All Branches, 27 April – 3 May 2026
The 2026 Notley Late Easter Camp was held between Monday, 27 April and Sunday, 3 May. The location was split between Fitzgerald River National Park and Bremer Bay. However, as our excursion included a visit to the Lake Magenta Nature Reserve on Tuesday morning, it was decided we would spend Monday night at Katanning.
After our guided tour of the reserve with local botanist Ann Rick, we proceeded to our accommodation for the next three nights, the Quaalup Homestead Wilderness Retreat on the western edge of the National Park. People stayed in a mix of cabins with shared facilities and units with en-suites. The Richardsons and Johan used the nearby campsites.
Unfortunately, our planned visit to Point Anne and West Mt Barren on the first day, and subsequent days with local ecologist Nathan McQuoid, was not possible because the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) closed the road as a precaution against muddy vehicles introducing phytophthora into the park. However, we found plenty of other interesting things to do and see, such as visiting Mount Maxwell with Nathan, kayaking/canoeing the Gairdner River, walking the trails around the homestead and visiting Gordon Inlet.
Canoeing the Gairdner River – Image by Jolanda Keeble
Fourteen people took the opportunity to extend their stay by moving on to Bremer Bay.
We scheduled a stop just before crossing the Bremer River to look for the Spongolite cliffs, but as the mud-maps we had been given were not to scale, the cliffs proved elusive for most, and only a few people had time to see them before it rained again.
It rained very heavily while we were having lunch at the Wellstead Museum after we arrived in Bremer Bay. Still, thereafter, the weather was fine, which allowed us to enjoy walks along the Wellstead Estuary, at Native Dog and Blossoms Beaches headland, and along part of the Native Snail Trail adjacent to the resort. A small group also walked from the resort to the abalone farm on Back Beach.
Bremer Bay Beaches Resort proved to be a very good choice as the cabins and camping grounds were set among native peppermints and lush grass areas.
Most people made the trip back to Perth on Sunday, but Terri and Kim took their time and visited the Stirling Ranges, whilst Jolanda took off for Esperance.
The group at Mount Maxwell, which gives views stretching to the western boundary of the FRNP. It was named after George Maxwell (1804 – 1880), a naturalist and professional plant and insect collector. Maxwell discovered several local plants including the nodding banksia (Banksia nutans) and his collections are now preserved in the Australian Herbarium.
Image by Arlene Quinn
Despite some rain, road closures and higher-than-normal fuel prices, the camp was a great success. More detailed accounts of each day can be found in the full trip report, which will be posted to the website.
(Participants: John Abbott, Gia Clarke, Willy Dadour, Val Goff, Johan Greeff, Jolanda Keeble, Suzie Lintern, Tanya Marwood, Wendy Morris, Lyn Myles, Diana Papenfus, Don Poynton, Arlene Quinn, Kim and Terri Richardson, Mike Stokes, David Taggart.)
Don Poynton