Australia's Golden Outback Holiday Planner 2025

EXPERIENCE connection to this oldest place on Earth - where fragments of all previous continental land masses - Rodinia, Gondwana and Pangea are found, imbedded with meteor impact craters and seasonal lakes. LEARN about unique fauna and flora – lizards mimicking pebbles, birds, trapdoor spiders, turtles in subterranean streams and, after rain - how dazzling carpets of wildflowers colour the landscape July to September. Bush tucker trees and surprising Desert Kurrajong afresh with new leaves in summer. SHARE A quiet region hosting the world’s largest and most capable radio telescope, where people deeply connected to Aboriginal, mining and pastoral cultures live and work together. Murchison GeoRegion - covering seven unique outback Shires, invites you to journey through an ancient, far horizon landscape to discover stories that reach back almost to the Earth’s beginning, some 4.54 billion years ago. Stand under an often dark night sky, where the Milky Way’s full arc can be seen in total awe and silence. A self drive Geotrail connects the six gold rush townships and Murchison Settlement – while guiding you to geosites of extraordinary significance.

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Ancient lands Brilliant skies

Cue–Dalgaranga Rd, 47 km southwest of Cue | Latitude: -27.398171, Longitude: 117.467870

2. Wilgie Mia

With 30,000 years of activity, Wilgie Mia is the oldest continuous mining operation in the world.

No camping

Known also as Thuwarri Thaa – The Place of Red Ochre – it holds the honour of being largest and deepest underground Aboriginal ochre mine in Australia. Ochre is a natural earth pigment containing iron oxide and was formed in the Weld Range 30–65 million years ago. It comes in various colours including red, yellow and green. When used as body paint the red ochre sparkled against the light from a fire and was seen as ‘magical’. Ochre was and still is an important part of Aboriginal culture used in ceremonies, medicines, and rock and body paintings. The red ochre from Wilgie Mia was traded across Australia as far as Ravensthorpe, the Kimberley and Queensland, as well as into Indonesia in what is believed to be the first example of international trade. Wilgie Mia was declared a protected and restricted site in 1973, acknowledging the importance it has to Aboriginal culture.

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ASK A LOCAL! Driving the Geotrail? Experience a Station Stay and share your journey with the cultural Outback Pathways and Monsignor Hawes Heritage Trail, as you travel through the Murchison GeoRegion. Contact one of our local Visitor Information Centres for information and advice. Cue – 08 9963 1198

Trail Guidebook

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MORE INFORMATION Go to www.murchisongeoregion.com to learn more and download the Trail Guide and free app.

Sandstone – 08 9963 5061 Wiluna – 08 9981 8009 Yalgoo – 08 9962 8042

Meekatharra – 08 9980 1811 Mount Magnet – 08 9963 4172 Murchison – 08 9961 3875

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