Attractions
Kennedy Range National Park
The beautiful gorges and red rock landscape of Kennedy Range National Park. Perfect for a four wheel drive adventure, Kennedy Range National Park is the place to go camping under a star-filled night sky. Here, you're surrounded by pristine wilderness. Go bushwalking and explore gorges and sandstone cliffs, see native animals and birds, and look out over the vast plains of pastoral leases. The Temple Gorge camp site at Kennedy Range National Park is 56 kilometres north of Gascoyne Junction, there are camp hosts situated at the camp site and camping fees are 11 per adult p/n, $7 per adult for concession & pension card holder and $3 per child p/n. Kennedy Range is a flora and fauna haven 90 kilometres in length with stunning cliffs, springs and canyons.
Rising up to 100 metres above the valley, the Kennedy Range plateau has dominated the surrounding plains for millions of years. With red sand dunes, spinifex, wattle and mallee trees scattered throughout the area, this is what the Aussie outback is all about.
Bushwalking trails run from the northern visitor site and camping area, and take you into gorges where you'll see honeycomb-like rock formations.
The best time to visit is late autumn and early spring.
Kennedy Range National Park
Mount Augustus
Mount Augustus is one of the most spectacular solitary peaks and the world's largest monocline. It rises above a stoney, red sandplain of arid scrubland and is visible from the air for more than 160 kms. The granite formation is about 8 kms long, covers an area of 4,795 hectares and is estimated to be 1,750 million years old.
The area around Mount Augustus is the traditional lands of the Wajarri tribe. Burringurrah is the Wajarri name for Mount Augustus. Aboriginal habitation is evident by the engravings on rock walls at Mundee, Ooramboo and Beedoboondu visitor sites.
Francis Thomas Gregory was the first non-indigenous person to climb to the summit on 3rd June 1858 during his epic 107 day journey through the Gascoyne region. Some weeks later he named the peak after his brother, Augustus Charles Gregory, later Sir Augustus (1819 - 1905).
Mount Augustus National Park, Western Australia is located approximately 300km north east of Gascoyne Junction and is known as Burringurrah by the local Wadjari Aboriginal people. There are three routes that travellers can take from Gascoyne Junction to reach Mount Augustus varying from 288km to 317km.
Mount Augustus Tourist Park
Cattle Pool
The Cattle Pool is well worth a visit. A permanent pool on the Lyons River, this area is a bird watcher's paradise. In the late afternoon a wild assortment of birds descends on the river, creating a symphony ranging from the chitter chatter of colourful bugerigars to the raucos cries of galahs and crows.
The pool is very significant to the local Aboriginal people for its spiritual value and the fact that it has always been a favourite camping spot.
Cobbled Road
Cobbled roads were used all around the Gascoyne Junction area and were built by men with pick and shovel during the Great Depression years of the 1930s.
Go for a walk along the road section and imagine hand-building this so the goods and stock carriers could moved through this generally impassable country especially when wet.
The Waterhole & Picnic Spot
Located on the Gascoyne River, the Waterhole & Picnic Spot is a great place to watch the local wildlife.
When the river flows many birds flock here, sometimes even pelicans and black swans.
Wildflowers
The Gascoyne Region is one of the world’s renowned areas for its wildflowers. Wildflowers are seasonal and dependent on rainfall, with the recent rainfall in the region, the wildflower season has started early and is just magical!
Carnarvon is an ideal base for your wildflower adventure, perfectly situated as the gateway to the Gascoyne hinterland and Southern Ningaloo Reef.
Guide to Wildflowers
Museum
The Gascoyne Junction Museum is housed in the original Roads Board Building - a tiny and quaint structure establised in 1912. Here you'll find a collection of historical artefacts including photographs, signs, telephones, lanterns and saws.
You can also appreciate more about the region's rich geology from a rock and stone display.
Edithana Pool
Edithana Pool when full covers four hectares and is located nearby to Bangemall and Pimbyana hills.
It is fed by the Lyons and Frederick rivers.
Gascoyne Junction Races
The annual Gascoyne Junction Races is a riotous affair that lures people from across the entire region. Every year more than 1,000 people descend on the tiny town with swags, sleeping bags and a burning desire for fun.
Toilet and shower facilities are available for visitors keen on being part of this true outback Australian experience.
For more information: www.junctionraces.com
Landor Races
Race Dates: first weekend October school holidays
The Landor Races are the Eastern Gascoyne Race Club's traditional bush race meeting. This meeting is held annually in the third term school holidays (October) at the racecourse near Landor Station.
The event has now been run annually, almost continuously since 1921 (except for several years during WW2) and has been run on the same principles since the early days, that it is a strictly amateur race meeting for local station horses and riders. There are no starting gates at Landor - all the races are "walk up starts".
Nowadays, the Landor weekend begins with a race day on Saturday - when the Ladies Bracelet is the feature event. Sunday is the traditional gymkhana day. The action starts in the morning with the kid's "lead in" events and finishes with the adults competition in the afternoon. This day includes the fun events, such as the "tug of war" and there are foot races for everyone. The race day on Monday features the Landor Cup. There are social activities most nights, with a public bar, two up, music and betting on course.
For More Information: www.landor.net