Now the planned Road Trip starts. We are going to be following the “Wheatbelt Way Drive Trail” and Dowerin is the home of Site 1. Tin Dog Creek is visited and we venture along one of the walk trails. Amazingly we do not find a single orchid, which is disappointing.

We then move onto Site 3 – Naaning Well. We park up and walk into the remains of the well. Again no orchids to be found.

Driving past Namelcatchem Nature Reserve, we notice a walk trail into the bush, so stop to check this out. It happens to be a trail to the Namelcatchem Well. Still no orchids. We then move onto Site 2 – Minnivale and visit the bakery again plus check out the free overnight camping area.

We called into the Wyalkatchem Visitors Centre for directions to Site 5 Wyalkatchem Well and local knowledge of orchid sightings. This paid off with our finds near the railway line.

Korrelocking Nature Reserve

Site 4 of the Wheatbelt Way Drive Trail

Wyalkatchem Railway Verge

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Cowcowing Cemetery & Lakes

Site 6 of the Wheatbelt Way Drive Trail. We checked out the cemetery then as we were leaving a massive hood of snail orchids catches our eye.

We are planning on camping at Site 7 so I decide we have time to detour to Newcarlbeon Rock via 2 other stops. The first stop at Badgerin rock we missed, then our next stop at Moningarin seemed to be a sports ground, so we headed straight for Newcarlbeon Rock. The weather was coming in again (Very windy with possible showers) so we quickly checked out the campground and decided we would head back into Koorda for an unplanned hotel overnight stay.

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A warm night, great meal and of course great company was enjoyed.

Only 4 species found today.

Lets see what tomorrow will bring. Better weather and more orchids we hope!!