For the Easter long weekend of 2023, we decided to try the White Gum Farm Caravan Park in Malebelling, just 25 minutes east of York, Western Australia.
It’s a popular spot with only a limited number of powered sites due to its rural location, so our group booked into the unpowered area.
The unpowered area is quite freeform with no marked bays although there are some levelled-off areas. Some areas have a view over the adjacent White Gum Air Park.
The White Gum Air Park is a popular airstrip for ultralights and other small planes and is often mistaken as part of the Caravan Park although it is actually a completely separate entity. It was interesting seeing a couple of passenger jets parked up off the airstrip that we believe will one day be accommodation – now that would be what an interesting place to stay!
The unpowered area is quite sloped with limited flat areas and with five caravans in our group we found a central flat area under some trees.
It was only a short walk to the amenities block and at the highpoint a lookout over the airstrip.
The amenities were clean and tidy and as you walked through the door you entered a fully self-contained room with a shower and toilet and each room was a little bit different.
They were actually a great setup, you had your own toilet and shower with a big vanity. Really convenient if you had small children that you needed to get clean.
Around the campsite, there were ample walking areas including around the perimeter, although you weren’t allowed over the small fence into the airstrip area.
White Gum Farm contains the Lake Kimberley Bar & Grill
A short walk up the hill from the campsites was the Lake Kimberley Bar & Grill. A fully licenced bistro on the premises that is open to campers and the general public.
The meals were great and the beer was cold!
There was the choice of inside and outside seating and each afternoon and evening that we were there they had a live band performing outside on the stage area.
Being the end of summer the ‘lake’ (it’s a dam) water level was low so it was off-limits while we were there. During other times you can walk down from the alfresco area and have a swim or paddle on Lake Kimberley.
With the weather being a bit colder and damp while we were there the fire pit was raging in the courtyard. Made from an old excavator bucket it also featured a fat drip dragon ornament over the top that hissed and dripped into the fire at regular intervals.
A great warming feature to stand around on a cooler evening.
Next Destination:
Perth
Distance:
119Km (1.5 hrs)
Coming from:
Perth
Distance:
119Km (1.5 hrs)
Distance from Perth:
119KM (1.5 hrs)
One of the other attractions at White Gum Farm is the adjacent 4WD park. For a small entry fee you can test your driving and your machine over a complex course.
A member of our group had friends drive the track a couple of weeks before we were there and their 4WDs broke some key components so we decided to give this a miss this trip!
Being close enough to York to duck into town for a quick meal or supplies, yet far enough away that you enjoyed the tranquility of the beautiful rolling hills of the York region White Gum Farm didn’t disappoint on delivering relaxation.
Sunday morning we awoke after an overnight storm and discovered that our ‘level’ area wasn’t really that level and had a great pool of water to the centre.
Some quick trenching work with a couple of shovels in the morning soon had this drained away down the hill.
Without much effort, while we were there we saw Kangaroos and Emu’s so if you were more dedicated you would easily be able to up your wildlife count.
The area surrounding York has some beautiful, fertile country.
With a history dating back to 1831, York was Western Australia’s first inland town.
Being so close to York, it is an easy drive in to experience some of the historical buildings like the Town Hall, the world-renowned Motor Museum and other and other attractions like the suspension bridge over the Avon River. There are also other options for dining and local stores to explore. For more information on York go to the Visitors Centre.
There is a lookout at the top of Mount Brown that provides excellent views over the townsite and surrounding countryside.
Overall a great weekend was had, It’s probably more a spring and autumn destination than summer and we intend to come back at some stage in the future!
