The wattle trails near Grenfell offer something different to the Canola Trail. Photo: NSW Government.
Just when you thought the Canola Trail had cornered the market on yellow road trips, Grenfell has put forward a quieter rival: Australia’s first mapped drives dedicated to wattles.
The recent launch of the Wattles of Weddin field guide and Weddin Wattle Trails has put the historic town on the radar of travellers seeking something different.
Produced by Weddin Landcare and authored by coordinators Claire Diprose and Mikla Lewis, the guide highlights 34 local acacia species and outlines three loop drives to see them flowering throughout the year.
The idea for both initiatives came from years of local Wattle Day celebrations and a growing curiosity about how many species were in the region and where they could be found.
So Claire and Mikla set out in 2024 to record and map them, producing the guidebook and the trails in partnership with Weddin Landcare.
The three trails showcase different corners of the shire.
- The Piney Range Trail, a compact 57 kilometres, skirts Weddin Mountains National Park and takes in bushranger haunts including Ben Hall’s Campground. Or his cave.
- The Sandy Creek Trail stretches 98 kilometres west, with a stop at Caragabal for a pub lunch or to admire the bird murals.
- The Driftway Trail heads south through Quandialla where travellers can pause at the giant echidna or enjoy a counter meal at the local hotel.
Better still, each trail can be undertaken in an afternoon. Although a slow pace is encouraged.
More than just a book, the field guide acts as a companion for exploring the district with clear descriptions, identification tips and notes on flowering periods for each of the acacia species featured, making it easier for visitors to spot them in the wild.
With its combination of botanical detail, maps and local stories, the guide also helps turn a simple drive into an immersive experience in the Weddin Shire’s natural heritage.
Dr Suzette Searle, president of the Wattle Day Association, has praised the trails as a first for Australia, drawing a parallel with France’s famed Route du Mimosa – a 130-kilometre stretch through Provence that attracts thousands each spring to see Australian wattles (or mimosa) in full bloom.
Where the Route du Mimosa produces a mass flowering, Grenfell’s wattles are scattered across paddocks, stock routes and roadside verges to put on a staggered show. Some species flower in late winter, others in spring, and a few brighten the landscape into summer.
This rolling display of colour means there’s almost always a reason to return.
“At last, we have our own version,” Dr Searle said. “Projects like this show smaller towns how to turn their natural assets into visitor experiences.”
But the project is about more than sightseeing.
Mikla, 2024 winner of the Wattle Day Association Golden Wattle Award, said the aim was not only to identify and map local species, but share their ecological and cultural significance.
During their exploration of the district, she recalled “there were moments of sad realisation that in the Weddin farming community, remnants of once widespread woodlands and forests were now mainly consigned to narrow roadside verges, often just one tree wide, weed infested and with little habitat for wildlife”.
“Beyond the verges lie cropping and grazing paddocks as far as the eye can see, with very few wattles in sight,” she said.
As Claire and Mikla write in the introduction to Weddin Wattles: “We hope that these trails and field guide kindle your wonder for wattles and that we see the return of wattles to our landscapes, beyond the roadsides.”
In other words, the trails invite travellers not only to enjoy a seasonal display of golden blooms, but to witness and support the ongoing story of the region’s natural heritage.
