Norseman, Western Australia, AustraliaWe were on the road before 7.30am. Our destination today is Norseman, approximately 510kms of travel. I had hoped we would have been able to visit the Southern Cross Museum, but it wasn’t open until noon. Maybe on the way home and also a diversion to Westonia, which is only 10.5 kms off Great Eastern Highway. Reviews of the Westonia Museum are excellent.
Before we had gone very far, we came across a transport truck that had had a mishap with one of his trailers. Anyone waiting on that freight will be waiting a bit longer! But there was lots of freight on the very long goods train we passed heading to Perth.
We topped up with fuel at Southern Cross and stopped a little further up the road for a stretch and to drink our coffee. Pete chose the perfect place! There was a section of the iconic pipeline and I walked back to see if I could climb up on it. To my delight I found it was stamped with the kilometre information for this location of the line. 313kms laid of the 599 kms of pipeline to Kalgoorlie. And I could safely get up onto the pipeline! Oh to be young again and be able to run along it like I could when I was growing up in Keller!
We stopped again for a walk and stretch before Coolgardie and once again it was a good choice by Peter. It was the site of the Number 8 Pumping Station on the Pipeline Heritage Trail. The Pumping Station has had to be closed due to asbestos contamination, but there were very interesting information panels.
We fuelled up again in Coolgardie and paid about $2.20 a litre. Onwards then to Norseman, looking for somewhere to stop for lunch. We had to travel quite some distance before we found a safe place to pull over. In fact we were nearly across to where the road branches to Kambalda. Lots of road work either finished or being completed from the turnoff through to Norseman. The road was a huge improvement on Great Eastern Highway and we are sure Widgiemooltha Tavern is enjoying the income the road works is providing.
We arrived in Norseman just after 3.00pm and booked into the caravan park. It was a perfect days travel, time for a cuppa and a walk into town for bread and milk. Every time we go through Norseman there has to be a snap of the camels on the roundabout. They have been constructed from corrugated iron and are very effective. There is a new Visitor Centre opposite the roundabout and no expense seems to have been spared. The mural on the north wall of the VC is very effective and viewable from the Playgroup building and playground alongside. Great planning! Looks like you can purchase a coffee from the Visitor Centre as well, and enjoy it in the walkway alongside whilst viewing attractive information panels. I was very impressed with it all.
The walk into town was definitely what we needed after a couple of days travel. It loosened up the hip! We cooked a nice piece of fillet steak for dinner and gave the salad a miss! Had chips and an egg instead to get that carton with three eggs in it, out of the fridge. Well that’s our reason and we are sticking to it! One is a hard boiled for lunch tomorrow.
Jenny
2022-04-03
I'll have to go to Norseman just to see the new Visitors Centre, it's new since 2019. A big project to have completed during Covid. Do they still have the water tap? We used to fill up for a gold coin donation. Can relate to climbing on that pipeline, it's pretty high unless you can find where it dips.
dorothystokes
2022-04-03
No Pam I hadn't seen where you can print books again. You must go to Westonia Museum on the way back - it is really worthwhile.
Heather Allen
2022-04-03
I look forward to hearing about Westonia museum as my grandparents lived there in the early years, Grandad had mining leases and Grandma played in a band along with my dad when he was very young.
Jenny
2022-04-03
Looks like the centre opened in March 2021. I had to research it to check. Those fuel prices aren't good, although they've dropped a bit this week.