Holland Track — Broomehill to Coolgardie via the Hyden Granite Country
A gold-rush bush track, still rough and still remote.
In 1893 a bushman named John Holland and his crew cut a rough road from Broomehill, in the wheatbelt, up to the Coolgardie goldfields. Holland pushed through some of the toughest scrub in the southwest, and the diggers who followed him paid for every well and soak along the way. Today you drive the same line, running from farm country into mallee, salmon gum woodland and open granite outcrops. Along the way you pass the old Holland’s Soak area and the granite domes near Hyden. Expect narrow scrub-lined tracks, soft sand sections and a lot of low-hanging branches that will pinstripe a new paint job. Most of it is fine for a competent driver, and it’s the isolation that makes it worth doing.
This is a Moderate route. Any decent high-clearance 4WD will do the job, though recovery gear and a good set of tyres are non-negotiable. Fuel up at Broomehill or Hyden and again in Coolgardie, and carry all your drinking water because the historic soaks are not reliable. Go in autumn, winter or spring, and avoid the track after heavy rain, when clay sections turn to grease. Phone coverage is patchy at best, so tell someone your route and carry a satellite messenger or UHF. Camping is bush style, so pack in and pack out. If you want a slow, quiet piece of Australian history without a desert crossing, this is a good one. Have a dirty day.
Trail Specs
| Difficulty | Moderate |
|---|---|
| Trail Type | Overland Route |
| Surface | Mixed |
| Features | Camping, Historic, Remote, Scenic |
| Length (miles) | 390 mi / 628 km |
| Duration | 4-6 days |
| Max elevation (ft) | 1500 ft |
| Best season | April-October |
| Minimum vehicle | High-clearance 4WD with recovery gear |
| Nearest town | Hyden, Western Australia |
| Land manager | Mixed: shires, WA DBCA and unallocated Crown land |
| Permit required | No |
| Cell service | Spotty |
| Water crossings | No |
| Dispersed camping | Yes |
| Verified | |
| Start coordinates | |
| End coordinates | |
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Location
Trail Conditions
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Frequently asked questions
Can a stock Land Cruiser or Hilux do the Holland Track?
Yes, a stock high-clearance 4WD can handle it in dry conditions if it has decent all-terrain tires and recovery gear. Expect soft sand, rutted clay, and scrub that will pinstripe your paint, so a 2WD or low-clearance AWD isn't a good idea.
Is the Holland Track open year-round, and when should I go?
The track is generally passable year-round, but April to October is the window. Winter rain can turn clay sections slick and boggy and flood salt-lake flats, so check with the local shires before you go. Summer brings extreme heat and fire restrictions.
Do I need a permit to drive the Holland Track?
There's no single permit for the whole route, but it crosses shire roads, DBCA-managed land, and unallocated Crown land, each with its own rules. Camping inside national parks and nature reserves may need fees or designated sites, so check with DBCA before you go. Stay on the track, close gates behind you, and respect any private property boundaries.
What's the hardest part of the Holland Track?
The tough bits are soft sand, rutted or washed-out clay after rain, and tight scrub. Salt-lake flats can turn boggy when wet. Nothing is technical rock crawling, but a bog or a sand dune in a remote stretch is where people get stuck. Carry a recovery kit and know how to use it.
Where do I get fuel, water, and cell service on the Holland Track?
Fuel is available in towns like Hyden and at the ends of the route, but the stretches between are remote, so carry extra jerry cans. There's no reliable water along the track, so bring all your own. Cell service is spotty, so take a satellite messenger or UHF radio and tell someone your route.
Trail track
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