Discover the Holland Track: WA’s historic goldfields adventure

The Holland Track, out in Western Australia’s eastern goldfields, had been on my bucket list for years – and it didn’t disappoint.

Following in the footsteps of the legendary John Holland, we traced what’s claimed to be the longest single cart track ever cut in WA. Originally carved to open up the goldfields, it slashed weeks off the journey for miners, families and traders heading inland in search of fortune.

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Gold Rush Beginnings

Around 1890, waves of hopeful prospectors were landing in Fremantle and Albany by steamship, all chasing the riches of WA’s booming goldfields. From seasoned miners to shopkeepers and families, they headed north on foot, pushing barrows or hauling carts. The push for a direct supply route soon followed – a way for local producers and traders to get goods to the goldfields faster.

John Holland’s Epic Achievement

Several earlier attempts to forge a route failed – one rider vanished without a trace, another party veered miles off course, and others were forced back by the brutal summer heat.

Then, in 1893, a 37-year-old bushman named John Holland stepped up. He didn’t just want to find a route – he wanted to open it immediately for carts and carriages. With his two brothers and another young companion, Holland set out after summer and, remarkably, cut the entire 500km track in just two months and four days – all without government support. Along the way, they passed rock mounds and granite holes, carving a path past water soaks that would become lifelines for those who followed.

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From Forgotten Track to Rediscovery

A few years after the Holland Track opened, a new rail line to Coolgardie slashed travel times from weeks to days, and traffic on the track quickly dried up.

Over the following decades, it became overgrown and largely forgotten. Between the 1950s and 1990s, various groups of enthusiasts and historians tried to retrace the original route. It wasn’t until 1992 that the track was successfully reopened – a team pushed through using compass bearings and visual cues of the old path, and pushing through with a tractor.

Historic Coolgardie

My starting point for the Holland Track was the historic town of Coolgardie, around 40km southwest of Kalgoorlie.

Once the third-largest town in WA, Coolgardie put itself on the map in 1892 when it sparked a gold rush that drew tens of thousands to the region. Dubbed “the mother of the Western Australian goldfields”, the town boomed with more than 30,000 people flocking to the area. The streets were built wide enough to turn a full camel train – but like many rush towns, it faded once richer finds were made where Kalgoorlie now stands.

These days, Coolgardie is a quieter place, lined with heritage buildings. It’s where four-trailer road trains split their loads, and tourists wander the parks, museums and streets in search of relics from a wilder time. The first Holland Track sign led me south out of Coolgardie along Victoria Rock Road for about 40km. That’s where I found the turn-off to the track proper, marked by several info boards.

The most important is the Holland Track ‘code of conduct’ sign, installed by the LandCruiser Club of WA. It outlines key guidelines – including using UHF channel 28, recommended tyre pressures, and six practical tips for safe and respectful travel.

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The Holland Track can be tackled in short sections or stretched out over a full week if you want to run it end to end. I planned to cover the northern half before peeling off toward Hyden to check out Wave Rock. I was lucky enough to strike fine weather on the Holland Track. While researching the trip, I’d seen plenty of social media clips showing messy recoveries when it’s wet – but in the dry, it was no trouble at all. There are even chicken tracks around the tougher sections.

The drive is peaceful, winding through sand plains, woodlands and granite rock platforms. I stopped at all the signposted points of interest along the way, which meant I was averaging about 100km a day. Most of these sites tie into the early surveying of the track and region – from rocky outcrops that offered water or a view across the plains, to blazed trees and historic campsites. They’re all worth a look if you’ve got the time.

The modern Holland Track generally follows the original route cut by John Holland, though it often veers off to protect sensitive areas and preserve historic sections. Claypans are scattered through the region, but the current track wisely skirts around them to prevent damage. In places, the track narrows to a single lane, and the scrub starts closing in – so bush pinstripes are pretty much unavoidable.

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Free camping is allowed along much of the track, but at Victoria Rock Reserve you’ll find designated bays with barbecues, tables and toilets. Even if you’re just passing through, it’s worth a stop to climb the rock and take in the stunning 360-degree views. John Holland named the rock in 1893 after Queen Victoria, and it was here his team built a stone cairn and flagpole on the summit. Another highlight along the northern section is the crossing of one of WA’s State Barrier Fences.

This 260km stretch of rabbit-proof fencing was built in 1954 to keep rabbits and emus out of farmland in the wheatbelt around Bonnie Rock. Unfortunately, the government of the day ran out of funding – and the fence ends rather abruptly.

Timber Industry Legacy

In the surrounding woodlands, sandalwood was once highly prized, and remnants of old groves can still be found near Sandalwood Rocks – a spot where Holland camped in 1893.

While a few small stands remain, most of the original thickets have never regenerated. When gold was discovered in the rich fields around Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie, timber was in huge demand to power steam boilers for stampers and other machinery.

Across the region that the Holland Track now cuts through, more than a dozen timber tramways once ran through the bush, carting wood to the settlements. It was big business, providing jobs for timber cutters, tram workers, carters and storemen. Timber was felled several miles from the tram lines, usually by hardworking Italian and Slav migrants who cut the logs into manageable lengths.

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These were then carted and stacked alongside the tracks for collection. As local supplies dried up, new feeder lines were laid into better stands of timber. Over time, the bush within a 35km radius of Cave Hill was stripped bare – nothing left but stumps. In 1937, the entire operation was shifted to Boulder, southeast of Kalgoorlie, where fresh lines were laid into untouched scrub. By 1964, it all came to an end.

Around the Cave Hill area, at the northern end of the Holland Track, you can still spot remnants of the old timber operations. Stone-walled run-off channels once fed dams, pipelines led to overhead tanks for steam engines, and the sawmill site still shows signs of its former life.

Wave Rock Detour

My journey along the Holland Track ended about halfway, where I diverted to Hyden to visit the world-famous Wave Rock.

It shot to fame after winning the 1964 Kodak International Photo Competition in New York – and the rest, as they say, is history. Stretching 110 metres long and rising over 15 metres high, it’s an impressive sight. But Wave Rock is just one part of what’s known as Hyden Rock – a much larger formation that includes a hand-built granite wall used to divert water into the town’s old dam, the Hippo’s Yawn rock formation to the east, and the weathered outcrop known as The Breakers. Formed by millions of years of erosion, Hyden Rock is estimated to be around 2.7 billion years old.

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Journey Through History

While I only explored the top half of the Holland Track, there’s still plenty more to discover – giant granite monoliths, remote bush camps, abandoned farm and steam machinery, and the weathered remains of old tramways and timber camps. The Holland Track isn’t just a drive through the scrub – it’s a journey through history.

Travel planner

Where: The Holland Track stretches 500km from Broomehill in WA’s south to Coolgardie in the eastern goldfields. Cut in the early 1890s, it was originally built as a shortcut for miners heading to the booming Kalgoorlie goldfields.

What to See and Do: The track is packed with natural and historical highlights – massive granite outcrops, bush camps, forest sections, and wide-open views. It’s well signposted with plenty of stops, and offers free camping along the way. While not extreme, the track can be challenging in sections, especially after rain.

More Info: For detailed trip planning, grab a copy of Explore the Holland Track, available online or from the Kalgoorlie Visitor Centre. The track is remote and requires full preparation – carry extra food, fuel and water. Telstra has patchy reception along the way.