Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail – Hyden to Norseman, WA

 Days 59 - 61

While we were in Norseman, we read about the Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail - a 300km gravel route from Hyden to Norseman, taking travellers through one of the world’s largest remaining temperate woodlands. It sounded like a great way to complete our loop (Norseman–Esperance–Hyden–Norseman) and get off the bitumen for a while.

The main reason we’d wanted to head to Hyden in the first place was to see Wave Rock (Katter Kich) - the first stop on the trail. It’s a long detour to see a rock, but it’s one of those things you feel you should see at least once.

Wave Rock delivered - probably even more than we’d anticipated. We walked beneath the wave (15 metres high and 110 metres long) and took the obligatory ‘surfing’ photo, then climbed up on top where a curved wall follows the rock’s contours, collecting rainwater and funnelling it into a storage dam. From there, we wandered down a casuarina‑lined path to Hippo’s Yawn, another aptly named, eroded rock formation.

Nearby is Lake Magic, a naturally occurring salt lake with a salt concentration of over 30%. The adjacent ‘resort’ has created a salt‑bath complex designed for floating rather than swimming. We were a bit sceptical about paying $10, but curiosity won out. The sensation of floating was strange and unexpectedly relaxing – very similar to a float at City Cave and as it turns out, at a much lower cost. We spent far longer than planned bobbing about in the sun before making the most of the daybeds for a post‑float afternoon siesta.

We then began the Discovery Trail in earnest - and immediately discovered that a significant portion of the ‘gravel’ road was actually sealed. Easy driving, but not quite the off‑road experience we’d imagined.

That said, it’s clear the local councils have put real effort into the trail. We had a comprehensive brochure and map to follow, along with 16 interpretive signs dotted along the way - some easier to find than others. We made it our mission to stop at every single one. A few had us chuckling, announcing what appeared to be… not very much at all - perhaps an intersection, a hill, or simply being there. Still, we thoroughly committed to the process.

One more meaningful feature we passed was the State Barrier Fence (formerly the Rabbit Proof Fence), which suddenly made the rabbit theme at Varley make a lot more sense.

We took two and a half days to complete the trail, camping the first night at a lovely spot called Forrestania Plots, and the second night just outside Norseman at The Gemfields. The road after Forrestania finally turned to dirt as advertised - and deteriorated very quickly. Kilometres of heavy corrugations made for an unpleasant stretch. We dropped the tyre pressure for a smoother ride, and Izzy handled it well, but we were well and truly shaken about. We eventually came across a grader, and following behind it for a while was blissfully smooth...until we overtook and it was back to rattle and roll. Thankfully, the road returned to a more normal dirt surface for the final stretch into Norseman. Those corrugations were some of the worst we’ve driven on this trip.

The real highlight of the trail was its landscape diversity. Along the way we moved through eucalypt forests, mallee scrub, tallar scrub, hakeas and grevilleas, broad sandy heaths, rolling ridges, salt lakes, and fascinating granite formations. Standouts were the magnificent Salmon Gums (my new favourite tree), with their tall straight trunks and deep red bark. According to the brochure, the changing soil types are responsible for these vegetation shifts, creating a mosaic of habitats across the woodland - and that part really was fascinating.

Highlights included The Breakaways and Lake Johnston, both of which made the slower pace worthwhile. We also stopped at Disappointment Rock, which, to be fair, wasn’t actually all that disappointing - just not in the same league as many of the other rocks we’ve seen on this trip.

There’s no certificate to mark completion of the Granite and Woodlands Discovery Trail, but we did pose for a photo at the final interpretive sign back in Norseman. We then celebrated in the most appropriate way possible - ice cream for breakfast at the Digger’s Ice Cream Shop and Cafe. Supporting local businesses in country towns is important. An interesting detour. Life is good.