Yalgoo, WA: I found the best things to do – and so can you

Things to do in Yalgoo, WA, include learning about gold rush history at the Courthouse Museum and admiring the Spanish mission-style Convent Chapel.

Yalgoo, WA, is a largely overlooked town in the Mid West region of the state. It lies around three hours inland from Geraldton on the Geraldton – Mount Magnet Road.

Realistically, the only reason you’re going to be passing through Mount Magnet is if you’re switching from the coastal route to the inland route through the state. The Great Northern Highway from Perth to Newman passes through Mount Magnet and offers the quickest route from Perth to Broome. Hugging the coast is much more enjoyable, however.

Things to do in Yalgoo, WA: Courthouse Museum and Convent Chapel

The best things to do in Yalgoo, WA, tend to revolve around heritage. The old courthouse now houses the Courthouse Museum Yalgoo, which is more appealing than most Australian local history museums. That’s mainly because Yalgoo’s history is a bit more interesting than that of most Aussie towns. It sprung up from nothing in the 1890s, when alluvial gold was discovered.

This gold provided riches that make Yalgoo’s collection of old buildings a lot more distinguished and handsome than such a small settlement has any right to claim. The old railway station is worth a look, but the Dominican Convent Chapel is the masterpiece. This is partly because it looks completely out of place on the edge of the outback.

Wildflowers in Yalgoo, WA

The other reason to visit Yalgoo – in spring, anyway – is that it’s a wildflower hotspot. All around the town the dirt tracks are surrounded by colour.

You can see some of this fabulous flora on the way to Jack’s Tunnel, a quirky remnant of the golden years. About 10km south of town, this tunnel was hand dug out of hard rock by a syndicate of miners. The tunnel still stands, and now you have an excellent chance of meeting native wildlife sheltering inside.

Yalgoo accommodation options include the Yalgoo Hotel and the Yalgoo caravan park.

The welcome sign for Yalgoo, WA. Photo courtesy of Tourism Western Australia.

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Mid West things to do Western Australia