopened to the public by the current owners when they purchased in 2013 and revamped some of the rooms.

Breakfast, packed lunch and an evening meal can be provided by The Old Convent and other options can be purchased at Dalwallinu Hotel, Dally Café, Jenny’s Bakehouse or Foodworks Dalwallinu.

Things to See and Do in Dalwallinu

Don’t underestimate the power of local knowledge and the Dalwallinu Discovery Centre is a great example of how country towns can encourage visitors. Both a Discovery Centre and an information point, this architecturally striking building is in a great location on Johnston Street and we found it a great place to start. The staff can book local accommodation and provide an abundance of information and maps to help you find the wildflowers.

 

Silhouette Art

Throughout the region there is an eye catching collection of rusty laser cut steel characters with an interpretive panel or story telling board at the popular site seeing and picnic locations. These provide an enjoyable way to learn and provides a detailed insight into early life in the area, reading the signage along with the few brochures we collected from the Discovery centre.

 

Some of the salt lakes in the area are quite spectacular offering stunning scenery and photographic opportunities. Lake Moore and Lake Monger near Dalwallinu are salt lakes fringed by freshwater clay pans that maintain significant ecological processes.

 

Petrudor Rocks

Petrudor Rocks is a popular picnic location with granite rocks, a water pool and many species of wildflowers can be found growing there. This is a free campsite with BBQ, but no toilet facilities. This is the place to release your inner child where you can enjoy a relaxing picnic and explore the rock pools. It is the simple things in life that brings the greatest joy and catching tadpoles is not just for the children here. In the waterholes pooling around the granite rocks are tadpoles that feed on the plants and algae and are said to be huge.

 

Xantippe Water Tank

Xantippe Water Tank part of the Kalannie Heritage Trail, is a water catchment area with a large concrete tank completed in 1927. Our GPS and local map told us where the turn off was, but we could not find it, instead we came across the Rabbit Proof Fence which I was really happy to see.

Wubin Rocks

20km’s north of Dalwallinu is Wubin and the well know Wubin Rocks where you can picnic, camp or enjoy a walk along the bush trail.

 

Buntine Rock

Great panoramic views are the reward of an invigorating climb up and a range of wildflowers including orchids and everlastings at Buntine Rocks.

 

Mia Moon Reserve

Mia moon reserve is located 17km’s west of Wubin. A large gnamma hole by the ends of the flat granite rocks provides an ideal spot for orchids and everlasting displays.

 

Caron Dam

Rail enthusiasts will enjoy the heritage listed Caron Coal Stage, bringing reminders of the golden age steam locomotives. Follow the trail to the pump station that is still covered by a massive corrugated iron roof. A natural catchment area, Caron Dam, was planned to supply the area with water. Instead the dam provided water for the trains, which at the time were steam engines that need water. The large dam was dug without the use of machinery by about 50 men, shovelling dirt hauled out by horses. The Caron Rail & Dam Trail can be followed from the pump station and railway dam.

 

Rabbit Proof Fence

Erected between 1901 and 1907 in an attempt to hold back the invasion of rabbits spreading across Australia is one of the greatest construction achievements in our history. The legendary Rabbit Proof Fence, when competed, cost 167 pounds per mile or $250 per kilometre, and became the longest unbroken fence in the world stretching 1827kms. The rabbit proof fence No 2 trail runs for 130km and is a trail of one of Western Australia’s paths less travelled. We didn’t need to push the limits of our Mazda CX-5 to enjoy the rare sight of this disappearing historic icon. As with every place we explored in this area, you can relax and enjoy being taken away from your urban life on the roads less travelled to places seen less often.

 

You can truly appreciate the hard manual labour of the men who built the fence, much of it was erected in virgin bush. A trench had to be dug to bury the fence’s wire and the posts were from Jam or wattle trees. It is called jam tree as the wood smells like raspberry jam when cut. It is very hard wood and settlers used it for many things. Bear in mind these fence posts were erected over 100 years and still holding much of the fences in place. Jam tree posts despite smelling sweet, is a wood that white ants don’t eat.

Canola Fields

Known for their brilliant yellow display, this area attracts thousand of tourists to see the mesmerising crops of canola. The breathtaking fields of canola roll as far as they eye can see, painting the countryside’s vistas in a sea of yellow that gently sways in the breeze. In contrast with the lush green wheat fields it becomes clear why Australia is the land of green and gold.

 

Tourists are urged to pull over safely on the roads to take photos of the rolling hills of sun kissed canola crops. But please stay on the roadside of the fences or you could face a year in jai and a $12,000 fine for trespassing and trampling the golden crops.

Five Graves of Dalwallinu

The first row on the left at Dalwallinu Cemetery are five marble top graves. Nothing unusual except these graves are the final resting place of early pioneers. Gustav Liebe, master builder and pioneer farmer who was responsible for one of my favourite buildings, the beautiful His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth is one of those five.

Summary

Some of the little towns along the Wildflower Way are struggling, many with rows of closed shops lining their main roads. But in Dalwallinu the streets, shops and town are all busier. Rewarded by their efforts to do something out their declining population, shortage of workers and decreasing numbers in the schools and sporting facilities, their once-dwindling population has been bolstered by people who travelled a long way to make this country town their home.

Dalwallinu decided their once dwindling population could benefit from a local government repopulation program to encourage overseas workers to bring their families and make the town their long-term home. New housing was built and English lessons funded, teaching the residents the local “Dally Dialect” enabling them to take up a variety of jobs like mechanics, painters, administration officers, stockmen, cleaners, shop assistants, nurses, carers and hospitality workers. Dalwallinu’s population grew by 186, with 47 new students and an 83 extra jobs were created for the newcomers the Philippines, India, Burma, Thailand, China, Finland, Britain, Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Africa and New Zealand. 43 of the new residents have become permanent residents.

Today a significant portion of the population are from overseas due to the successful repopulation project and an inclusive and diverse community has been created. The lifestyle in Dalwallinu is community focused and the residents have an ethos of volunteering and participation to encourage new residents to become involved.

Dalwallinu is one of the nation’s top small towns and we found some of the hidden gems in this gateway to wildflower country. As we look back in our mirrors we look back on a truly beautiful place in the middle of absolutely nowhere, a place we know we will return to and explore some more. We were only a few hundred kilometres from Perth but it felt like we were a million miles away from the city.

 

If you know the area and think we’ve missed something, please let us know.

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