Newman Block (now officially Highbury B) is 24 kilometres southwest of Highbury. To get there turn west on to Highbury West road to Chomley Road. Enter the reserve via a nondescript track off Chomley Road near the western end of the reserve. Look for the small sign on a steel post
Newman Block is one of the Dryandra Woodland satellite block reserves south-west of Highbury. The landscape is quite different from that in Dryandra Woodland National Park and Foxes Lair, which are mostly uplands with extensive ironstone gravel ridges.
Newman Block is an upland remnant on the western side of the ancient flat Arthur River valley underlined by coarse-grained granite , which has eroded and washed away to form a low undulating landscape with sandy gravel and sand over clay soils, and often saline waterways.
As the granite bedrock is relatively close to the land surface, faults and changes in rock type are often visible in soils and vegetation on the land surface. This is reflected in a mosaic of mainly Rock Sheoak, Wandoo, Mallet woodland and kwongan - great wildflower country.
Newman Block is an upland remnant on the western side of the ancient flat Arthur River valley underlined by coarse-grained granite , which has eroded and washed away to form a low undulating landscape with sandy gravel and sand over clay soils, and often saline waterways.
As the granite bedrock is relatively close to the land surface, faults and changes in rock type are often visible in soils and vegetation on the land surface. This is reflected in a mosaic of mainly Rock Sheoak, Wandoo, Mallet woodland and kwongan - great wildflower country.
Newman Block is basically a laterite capped granite hill, which slopes to the north, south and west from the centre of the eastern boundary.
The reserve features distinct patterns and sudden changes of vegetation. Many linear boundaries define breakaways, ridges, changes of slope and vegetation edges.
It took me days of walking to work out that the lines overlie geological lineaments. These are curved or linear, often raised lines over faults or boundaries of underlying granite types, which were cooked and hardened when they were emplaced. Some of these can be seen as lines snaking across surrounding paddocks. There must be dozens, but I have drawn just a few.
I feel as though I have just scratched the surface of this reserve, and keep returning to learn more. A lesser (or saner) person would have stopped long ago but there is something addictive about following the bones of a landscape and making new discoveries
The reserve features distinct patterns and sudden changes of vegetation. Many linear boundaries define breakaways, ridges, changes of slope and vegetation edges.
It took me days of walking to work out that the lines overlie geological lineaments. These are curved or linear, often raised lines over faults or boundaries of underlying granite types, which were cooked and hardened when they were emplaced. Some of these can be seen as lines snaking across surrounding paddocks. There must be dozens, but I have drawn just a few.
I feel as though I have just scratched the surface of this reserve, and keep returning to learn more. A lesser (or saner) person would have stopped long ago but there is something addictive about following the bones of a landscape and making new discoveries
A patch of pallid weathered rock on a breakaway fault zone shows the enormous forces that acted here billions of years ago. Red lines indicated the directions of sideways forces on the rock that pulverised it into small segments as shown on the left.
If you find this patch, be thankful for the sweat I lost while furiously sweeping with a bannister brush for the photo, and evading insects racing around including a large disgruntled tick.
.
From the entrance, dirt roads, which lead to the Orchid and Sandplain trails are generally suitable for cars, but may be affected by fallen branches. Other roads in the reserve are only suitable for 4WD vehicles, frequently being rough or blocked by fallen trees.
The Orchid Trail is delightful in End August - October. The 1.5 km grade 2 trail (gentle slope, easy walking, leads through open woodland surrounding a very low (1 to 2 metre) sandy gravel mini-mesa (on your left). To avoid getting lost park where the track forks Soon after entering the reserve from Chomley road take the right fork and park at the clearing a few metres on to the left. Keep your eye out for occasional Chapman Spider and Dancing Spider orchids on the right near the start, and Bird Orchids on the lower slope of the tiny breakaway on the road near the end of the walk.
There are many orchids, cat paws, colourful low shrubs and everlastings, which change as you pass successively through sheoak, wandoo, marri woodland and kwongan scrub. A few visits are needed to cover the variations in flowering times.
There are many orchids, cat paws, colourful low shrubs and everlastings, which change as you pass successively through sheoak, wandoo, marri woodland and kwongan scrub. A few visits are needed to cover the variations in flowering times.
To get to the (approx. 2.5km) Sandplain Trail drive up the (rough) main track, taking care to veer left at the fork and stop at a raised mound of reddish soil on the right (see P sign. The complete walk is not for the casual happy snapper or infirm as it has some steep spots and areas of rough dense bush if one deviates from the route. Having said that, it is a great walk with sudden changes in vegetation and great flower spots that vary in main flowering from August to December.
The walk trail will first lead to a small granite outcrop surrounded by a mass of yellow Acacia celastrifolia flowers in August/Early September, and pinkish Mirbelia dilatata flowers and glowing red acacia new growth in October (1).
It then goes east on the gullied drive trail with the impressive fault-breakaway on the left through open wandoo and brown mallet woodland. It then turns left up a steep breakaway slope (2). At the top of the breakaway the landscape suddenly changes to a lovely sandy bowl fringed by stately jarrah trees. When I first saw this in early December it was a picture of pink-flowered Verticordia densiflora, yellow Calytrix flavescens and grey smokebush, but there is also Christmas Tree and sand-loving spring flowering species.
the trail crosses the sandy bowl then turns left (west) along a very low rise. (If you went straight ahead instead of turning left, you will go through a silver mallet/brown mallet plain before reaching a large rounded breakaway-take care as it is easy to get disorientated while walking over the frequent fallen mallets). Back to the walk; walk along left side of the open rise close to dense sandy vegetation on your left and brown mallet thicket on the right until you meet a brown mallet breakaway (4).
Go down the breakaway to relatively open ground and turn left with the breakaway on your left as you go through sheoak woodland until you see a break (5). Turn left and pass through the mallet woodland gap and down to the main track. Turn left and return to your car
The walk trail will first lead to a small granite outcrop surrounded by a mass of yellow Acacia celastrifolia flowers in August/Early September, and pinkish Mirbelia dilatata flowers and glowing red acacia new growth in October (1).
It then goes east on the gullied drive trail with the impressive fault-breakaway on the left through open wandoo and brown mallet woodland. It then turns left up a steep breakaway slope (2). At the top of the breakaway the landscape suddenly changes to a lovely sandy bowl fringed by stately jarrah trees. When I first saw this in early December it was a picture of pink-flowered Verticordia densiflora, yellow Calytrix flavescens and grey smokebush, but there is also Christmas Tree and sand-loving spring flowering species.
the trail crosses the sandy bowl then turns left (west) along a very low rise. (If you went straight ahead instead of turning left, you will go through a silver mallet/brown mallet plain before reaching a large rounded breakaway-take care as it is easy to get disorientated while walking over the frequent fallen mallets). Back to the walk; walk along left side of the open rise close to dense sandy vegetation on your left and brown mallet thicket on the right until you meet a brown mallet breakaway (4).
Go down the breakaway to relatively open ground and turn left with the breakaway on your left as you go through sheoak woodland until you see a break (5). Turn left and pass through the mallet woodland gap and down to the main track. Turn left and return to your car
Sandplain trail. red chain lines indicate breakaways.