“Gaylene’s Kitchen” The Heart and Soul of 

the Redgum Restaurant by Night
and 
  the Redgum Café by Day

New Redgum Take Away Menu – Click here for Gaylene’s Take Out Dishes

Walk through the big red door to experience genuine country style home cooked food, prepared on site fresh every day from Gaylene’s Kitchen. 

Cafe for Brunch: Sun 10.00am to 3pm

Family Restaurant: Fri, Sat, Sun 6.00pm to late
(booking only, 4hrs notice can be done, 24hrs plus guaranteed)

Group Bookings for Private Restaurant available anytime – 7 days a week

Bookings always open to:
Groups, Clubs, Businesses, Organisations, Bus Tours, Family Gatherings
For: 
Brunch, Restaurant, Conference / Meetings, Workshops etc…

       ▶▶ Cafe’ Brunch Menu ◀◀            ▶▶ Restaurant Evening Menu ◀◀

      ▶▶ New Take Away Menu Here ◀◀

Australian Fodder Association had a Buffet Dinner for 46 in the Redgum Restaurant

 If You Make a Booking We Will be Open 🙂

• Booking Essential
• ▶▶ Pictures of Gaylene’s Dishes Here ◀◀
• Group Dining options are a private room for up to 16 (pic above)
• B.Y.O. Free Cork Service
• 
• Be waited on with a Generous “A La Cart’e menu” in the elite Redgum Restaurant (please dress accordingly) Tables for 2 – 4 – 6 or 8 (pic below, renovations still in progress)
• Below is an example of Group or Function Dining for up to 50.

  

• ▶▶  Choose Your Menu When You Make a Booking ◀◀
• ▶▶ More Dishes here facebook.com/gaylenescafe ◀ ◀ 
• 
  Ring 0428 550 046 or e:mail booking@redgumvillage.com.au

• Short Notice Bookings are OK if we are not too busy.
• If just passing thru town you are welcome to select from our Buffet Menu as presented to In-House Guests.
• (Buffet Style Below)

Whether you live or work in a country town you should be able to expect real hearty home cooked food. The heart and soul of country living.

Unfortunately, in this day and age finding real home cooked food can be a challenge.
So many businesses chasing the customer’s dollar by delivering pre-cooked meals to cut costs. You can get that elsewhere and get it cheap. Nothing wrong with that, it’s your choice. But not here! 

The Redgum Restaurant through “Gaylene’s kitchen” is offering you the closest experience to fine dining with real country cooked food:

• B.Y.O and a bar area with free cork service available.
• You don’t have to dine in a country town with microwave heated plastic dinners. 
• You don’t have to dine at a pub / hotel.

Redgum Village offer various Dining services: 

▶▶ More Dishes here facebook.com/gaylenescafe ◀ ◀ 

1 – Full Restaurant Service to Anybody who pre-books and would like to Dine in The Redgum Restaurant. (This is an elite dining experience, please dress accordingly)

2 – Private Dining Room for Groups or Organisations up to 16 with Full Restaurant Service

3 – Buffet from the Dining Hall as per the in-house menu for onsite guests

4 – With notice we can arrange a Dining Function for up to 50 seated guests with either a Buffet or Full Service.

You expect great food, you deserve it and you get it, right here guaranteed**

The beef  has been locally grown and packaged at a commercial abattoir.

The vegetables from the city markets delivered to the country based restaurant refrigerated and fresh from Matts Fruit & Vege delivery service.
“If it were any fresher it would slap you in the face”.

This is where home cooked meals come to the surface and shine above the rest.
The meat is freshly cooked an hour before you eat it, slow cooked in the oven overnight and finished off through the day to be succulent and moist by dinner time.
The vegetables straight out of the cool room, prepared in the morning and left to rest at room temperature before slow cooking just before being served.

Keeping the flavour of the vegetable and freshness on the plate for you to enjoy.
As with country cooking there is the special recipe sauce or gravy to blow your mind and compliment the perfect home cooked meal.

This is real home cooked country dining that Gaylene has perfected.

For dessert, it’s very hard to go past the homemade apple crumble, created on the day from apples prepared yesterday and soaking up those secret ingredients.
The end result a mouth-watering flavoursome apple crumble you thought only your grandmother could make.

For Country cooking at its best, look no further than Dandaragan & Moora District Redgum Restaurant by night and the Redgum Cafe for a “Brunch” by day with onsite home country cook specialist Gaylene.

Want a Chai Latt’e ? As you see you can.

**Yes, even guaranteed by Gaylene herself, if it’s not to your expectation or more, then we don’t want your money, we have to deserve your approval and only your pleasurable response is acceptable before payment.

.

Looking for Somewhere to Have Brunch
In The Weekend?

Or A Relaxing Restaurant to Dine Out in
The Evening?

There is a new elite venue for a relaxing dining experience close by:

the “Re’Door Café / Restaurant”

Dishes from the Heart of Gaylene’s Kitchen at Redgum Village in Dandaragan

Enter through the big Red Door, wait to be seated or relax in the comfy Red Tub chairs.
Prepare yourself for Quality Home Cooked Country Cuisine where no one leaves hungry.
From Succulent Choice Steak to a Signature Chicken Parma, Crumbed Fish or a Stacked Lasagne, choices to suit most appetites. Vege, GF and Meat lovers.

• Barn Style Café indoor / outdoor for Brunch. Dress code: Just keep it clean.
  Fri, 12 noon to 4pm until we establish a pattern.
  Sat and Sundays 9.30am to 4pm.
• Barn Style B.Y.O. Restaurant for an authentic relaxing country dining experience. Dress code: minimum casual.
  Fri, Sat and Sunday evenings by booking only 6.30pm till late.
• Private Dining for Groups, Clubs, Organisations or Family Gatherings seats up to 16 or use the whole restaurant for groups of 40. Bookings taken for anytime.
• Smaller Groups. Just ring us tell us your story or idea and we will endeavour to make it work. Bookings welcome anytime in the Café.Even for Coffee & Cake.
• Workshop / Meeting Room on site. Actually attached next door.
• Accommodation. Yes, we do have 52 rooms of various configurations.

Re’Door is pronounced like Target is Tarj’ay. Redoor is Ree’door
almost a French accent J

For all bookings or enquiries:

☎ (08) 9651 4223 (If unattended please leave a message)       e-mail info@redgumvillage.com.au

www.redgumvillage.com.au/blog follow the links for pics and menu.

Special Offer for August

Free Dinner for Two:

For All:

• Business Owners or Managers
• Club Committee Members
• Community or Group Organisers

Team up and come in together. Take full advantage of the evening. BYO.

Full menu choice.
A Draft Menu is on www.facebook.com/gaylenescafe
under the About section then Page info on the left then Menu button.

The Catch:

There always is one, like they say there is no such thing as a free lunch! **

After your dining experience at the Re’Door Restaurant, we would like you to offer some constructive feedback.      
That’s it!
This is how we can ensure we offer you and all our future guests a complete enjoyable dining experience … yes from your feedback.

Optional: If your experience is positive we would like your permission to publish a testimonial on our website, I can even write it for you with your approval before publication. All you have to do is tell me your thoughts.

If your experience was not so positive, please do tell us and we will make every effort to rectify it. We are human and we will make mistakes, that’s a given.
But that is how you will eventually have the ultimate dining experience.

Current visitors and guests have openly commented how it
“just feels right” when they enter through the big red door and settle in

** You are not getting a free lunch. You are having a Free Dinner for Two.

Conditions: Offer for weekends in August 2016: Free dinner for first 20 confirmed bookings: other group, club or committee members welcome to
join you at restaurant rates less 10%.

Shire of Dandaragan “The district that has it all.”

Dandaragan is Diversity. A visit to this Shire is a must for everybody – whether they be old or young, ‘cool’ or old-fashioned, fishermen, ‘boaties’, gentle swimmers and paddlers, surfers, snorkellers, divers, windsurfers, bush walkers, nature lovers or sight-seers.

Dandaragan is within easy reach of Perth and can be visited in a day. However, longer stays are also recommended, as there is so much to see and do.

www.redgumvillage.com.au

Dandaragan offers the visitor almost everything – ranging from fabulous farming scenery, national parks [native flora and fauna, extensive inland and ocean views], bush walks, unique Australian wildflowers, an emu farm and historical buildings, to aquatic playgrounds for pastimes such as swimming and snorkelling during the summer months, and fantastic all year-round fishing, skin-diving and windsurfing. It has something for everyone and for people of all ages, and the good news is that there is an excellent network of roads for both conventional and 4-wheel drive vehicles.

The weather is temperate, the climate Mediterranean.
The summer months – December, January and February – are hot and maximum temperatures can reach 40? Celsius.
Rainfall in the district ranges from 600 mm in the coastal areas to 350 mm in the inland area in the winter months – June, July and August – when the temperatures drop considerably.

The very isolation of Australia has led to the development of a unique indigenous flora, and Dandaragan, situated in the Central Midlands Area of Western Australia, has a wonderful array of wildflowers.
The best places to view them are the undeveloped areas where no clearing has been carried out for farming and other purposes.
To this end a number of national parks have been set aside to encourage the preservation of these, the native animals and birds, and the natural beauty of the landscape.

The time of the year when the wildflowers are at their best is between September and October when the temperatures rise with the advent of spring but the soil is still damp from the winter rains.
Please note that it is recommended if venturing into the parks on foot that visitors use insect repellent to avoid the kangaroo ticks which are prevalent.

Organised wildflower tours are also available from Perth.
For details/bookings regarding these visit the West Australian Tourist Bureau at the Perth Visitors’ Centre, Forrest Place, Perth or browse their web site at
www.westernaustralia.net.
Contact can also be made by phone on 1300 361 351 or by email at
welcome@tourism.wa.gov.au.

Places to Visit in the Dandaragan Region.

Regan’s Ford

Regan’s Ford is a pleasant, shady picnic spot on the bank of the Moore River about 200 metres from the Brand Highway, adjacent to the Regan’s Ford Bridge. It is the site of the an old stone crossing which was constructed in 1876 for Walter Padbury, an early settler who had taken up land further north in the early 1850s.

Padbury needed an all-weather crossing so that his bullock teams could carry produce from his property, ‘Yathroo’, south to market and return with stores and other needs. Edward Regan who lived on the nearby property, ‘Happy Valley’, built it with the help of a group of local Aborigines.

In spite of the success of this ford there were times when the winter flooding was such that the river was still impassable to smaller traffic, and even after it was bituminised in later years. This was finally rectified in 1959 with the construction of the modern Regan’s Ford Bridge.

Moore River

This river was named after George Fletcher Moore, Swan River settler, explorer, foundation member of the colony’s Legislative Council in 1832, and later, its Advocate-General. He visited the area in 1836 during an exploratory search for pasture, but pronounced it too far from the Swan River Colony for development at that time.

According to a legend belonging to the Yuat [Aboriginal] tribal group: In the creation time, the earth was flat and featureless. WAKAL, the water serpent rose up from the earth and began his long journey from the north. He came down through Watheroo and Moora, carving out the bed of the river as he went.

On his back he carried fish, water snakes, gilgies, turtles and all the creatures of the river. When WAKAL got to MOGUMBER he turned sharply west, gouging out deep holes which today are the deepest pools in the river, which the Nyungars call ‘MUR’ and the white people call the ‘Moore’.

Cataby

Cataby is a very small township on the Brand Highway about 32 kilometres north of Regan’s Ford and 160 kilometres north of Perth. It was originally known as West Dandaragan. Mineral sands mining began here in 1989.
It is a convenient refreshment stop. There are two roadhouses – the Ampol Roadhouse, which is open 24 hours a day and the BP Roadhouse, two kilometres further north and adjacent to the Cataby Hotel. Both roadhouses provide a range of facilities [including food items, refreshments, fuel, etc] and picnic areas for visitors.

The hotel has unit-style accommodation for up to 30 people and meals can be ordered from the roadhouse next door.
Cataby Ampol Roadhouse: [08] 9651 2024
BP Roadhouse : [08] 9651 2010
Cataby Hotel [reservations]: [08] 9651 2012

Dandaragan Township
Situated 20 kilometres east of Cataby

The name comes from Dandara Spring, which was so named in 1849 by another explorer, Augustus Charles Gregory. It is the regional centre of the district and the seat of the Dandaragan Shire Council. This is an excellent example of a small Western Australian country town and it has several interesting historic buildings which are worthy of a visit.

St Anne’s Church,
Moora-Caro Road, Dandaragan [south of township]

This charming Anglican church, constructed between 1885 and 1887, was named after May Anne Nairn, mother of Walter Padbury’s wife, Charlotte. There is also an early well-site nearby.

The church has an interesting Gothic arch for its entry and is constructed of local soap stone which came from ‘Kayanaba’, a nearby property. This stone was soft when first quarried, so the blocks could be easily sawn into shape. Hardening occurred after contact with the air.

The building was opened as a church and school in 1888 and used for social gatherings and then, after 1890, for the Dandaragan Road Board meetings. Four extra rooms were added on at the rear circa 1900 to provide suitable accommodation for the teacher. Classes were held there until 1948 when it was condemned for use as a school. A transportable building was subsequently erected and used until a permanent school was constructed in 1952. Open to visitors.

Dandaragan Post and Telegraph Office and Quarters,
Moora-Caro Road

This very attractive building is also made from local stone and was designed by the famous architect George Temple Pool who was also responsible for some of Perth’s prominent buildings including the Central Railway Station. The Post Office opened for business in 1896 and in 1911 the Dandaragan telephone exchange was installed there. It is no longer open to the public and can only be viewed from the road.

Shire Office and Chambers, Moora-Caro Road, Dandaragan
A much more modern building in the town is the Shire Office and Chambers. The Dandaragan area was part of the Victoria Plains Road Board District from 1871 to 1890 when the Dandaragan Road Board was formed. In 1961 it became a shire under a new Local Government Act of 1961.

This building, an excellent example of the architecture of its day, was opened on 22 June 1961 by the Minister for Local Government, LA Logan.

Old Road Board Secretary’s Residence, Moora-Caro Road, Dandaragan

Built of corrugated iron [and now in use as a sports’ storeroom at the Dandaragan Primary School], this building was the Road Board Secretary’s residence in the 1920s. It was originally situated on the other side of the road and was moved to its present location by the school’s P & C Association in 1959. Access to the public is restricted.

Wolba Cottage or Aggie’s Cottage, ‘Wolba Wolba’, Badgingara Road, Dandaragan

Now owned by the Shire, Aggie’s Cottage is used by local historical and craft groups. This brick, stone and iron cottage was erected around 1871 on land which was originally taken up by Thomas Jones. The surrounding area also became an important campsite during World War II when the army carried out extensive training exercises in the district.

Dandaragan Cemetery, Moora-Caro Road, Dandaragan [north of the township]

This site was laid out for burial purposes in the 1890s and is still in use. The entry gates [and brick pillars] and a number of the early graves are still visible. Many of these graves have iron railings and those headstones which are still legible, make interesting reading for the historically-minded tourist. Open to visitors.

Dandaragan Roman Catholic Cemetery, Dandaragan Road, Dandaragan
This cemetery is situated two kilometres south of the town on the west side of Dandaragan Road. It was set aside for use on 23 July 1860 but the first known burial was not until the 1890s when a group of locals erected a fence and the cemetery was officially opened. The date 26.6.1890 can be seen on one of the old posts. The cemetery was closed after the last burial took place on 10 April 1927. Only four headstones and a few timber crosses remain. It is open to visitors.

Bidgerabbie Estate Vineyard, Rowes Road, Dandarragan
This vineyard, which is run by JAV Brown and Sons, is situated 17 kilometres south-east of the Dandaragan township. This traditional wheat and wool property was taken up by Jack Brown in 1919 and the vines were planted in 1994 by his descendants.
Bidgerabbie Estate Vineyard produces a selection of white wines, Touriga [made from a Spanish-style grape] and a tawney port. Cellar sales are by appointment only. Phone [08] 9651 3027.

Cervantes
Pinnacles Visitor Centre Shopping Centre – Cadiz Street, Cervantes
Phone 08 96527700 Fax 08 96527711
Free Call 1800610660
Email: pinnaclesvc@bigpond.com

Cervantes is a small, picturesque fishing town located on the coast at Thirsty Point, 245 kilometres north of Perth. It boasts one of the most visited icons in Australia the Pinnacles, one of four known Stromatolite sites in Western Australia, good beaches for swimming and other water sports.
The township was named after the whaling ship, Cervantes, which was wrecked on the coast in 1844. The first settlers were crayfishermen, who camped here in the 1960s, and the fishing facilities followed. In 1962, 505 hectares of the Nambung Reserve were allocated for the townsite, which was gazetted the following year.

First Jetty, Cervantes
This is a timber jetty constructed in 1962 and is situated between two newer ones. The dog-leg is a more recent addition. Remains of Army Lookout, Thirsty Point, Cervantes: This was constructed as a military lookout point during World War II in case of a Japanese invasion. All that remains today is some rusting iron and timber. Stunning views from the area.

Nambung National Park and the Pinnacles, Pinnacles Drive, Cervantes
The Nambung National Park, which includes the Pinnacles, is the region’s major natural attraction.
The park is situated 17 kilometres south-east of Cervantes and 250 kilometres north of Perth and covers an area of 17,487 hectares. It has an extensive list of resident bird life and native fauna.

Over 190,000 people visit the area annually. A visit to the Pinnacles is a must. Here are statuesque limestone pillars up to three metres high, rising out of the sand like ancient ruins. These most unusual wind-carved edifices were formed in the sand 25,000 to 30,000 years ago after the sea receded and deposits of sea shells remained behind. Over time the elements removed the surrounding sand, leaving the pillars isolated and open to wind degradation.

Access to the National Park and to the Pinnacles for conventional-drive vehicles is by road south from Cervantes. The tracks leading north from Lancelin contain patches of deep sand in some sections and are therefore recommended for 4-wheel drive vehicles only. Access to the Pinnacles area itself is by a 100 metre walking trail from the car park.

A scenic drive is also available for light vehicles but they must remain on the marked track. The Little Painted Desert and an unusual white dune area can also be viewed from the Pinnacles Lookout. These are a pleasurable, entertaining walk of four to five kilometres for the more adventurous but if planning an extended walk of this kind, please advise the ranger.

Hats, bottled water and sturdy footwear are essential. No camping is allowed in the park but barbecue facilities, toilets, etc. are available. Please note: there is no available drinking water.
For more information contact the
Jurien office of CALM on [08] 9652 1911
or the Ranger Station in Cervantes on [08] 9545 7043.

Organised tours are available from Cervantes and from Perth. For information on locally organised tours telephone the Shell Service Station at Cervantes on [08] 9652 7041. For tours originating in Perth contact the West Australian Tourist Bureau on 1300 361 351 or by email at welcome@tourism.wa.gov.au.

Stomatolites in Lake Thetis, Cervantes
These are a fascinating natural feature. Situated along a good gravel road ( 2 Wheel Drive ) 2 Kilometres to the south-east on Hansen Bay Road.

It is one of only four known sites where stromatolites can be found in Western Australia. The stromatolites are an important natural feature which ‘grow ‘ around the lakes perimeter. These are the oldest known living organisms on Earth and fossils found in Western Australia.
The stomatolites are an important natural feature which ‘grow’ around the lake’s perimeter. These are the oldest known living organisms on Earth and fossils found in these examples indicate dates of up to 3,000 million years ago. The lake itself was named after the sailing ship, Thetis, in which Josua Gregory undertook a coastal survey between 1847 and 1848. The vessel was built at the Swan River and, despite being only 14 tons, also carried substantial cargoes between Perth and Singapore in the 1840s.

Hansen Bay Lookout, Cervantes
Only 200 metres past the Lake Thetis turn off on Hansen Bay Road is the stunning view from Hansen Bay Lookout giving an overall view of Hansen Bay, Cervantes Island, Lake Thetis and Cervantes Township.

Thirsty Point Beach & Lookout, Cervantes
Very popular beach beautiful clear water for swimming, toilets, shade and shelters. Good fishing beach.

The Four Jetties, Cervantes
The north and south jetties are very popular for fishing, Cray boats use the jetties in season between November and July.

Hangover Bay Nambung National Park
In the Nambung National Park along the Pinnacles Road. Beautiful Bay for swimming, snorkeling, fishing, has a view of Islands. Picnic area with toilets and Gazebo.

Molar Hill Lookout Cervantes – Jurien Road
Approx 12 kilometres north of Cervantes on the Cervantes Jurien Road 360 degree view of the surrounding country side and ocean. Slight aerial view of Jurien Bay and Cervantes Township, also suitable for disabled access.

Badgingarra District
Badgingarra is an Aboriginal word. ‘Badgin’ means ‘manna gum’ and ‘garra’ means ‘water’.

Old Badgingarra Townsite,
Moora-Badgingarra Road, Badgingarra
Look for the remains of some tennis courts which were constructed by residents in the late 1950s. Their surface, which was made from crushed anthills, is still visible as are some of the rough cut timber posts that formed part of the surrounding fence. These, some foundations [Burnetts’ Store], and a few introduced trees are all that remain of the original Badgingarra townsite which was established in 1955. In 1969 the town was moved to its present position, six kilometres east of the Brand Highway.

Phoebe’s Reserve, Moora-Badgingarra Road
This reserve is situated 500 metres north of the road between the original Badgingarra township and the new. It is the site of another World War II army training camp and there is still some evidence of the trenches which were dug by its military inhabitants. It is believed they also constructed a dam in the nearby creek. Accessible to visitors

Badgingarra Township
The current township is situated just east of the Brand Highway, 205 kilometres north of Perth. Refreshments are available at both the roadhouse and the Badgingarra Tavern.

Badgingarra National Park, Brand Highway, Badgingarra
This park consists of a large area of land – 13,121 hectares – which has been set aside for the preservation of many of the species of wildflowers including black kangaroo paws, which are found in this vicinity. It is also home to many reptiles, emus, western grey kangaroos and a variety of bird-life including bustards and wedge tail eagles.

A stimulating two kilometre circular walking trail has been established, commencing at a point on the west side of the Brand Highway close to the Badgingarra Roadhouse. The walk is over rugged terrain and there is a steep hill with a lookout so a reasonable level of health is required.

The walk takes about 1• hours and a CALM information booklet is available. It is recommended that visitors intending to do the walk leave their cars in the area provided at the roadhouse. Refreshments are also available at the roadhouse and the tavern but camping is not allowed.
For more information call the Cervantes Ranger Station on [08] 9652 7043.

Waddi Bush Resort, Koonah Road Badgingarra.
Waddi Bush Resort is situated only 3 kilometres east of the Brand Highway then 5 Kilometres south on a good quality gravel road. The Resort has all rammed earth buildings with cabins, 4 chalets, 2 Bedroom house and Caravan Park. The Restaurant is open Thursday to Sunday. The farm also has an airstrip.

Badgingarra Research Station, Winjardie Road, Badgingarra
This was established in 1959 on land taken up first in November 1953 by Herbert Sudholt. It was set up to carry out research into farming the surrounding sand plain country and to assist local farmers with development. Access to visitors restricted.

Lang Lookout, Dinner Hill, Watheroo West Road, Badgingarra.
This elevated site has extensive long distance vistas of the surrounding countryside.

The viewing area is marked out and a large rock commemorates local farmer George Elliot Lang, who was responsible for the introduction of modern-day farming techniques in the area. Lang was also deeply committed to the preservation of the local wildflowers and frequently joined the West Australian Government Railways [WAGR] seasonal bus tours, sharing his knowledge of these and the local area. His own garden, planted with enchanting examples of the different specimens, was also a frequent stop for these tours.

This area is open to all visitors and recommended for viewing the beautiful Badgingarra countryside with its red earth and green rolling pastures.

Old Cattle Yards, near Hill River, Cantabelling Road, Badgingarra.
Just a few timber posts remain of these yards which were build by Alfred Burnett in 1946 for the Dandaragan Road Board. Used by drovers taking cattle through from stations in this area to the railway at Moora. This site was chosen because of the availability of water in a nearby soak. Accessible to visitors but 4-wheel drive only.

Jurien District:

Jurien
Situated 266 kilometres north of Perth, it is the largest of Dandaragan’s coastal settlements. The bay was named in 1801 by French naval explorer Nicholas Baudin in honour of Charles Jurien, an administrator in the French Navy. Boatsheds and fisherman’s shacks were erected on the beach here when the rock lobster export market began to develop in the 1950s.
Holiday-makers, particularly boat owners, were then attracted by the jetties, boat ramps, fuel etc. and began building accommodation for themselves. The first beach house is believed to have been constructed here in 1951.

Jurien Bay is a wonderful water playground. Ideal for short visits or longer, more relaxing summer holidays.

The bay is protected by the islands and reefs which lie just a few kilometres from the shoreline, thus providing sheltered water for a multitude of recreational aquatic activities.

There is safe swimming in the tranquil area created within the inland harbour, or more excitement in the surf at the other beaches in the bay. All have pristine white sands and enticing clear waters. Ideal for a cool and relaxing swim during the hot summer months. It is also an excellent area for windsurfing and skin diving, and for recreational fishing and crabbing.

The fishing is good everywhere – from the beaches, the two old factory jetties [which are now open to the public], the limestone groynes or from private boats.

Facilities are provided for the boating public in the form of ramps, jetty and fuelling facilities. Pens are also available for hire and arrangements regarding the use of these can be made with the Port Officer. The bay also provides a safe haven for the large number of rock lobster [crayfishing] boats which are based there in the fishing season. Catches are processed at the Fremantle Fisherman’s Co-op in Jurien which is open to visitors, but only by appointment. Growth in the crayfishing industry saw the establishment of this permanent factory and processing plant and the construction of a jetty in the 1960s. Further advancement occurred in 1988 with the opening of the Jurien Marina. This new marina, which cost $8 million to build, provided the professional fishing community with 72 new commercial pens.

Rock lobsters are now highly sought after for dinner tables around the world – and particularly in countries such as Japan and the USA where very high prices are charged for such delicacies. The industry earns the region – and Western Australia – millions of dollars in export revenue each year.

Sea lions
Jurien , Cervantes
Sea Lions are a major attraction in the Jurien Bay Marine Park, they have fluctuating large colonies, on the islands off Jurien Bay, mainly cows and juveniles. Cows are very protective of there young pups during breeding season and Sea Lions can be dangerous out of the water where they feel threatened and insecure. However these fun loving, creatures in the water love showing off in front of the camera. Bookings and further information contact Pinnacles Visitor Centre.

Walter Padbury’s Jetty
This was built by Walter Padbury in 1885 to load stock, wool and kangaroo hides for shipment to Fremantle and overseas. It was subsequently destroyed by fire and the remains covered by sand. It was rediscovered in the 1970s and its location marked by a large rock and a plaque.

Wreck Site
There are many known wreck sites in the reef-infested waters along Dandaragan’s coastline. The remains of one which can still be seen in Jurien Bay is the SS Lubra. This steamship hit a reef south of Dongara on 3 January 1898. She was subsequently patched up and floated off, but the repairs were not successful in the long run. She eventually sank about three kilometres off Island Point in Jurien Bay and her boiler can still be seen sticking up out of the water in the area between Osprey Island and Favourite Island.

Cacker Ally, Bluewater Drive, Jurien
This was the site of a group of fishermen’s shacks in the 1960s. It was so named because of the high numbers of ‘cackers’ – local slang for the illegal, undersized crayfish – which were regularly landed here.

Jurien Cemetery and Tuart Trees, Memorial Drive, Jurien
These splendid trees are believed to be the most northerly stand of tuarts in WA. The site is also located adjacent to the old North-South Stock Route – the line used for driving stock [sheep, horses, cattle and even camels] between Champion Bay [Geraldton] and the Swan River Colony, as the original settlement at Perth was first known.

North-South Stock Route
This was originally gazetted in 1862 and such were the numbers of stock being moved along it by the 1890s that it was then gazetted as a half-mile wide swathe through the bush and a number of reserves were set aside as overnight stopping areas. These were usually places where water was plentiful but wells were sunk where necessary.
Its use declined considerably with the opening of the Midland Railway as far as Moora in 1893. Overnight stopping and watering places in the Dandaragan Shire include the Drovers’ Cave National Park, The Diamond of the Desert and Three Mile Swamp.

Drovers’ Cave National Park, Jurien Bay Road, Jurien
Located approximately six kilometres east of Jurien, this national park is 2,681 hectares in area. It provides good examples of banksia and bottle bush but bush walks should be restricted to fire-breaks only as the under story is very thick.
This was an overnight stopping place along the stock route which provided good fresh water and a sheltered camping spot for the drovers.
The cave itself, which is administered by CALM, is kept locked and access is limited. The same applies to the numerous other caves in the area.
The reasons for this are to ensure public safety and to prevent further acts of vandalism.

The Diamond of the Desert, off Cockleshell Gully Road
Another stopping place on the northern stock route, again because of the presence of fresh water. Although the site is accessible, sand now covers the spring, which was named after a place in one of Sir Walter Scott’s novels.

Three Mile Swamp
This was another overnight stop on the stock route. It was situated adjacent to a portion of the Shire’s southern border and Mimegarra Road, just north of Nine Mile Swamp where the stock route split into summer and winter tracks.

Remains of Radar Installation, North Head, Jurien
These interesting concrete remains consist of the original foundations, two relatively intact shelters [which housed the electric motors], and an underground tank.
The station was set up in the early 1940s by the Royal Australian Air Force [RAAF] to detect the presence of any Japanese invaders along this very vulnerable strip of coastline.

RM Bartle Memorial, North Head
A granite cairn and a plaque located at North Head, 14 kilometres north of Jurien. It was erected in memory of Robert Murray Bartle who was killed by a shark while skin-diving in the area. Accessible to 4-wheel drive vehicles only.

Lesueur National Park, Cockleshell Gully Road, Jurien
This park which was proclaimed in 1992, is 23 kilometres north east of Jurien Bay with a 18 kilometre bitumen loop laid in February 2005. The park is one of the most important areas of wildflower conservation in the state and has an abundance of these and of wildlife.

Mount Lesueur, the large flat-topped hill which dominates the area, was named after French artist Charles Lesueur who also took part in Baudin’s expedition. This is highest point in the Gairdner Range and the lookout has magnificent views of the coastline reaching as far north as Green Head.

Because of its height it has been used as a navigational aid since European settlement began. It was also used as a marker for the northern border of the Dandaragan Road Board when it was formed in 1890. Other recommended drives where natural bushland and wildflowers can be viewed from conventional drive vehicles, and at a leisurely pace, are along the Munbinea, Jurien East, Cantabilling, and Blackarrow Roads.

Sandy Point
Enjoyable and intriguing beach front camping site between Jurien Bay and Green Head. Superb swimming, snorkeling and beach fishing. This was probably the earliest summer camping spot for farming families from
Dandaragan and places further afield in the Moora, Victoria Plains and Gingin Shires. They did not purchase the land, they just squatted on it. Later on, around the 1920’s they erected makeshift shacks.

Go for it.
Visit Dandaragan on your next holiday – be it just a day trip to the Pinnacles and the wildflowers [it is within easy reach of Perth], or a weekend – or better still, make it a longer stay.
You will not be disappointed!

Clean up time at Dandaragan’s Redgum Village before the rain settled in. Raking leaves and more leaves and a few more. Great fun on a sunny but cooling day.

Then it rained and rained and rained. Must be good for the farming fraternity in the Moora Dandaragan District.

All in the space of a week. The sound of air seeders through the night would indicate the rain has settled in well and seeding is well underway here in the Dandaragan Valley.

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Waddi Wind Farm & Solar Plant – proposed project

Trustpower are investigating the possibility of developing the Waddi Wind Farm and Solar Plant located approximately 15 kilometres north-west of the township of Dandaragan and approximately 150 kilometres north of Perth in the mid-west region of Western Australia’s wheat belt.

Have a look at the new Waddi Wind Farm website, this article is based directly from it.

AT A GLANCE

LOCATION:15 km north-west of Dandaragan

MAX CAPACITY 170MW (proposed)

Wind Prospect commenced development of the project in 2009 as one of two wind farm projects known collectively as the Dandaragan Wind Farm. In October 2015 Trustpower Australia Holdings Pty Ltd purchased the Waddi Wind Farm project (the project located to the north-west of Dandaragan) from Wind Prospect. The Waddi Wind Farm will be spread across 10,400 ha and and will consist of up to 57 turbines with and installed capacity of up to 170MW.

The Waddi Solar Plant would be located within the boundary of the approved Waddi Wind Farm. The project will include a number of arrays consisting of either static or tracking flat plate photovoltaic panels. The arrays will cover an area up to approximately 150 hectares, with an installed capacity of up to 80MW. The ultimate size and output of the wind farm and solar plant projects will be dependent on the market and technology type selected.

Details

• Project Site: 10,400ha.
• Wind Farm: Up to 57 wind turbines and hardstand areas.
• Solar Arrays: Approximately 80MW of xed plate solar arrays over an area of up to 150 ha.
• Employment: Employ over 150 people during construction and will require 6-10 full time staff during its predicted 25 year life span.
• Investment: $500 million.

Environment and Community

Environmental Benefits:

• Generate enough renewable energy to power 80,000 homes. ? 
• Result in 350,000 tons of greenhouse gas savings?by offsetting traditional thermal generation (equivalent to removing 90,000 cars from our roads per annum). ? 
• Small environmental footprint than comparative forms of generation. ? 
• The land can be rehabilitated to its original condition at the end of the project when all above ground infrastructure is removed. ? 
• Minimal impact on the productivity of traditional farming activities. ? 
• Additional fire breaks and improved access roads for fire fighting. ? 
• Offsetting of environmental impacts where they can’t be avoided with net environmental benefits. ? 
• Additional energy supply to help meet the growing demands in Western Australia. ? 

Community:

We are a power company that believes in being involved in the communities where we operate and in the places where those communities live, work, bring up their children and run businesses.

Therefore, we implement a variety of initiatives to benefit communities in project areas.

We developed our Lend A Hand Foundation in New Zealand in 2004 and have since rolled out the concept to four project sites, including Snowtown in South Australia.

The Foundation assists small charitable organisations and individuals by giving them a hand when they need it most, through funding, mentoring and the provision of goods and services.

We have also developed Community Connect, an online space for voluntary and not-for-profit groups and organisations. It enables voluntary groups to promote their initiatives, connect with other volunteers and obtain ideas and inspiration through the discussion and resource sections.

We also run community awards and support a recognised anti-bullying initiative.

New Zealand residents frequently see Trustpower vehicles out and about, because instead of trading them in once they have reached trade-in point, we donate them to charitable groups.

Goods and services register

Trustpower is committed to using local labour whenever possible. As we progress towards this financial close we will be seeking expressions of interest from locals with expertise in a range of fields.

Soil restoration seminar at the Dandaragan hall on march 23rd was preceded by a sundowner function at the Redgum Village function centre in Dandaragan.

30 guests enjoyed a meal put on by Gaylene of the Redgum Village using local organic Dandaragan Beef supplied by the Cook family of Dandaragan Organic Beef.

The expo and organisation of the event was orchestrated by Christine Smith and a few helpers to ensure a successful evening and day was had by all.

Looks like everybody enjoyed the company, food and atmosphere before the big day at the Dandaragan Hall tomorrow.

A happy organiser 

Dandaragan Organic Beef, Suppliers of the evenings main dish. 

You could not get a better compliment than the supplier of the organic beef telling Gaylene she cooked the meat to perfection.

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Midlands groundwater and land assessment

This project aims to identify one or more 2,000 to 3,000 hectare area/s suitable for intensive irrigated horticulture within a broad 500,000 hectare envelope north of the Gingin irrigation district, encompassing the Moora Badgingarra-Dongara area.

 This could certainly be the next big thing in the Dandaragan Region as per there website and information brochure. Link below. 

This has world potential proving once again the Dinner Hill Area is going to be a very lucrative piece of real estate.

The Irwin area near Dongara, and the Dinner Hill area to the east of Badgingarra and north of Dandaragan, have been identified for further investigation as irrigated agriculture ho­tspots.

These two areas have been carefully selected with input from a community reference group.

Information from The Midlands Groundwater Study Here

Dandaragan is a quiet small town 33 km west of Moora & 17 km inland of Cataby on the Brand Hwy. When driving through Dandaragan you can be forgiven for thinking how does such a small town exist.

On the surface you would be correct because on a normal mid-week day you may see three or four cars driving through town at lunch time.
On Saturday afternoon and Sundays, you could use the main road for a cricket pitch or basketball court.

Looking closer you can feel genuine concern at the slowdown of the local existing mineral sands mine currently operated by Tronox.

But under the surface it’s a different story with these major projects in the Dandaragan Moora Region in planning stage and some already in construction:

• The Cataby Cattle Abattoir – in progress stage now and expected to employ 300 workers in 2017
• Dandaragan Camel Farm – Has first herd of camels on the farm now and milking expected mid-2016. This will expand to approx. 500 head of camels in 2017
• Iluka Mine Cataby – plans for opening a mineral sands mine is still on the radar
• The Waddi and Dandaragan Wind Farm projects regaining momentum now that the federal government is supporting wind power again.
• Solar farm south of Cataby also gaining momentum and nearing a construction date.
• Expansion and maturity of the existing Olive and Fruit orchards, employing in access of 200 staff regularly.
• Drilling of the Warro Gas Field at Badgingarra with continual promising results.
• The expressions of interest of arguably one of the best farms in WA, Yathroo is certainly an open topic of conversation. Will a local consortium re-gather the farm or will a large corporate body take advantage of the current cattle boom?
• Dandaragan Organic Beef getting world-wide recognition

These are all major projects and will require construction crews with ongoing staff and casual employees.

There is strong Foreign Business Ownership growing in the Moora Dandaragan region with Farming & Horticulture.

There is also a high demand for local and overseas employees at the large citrus orchard between Dandaragan and Moora.
This could become a problem as explained in the Feb issue of the NV News about the proposed Government backpacker tax.

Other unique interests in Dandaragan are:

• A star gazers paradise of clear night skies filled with billions of bright shining stars.
• Gateway into the heart of the West Australian wildflower trail.

Did you know the Dandaragan time zone is the same as or within an hour of:

• Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Hanoi, Bangkok, Jakarta, Osaka, Tokyo and Soul.

True story 🙂

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