Elachbutting Rock, Wheatbelt

During our recent trip to the Wheatbelt we visited a lot of Rocks and yes that is Rocks with a capital R. Elachbutting Rock, about 70 kms north east of Mukinbudin was one of the more interesting Rocks on our itinerary.

Elachbutting is a monolithic granite outcrop adjacent to the Elachbutting Nature Reserve. It covers a large area and there are several designated camping spots around. Pets are not allowed in the area. The tourist website states that there is one unisex toilet but we didn’t see any signs to point us in the right direction to the facility.

There is gravel driving track, about a six-kilometre loop around the Rock, which includes a short drive leading to the top of Elachbutting. The narrow track is really more suitable for 4WD vehicles.

Reaching the end of the track is like being on top of the world as we could see for miles. The terrain is flattish but rocky so probably not the best for those with limited mobility. We could see several caves in the lower part of the Rock and the colours were spectacular.

Some hardy wildflowers were growing through the granite providing a contrast to the earthy rock colours. A definite Instagram-worthy spot.

Much as we enjoyed the scenery and finding wildflowers amongst the rocks, Elachbutting still had a few other surprises in store. We drove around to a small walking trail called Monty’s Pass – not a long trail but it was flat and easily manageable even for those with moderate walking ability.

Monty’s Pass is best described as a narrow tunnel, about 30 metres in length, created by a rockfall. Luckily there were no other sightseers around, as the tunnel would not accommodate too many tourists at any one time.

Next on the list of surprises was the trail to a rock formation. It was quite astonishing. Years of erosion have created the impression of an ocean wave about to break over the rocks. Some of our group had visited Wave Rock near Hyden but thought this formation was more impressive. This wave was quite spectacular with many earthy hues and would be another winner with Instagrammers.

There are many huge Rocks in the Wheatbelt, all with their own attributes and all worth a visit but definitely put Elachbutting Rock on top of your to-do list.

Find more places to visit in the Wheatbelt

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About Hazel Broomhead

My name is Hazel and I am a Perth senior!

Originally from Edinburgh in Scotland, my husband and I moved to New Zealand with our children in 1974. As my husband is in the oil business, we moved to several other countries including the Sultanate of Oman, the Netherlands, Singapore, the Philippines, the USA, Russia and Kazakhstan during the next 36 years before retiring to Perth.

We have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who live in different parts of the globe – New Zealand, Scotland and Colombia - which makes a great excuse for us to travel and visit.

My career background is in radio and print journalism in Scotland and New Zealand as well as public relations in various other countries.

We love to eat out, walk, travel and enjoy the wonderful lifestyle here in Western Australia.