Wheatbelt Weekend – Koorda

Finish work with an already packed car, rally the troops and put on your favourite road trip playlist for the short (2.5hrs) but peaceful meander out to Koorda. Drive In and stay a while, you won’t be disappointed!

If you roll into town late and don’t feel like preparing dinner, head into the Koorda Hotel for a classic “pub feed” that won’t disappoint. We have tried and tested all meals and can’t fault them. For those with a big appetite or those up for a challenge we recommend the classic Chicken Parmi or Dino Rump, buckle yourself in for a good feast. There is a full dine in or take away menu, so you have the choice of dining in with a cold refreshments and juke box tunes while you wait, or you can retreat to your accommodation and get settled in for the night.

Hopefully you aren’t still in a food coma after last nights dinner, but never fear, we have an active day for you if you need to walk it off, but first, call past Koorda IGA for a heart starting take away machine coffee. There is no take away food available for lunch on Saturday, but why not take your portable BBQ/cooker and cook up some snags out at one of the reserves. You couldn’t possibly come out to the country and not have a BBQ or camp fire cook up.

Koorda has a few rocks and reserves on offer for a peaceful bush walk including Redcliffe, Mollerin Rock and Newcarlbeon Reserve. Redfcliffe is located only 5km west of town and offers a picturesque contrast from the white salt lake panes to the red granite outcrops that form the “Red Cliffe.” Once you have explored Redcliffe, jump back in the car and head north of Koorda and stop in at Newcarlbeon Tank and Reserve (only 21km north off Anderson Road). The reserve has a tidy picnic area, camping facilities and a toilet. Walk around the catchment area and spy some delicate wildflowers. To the east of the campsite, after a small bush walk, you will find the Newcarlbeon tank. From here, jump back in the car head further north to the Mollerin Rock Reserve, located on the Kulja-Mollerin Rock Road. Like Newcarlbeon, the reserve has camping facilities, picnic tables and a toilet. Climb to the top of the rock to take in the panoramic views of the surrounding farm land. Stroll around the bottom of the rock and keep an eye out for some of the many orchids and wildflowers than can be found here.

If you were lucky in planning your trip around a weekend Drive In screening, after an active morning, you may want a little downtime before you pack the blankets and snacks into the back of your car for the ultimate experience at the Koorda Drive In. Enjoy the movies from the comfort of the back of your car, or on some camp chairs or beanbags, make sure you take a minute to peer up at the night sky to take in its beauty. The more you look, the more you see, and you won’t be disappointed with the amazing night skies that the clean country air produces.

After a jam-packed weekend, and just before you make the quick trip back to Perth, catch up on all the Koorda History by visiting the Koorda Museum which houses local artefacts and collections of historical papers of the district’s history. The Museum has multiple displays including a hospital room, map and history room, parlour, kitchen crockery display, laundry display, farm workshop, old farm machinery and police lockup no. 4.

A visit to Koorda wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Koorda Motor and Military Museum which houses an amazing array of military collections and vintage cars to browse through. It features a variety of original classic and muscle cars, memorabilia and models. It also has large military displays from the Boer War to Afghanistan.