25 Apr A Weekend Getaway to Wellington National Park

DISTANCE FROM PERTH: 180km’s approx 2 hrs drive from Perth

There is plenty to do in Wellington National Park and the best thing is, it’s nice and close to Perth, so it makes for a perfect weekend adventure. 

The water in the park is fresh water so you can swim in the dam in summer or in the river at Honeymoon Pool. Kayak or SUP or even just float down the riverways on an inflatable. You can 4wd, fish (including marron within the season), hike, mountain bike or just relax by your camp.

One of the parks attractions is the camping. If you are camping in the park it’s lovely to wake up surrounded by bush, enjoying the fresh air.

Its a short drive from Perth so a great weekend getaway in both winter and summer. if you need an escape from the city. 

What to See and do

Wellington Dam is locating in the heart of the national par. It is definitely worth a visit while on your trip to the national park. The council of Collie has just commissioned a giant mural on the dam wall that is definitely worth a gander. It is very impressive. 

If you choose to explore the area Collie is a 15min drive where you can get provisions and explore the town.

Collie town has invested in an art trail. With loads of beautiful artworks dotted around the town you can grab a map from the visitors center.

Black Diamond Lake is a massively popular location too. Its an old quarry that is now a lovely swimming hole. It is just a stone’s throw away from Wellington National Park. We think its well worth a visit in summer to cool down and enjoy the turquoise quarry water.

There is also a microbrewery, winery and gin distillery called Harris River Estate (about 20km out of Collie). You can sit out on the deck and enjoy a beverage, some lunch and let the kids play in their playground.

In addition, the Ferguson Valley is a wonderful wine region to explore just on the south side of the national park, if you have time to do some extra exploring. There are a heap of beautiful wineries that are worth a visit in the Ferguson Valley including The Green Door and St Aidan Winery. 

// Potters Gorge //

Camping in Wellington National PArk

Camping in Wellington National Park (NP) is lush! With lots of campsites to choose from, Wellington NP has plenty of options to suit your needs. You can be completely surrounded by bush at Gelcoat or Stones Brook, riverside at Honeymoon Pool or Gelcoat. Or perhaps, you prefer more water sports and prefer lakeside at Potters Gorge.

There are 4 main campsites in this national park all with toilets for a touch of luxury (joking, they are long drops, don’t get too excited), but all are unique in their own way depending on your needs. Lets check them out below…

// Potters Gorge //

// Honeymoon Pool //

Campsites:

• Honeymoon Pool
• Gelcoat
• Stones Brook
• Potters Gorge

We have personally stayed at 2  of these campsites. Gelcoat + Potters Gorge both are lovely but different.  

Glencoat

A tents only campground, it’s situated next to the two main campsites Honeymoon pool and Stones Brook. If you ask me it’s the best tent spot because there are under 10 sites so it’s quiet (tick of approval from S&S), relatively private and well spaced out between sites. Not to mention right next to the river. However, the only drawback is there is only one communal fire pit. When visiting in summer its not a bother, but in winter you won’t have your own private fire pit. Also worth a mention, you can’t park right next to your tent, you have to park the car and carry you stuff to the site. Not a massive drawback, but something to consider if you have loads of camping equipment, this site would be better suited for traveling light. 

Honeymoon pool

This campsite is a very popular spot so can be busy and each camp site is a bit closer and more open so it has more of a caravan park vibe going on if it’s busy (think school holidays and warm weather summer weekends). However in winter each site has its own  individual firepit and you can park right next to your site so more convenient for tents and campers etc. This site is also lovely because its right on the banks of the river so in summer you can enjoy a float down the fresh water river, in the right season you can fish for marron or just enjoy a wine on the banks in winter.

Stoney Ridge 

Nicely nestled in the bush with campsites spread apart however a further walk from the river… depends on what you prefer but we think we picked a killer spot at Gelcoat because its both nestled on the bush and right next to the river. This campsite is suitable for tents and also roof top tents because you can park next to your spot but not suitable for caravans and campers.

Potters Gorge

A larger campsite right on the waters edge of Wellington Reservoir. It’s quite a large site with over 50 spots available so in school holidays it will get busy with children but a cool camp spot right on the lake / reservoir. If you are into watersports and fishing etc you can bring your boat down for some wakeboarding as there is a water ski area on the dam. Potters Gorge has some larger sites that are perfect for caravans and campers and roof top tents because it offers larger sites. You can also book a group site if you go with a few people. Each site has its own fire pit to enjoy especially in winter.  

Final Thoughts

We think, Wellington National Park is a great place for a weekend getaway to slow down and get back to nature. You can use it to just relax or pack some adventure into your weekend. Unlike Warren National Park (which is a 4 hrs drive from Perth) you can get down here in 2 hrs. When you camp amongst the bush you really do get to enjoy a slow paced relaxing experience. If you don’t want to camp you can still enjoy the park and stay in Collie because it is very close by with lots of cute country accommodation, air bnb’s, motels etc. 

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