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Below you will find General Information on and around Ravensthorpe.
The left hand column contains information specific to this area - double click on your
interest.
Ravensthorpe, Hopetoun, Bremer Bay, Lake King
On the eastern fringes of the South West Corner and the state's
wheatbelt, Ravensthorpe is a old gold mining town which once
supported the Phillips River Goldfields. Several historic buildings
and mine shafts can still be seen, though the town is better known
amongst travellers as the gateway to the Fitzgerald River National
Park.
The Fitzgerald River National Park contains 330000 hectares of some of
the south coast's most beautiful and unique wilderness. It's diverse
landscape comprises of rolling sand plains, broad river valleys,
magnificent coastline, and the steep gorges and jagged peaks of the
Barren Ranges. Throughout this undulating environment is an amazing
variety of fauna and flora, so abundant that the area has been named a
Biosphere Reserve for UNESCO. Species include rare birds like the
Malleefowl and marsupials (the Chuditch and Dibbler) once thought to
be extinct. The best time to visit is during Spring, when over 80
varieties of orchids (70 of which are endemic to the area) and hundreds
of other wildflowers put on a brilliant and unforgettable show.
The park's eastern stretches lie just south of Ravensthorpe, via
unsealed roads which are generally OK for conventional vehicles. The
main road heads for coast, and the quiet holiday town of Hopetoun
. From the Hopetoun entrance, many of the parks excellent hikes
begin and information on these can be obtained at the visitors centre
on Veal Street. The town also boasts superb white beaches and
sheltered bays, ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and fishing.
Access to the walks found in western sections of the vast Fitzgerald River
National Park are available via Bremer Bay, another holiday
hamlet on the coast. The most trodden trail takes hikers to Point Ann,
a popular whale-watching spot from August to November. In town,
visitors also enjoy the great range of watersports on offer.
67 kilometres north-west of Ravensthorpe, Lake King is a
common stopover town for those travelling the shortest route between
Perth and the Nullarbor Plain. The town marks the point where a formed
gravel road takes a shortcut across immense inland sand flats to
Norseman (see Outback), and although there are no services for over 300
kilometres, it does pass through the interesting arid wilderness
contained by Frank Hahn National Park. Be well prepared for this
journey, and check on road conditions before heading out.
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