Karalee rocks is a beautiful camp area just east of Southern Cross on the way to Kalgoorlie from Perth following the Great Eastern highway. Many people camp there overnight but it really warrants a day there to absorb all that is available.
Track Care WA has been asked to be involved in the restoration of the site working with the National Trust Western Australia. So, the MOU between the two groups has been signed, the contract is in place and work is about to begin.
There is a dam on site that was used to supply water to the steam trains that went from Perth to Kalgoorlie and back again. The dam was built in the 1890’s ish and the water supply was obtained by build granite wall dams around two large granite outcrops, funneling the water through channels and then through an above ground flume to the dam.
The initial assessment suggests that we will need three team leaders to handle the work relating to tree removal from the dam and associated work areas, one team leader for the restoration and improvement of the camping area. As this work comes to an end, we will then need a team leader for the restoration of the Flume and another for the restoration of the toilet infrastructure and the water supply for the toilet.
It’s going to be a busy year in a fantastic camping spot. The suggestion is that the work won’t actually be finished until next year, but the start will be soon. July 1-7 will be the first work component where we will remove trees from the dam and granite outcrops to create a supply of firewood for campers and create the bollards for marking off areas and protecting areas where rare plants exist. The new fire rings will need to be installed and the old concrete from the fire rings of days gone by will be moved to be repurposed on the site.