Yardup, Stepping Back in Time

Greetings Everyone,

After our success in finding a Numbat, it was time to continue our journey south to Stirling Range National Park. As we drew closer the rugged mountains of the range came into view. The park encompasses the only major mountain range in the southern half of Western Australia and protects many species of endemic plants. We had booked a cottage on a working sheep farm about 17 km north of the park.

Yardup Cottage

As we arrived, Ellen, one of the owners drove up. She gave us a tour of this enchanted cottage. As we entered, it was like stepping back in time. Yardup Cottage as it was named is around 100 years old! Ellen’s husband Richard’s parents and grandparents once lived in the cottage. Ellen was kind enough to let us share this photo of Yardup Cottage taken in 1925. On the veranda are Richard's grandmother Enid Milne and her sister Barbara Murray.

Yardup Cottage, 1925

It has been lovingly restored complete with antiques from the 1920s and 1930s.

Inside Yardup Cottage

From the front veranda, we had a view of the entire Stirling Range. It would be a fun place to spend a week.

View of Stirling Range from Yardup Cottage

The next day we set off to hike Bluff Knoll. At 3066-feet it is the highest peak in the range. We began the 2000-foot climb in the cool of the morning on a paved path.

The Trail to Bluff Knoll

The paved path ended and we entered the forest where stairs had been built on the steeper sections to prevent erosion. A Wedge-tailed Eagle soared overhead as we broke out of the forest and into bottlebrushes some still in bloom.

Bottlebrush Flowers

Like other parts of Western Australia, Phytophthora dieback disease has hit the Stirling Range hard. It’s caused by a microscopic water mold (Phytophthora cinnamomi) that dwells in the soil and kills plants by rotting their roots. It was probably introduced by early European settlers in the soil of plants they brought with them. I was surprised to learn that a water mold was causing such a problem in an arid region. Unfortunately, it can be spread from one area to another by vehicles and footwear. Near the top, we reached an area that was recovering from a fire caused by an escaped burn. All the Banksia were blackened. Clearly the endemic plants in this park face many challenges. 

Near the summit, a King’s Skink was partially hiding under some bushes.

King's Skink

We took in the sweeping views over the park to the west.

Peggy on the Summit of Bluff Knoll

On some summit rocks, a pile of South-western Crevice Skinks was trying to warm up in the morning sunshine.

South-western Crevice Skinks

Back at Yardup, I took a short walk marveling at the scope of the farm. It was a big operation with many outbuildings and heavy machinery. I couldn’t imagine the amount of work it takes to keep this place going. A man in a pickup drove up with his dog. It was Richard, Ellen’s husband. We chatted a bit. Yardup has been in his family for four generations (more than a century) starting with his great grandparents who came to Australia from Scotland. The farm now consists of 3500 hectares or 8650 acres on which crops like wheat, barley, canola, lupine, and oats are grown and 3800 Merino sheep are grazed! The sheep had already been sheared in January and we were between harvests so this was a quiet time at Yardup.

Driving into Yardup Farm

After dinner, we went for a night drive along the road to the Bluff Knoll carpark. We didn’t see much on the way up but on the return, Marc spotted what he thought was a quoll on his side of the car. When I leaned over, I saw that it wasn’t a quoll but a Quokka! I had read that Quokkas were sometimes found here but they are difficult to spot. Most people go to Rottnest Island off the coast from Perth where Quokka have become a big tourist attraction but mainland Quokka are not often seen.

Quokka near Bluff Knoll Carpark

The next day we decided to climb our second peak, Mt. Magog. It’s located deep in the park off the gravel Stirling Range Road. We had the summit to ourselves as we hiked 2km through a level section lined with yellow flowers and a few banksias still in bloom. Honeyeaters flitted about drinking nectar from the late-blooming flowers.

The Trail to Mt. Magog

The climbing began in earnest straight up a steep gully with loose rocks. I was moving slow, real slow, concentrating with each step. We reached the ridge with Mt. Magog looming above. The climbing moderated a bit before entering a rocky section that required a bit of scrambling. We had a few more scrambles before finally reaching the summit. We admired the view and took a bit of a break before heading back down.

View from Mt. Magog

We reached the steep section where the fun started. We had to climb down on loose rocks and scree without slipping and taking a tumble. Finally, we made it to the flat section, whew!

Descent from Mt. Magog

It was getting hot but a cool breeze kept us comfortable. We made it to the car and drove back to Yardup where farm-fresh eggs awaited us.

Fresh Eggs!

Another day, another peak. Our next objective was Mt. Trio. The morning clouds had cleared and it was another beautiful day. The first part of the hike was very steep until we got to the ridge. We reached the summit in just over an hour. It was vegetated so the views weren’t great. An area had been cleared just below the top so we sat there for views and a snack.

View from Mt. Trio

Back at Yardup Cottage, we had enough energy left to do laundry. There was a washing machine on the back veranda but we had to line dry our clothes. We used a baby carriage-like contraption to wheel our wet clothes out to the line!

Marc Hauling Wet Clothes

That night we did another drive along Bluff Knoll Road. The lower section was a good spot for Western Brush Wallaby. We finally caught one in the open where you can clearly make out the characteristic black gloves.  

Western Brush Wallaby

Further along the road, we saw our first Common Brushtail Possums in the park.

Common Brushtail Possum

The last peak we climbed in Stirling Range National Park was Mt. Hassell. A series of false summits finally led to the real one. 

Marc on the Summit of Mt. Hassell

On the way back down we noticed ripples in some of the rocks. We later read that the range was once covered by a shallow sea. After the sea receded, the layers of sediment were transformed into layers of rock by the pressure created by their own weight. 

Ripples in the Rocks

After spending one week in the area, it was time to move on. We had a great time climbing some of the peaks in Stirling Range National Park and seeing some of the park’s unique flora and fauna. Staying in Yardup Cottage was a real treat. Learning about the history of the farm was fascinating and staying in Yardup Cottage really brought it alive. A heartfelt thanks to Richard and Ellen for sharing their impressive farm with us!

We hope all is well with everyone.

Peggy and Marc

Our route map: