For those long-suffering readers who have been following my blog for a while, you may remember that I was rabbiting on about the Bibbulmun Track way back in 2021.
Well, it finally happened!
There were a lot of nerves and a few sleepless nights (“Am I fit enough?”, “Will my body handle the distance?”, “Do I have enough food?”, “Will I actually be able to carry all the food I have packed?” etc etc), but eventually the fateful day rolled around and it was time to pull up my Big Girl Britches and hit the Track.
As it was a pretty big stroll (1,005km over 47 days) and goes through some quite remote country with no mobile phone service, it was not possible, or not easy, to blog every day. So, now I am playing catch up and aim to summarise the experience without boring you silly. Over the next month or so, I will be sharing posts that cover a number of days – usually from one resupply point to the next.
Each post’s focus will be on photos, especially the amazing wildflowers. Hopefully I can communicate some of the stunning landscape we (My-new-best-friend-I-have-never-met) meandered through, a few logistics and a challenge or two.
Let’s go…
Days: 1 – 6
Dates: From Friday, 8 September to Wednesday, 13 September 2023.
Stages: Kalamunda to Helena Campsite= 31.6km
Helena Campsite to Waalegh Campsite = 9.8km
Waalegh Campsite to Mt Dale Campsite = 23.7km
Mt Dale Campsite to Canning Campsite = 20km
Canning Campsite to Monadnocks Campsite = 15.9km
Monadnocks Campsite to Nerang Campsite = 17.2km
Total Planned Distance: 111.7km Total Actual Distance: 118.2km
Progress: 118/1,005km
Terrain: We start from the Perth Hills. Constant ascents and descents over rocky paths including rocky climbs.
Average Daily Ascent: 541m Average Daily Descent: 500m
Weather: Way, way hotter that I was expecting and I am sweating buckets. Where are the mild Spring temperatures we planned for? Building up to a wild storm on Day 6 with thunder, lightning, horizontal rain and tree branches flying through the air. We walked very fast that day!
General Comments:
- I was a bundle of nerves setting out. As per usual I felt over-packed and under-trained, but there was no backing out now. Like I would tell myself almost every day on this path, it’s just a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.
- The starting point for the Bibbulmun Track (southbound) is a suburb called Kalamunda, approximately 24km East of Perth, Western Australia. Within minutes of starting on the trail you are deep in the Aussie bush, although civilisation still makes its presence felt with distant vehicle noises and planes flying overhead.
- Our Day 1 plan went a bit pear-shaped when we discovered the Ball Creek Campsite had been temporarily replaced by a portaloo and two plastic containers of water located on the edge of a dirt runway. Nope, not staying there on our first night and we pushed on to Helena Campsite, meaning triple-hutting on Day 1! What were we thinking?
- The Track turns out to be busy enough with day walkers (over the weekend) and West Australians are strongly represented doing short sections. Over the next 47 days, we would meet many people leap-frogging past us going southbound (SOBO) as they double-hutted or triple-hutted, or were generally fitter and younger than us, or carrying smaller packs. Similarly, there were many northbound (NOBO) walkers adopting the same approach. You never really knew how many people would be at the campsites at the end of each day.
- A feature of the Bibb are campsites at fairly regular intervals. Each campsite has a three-sided shelter, picnic tables, a composting toilet and a water tank or two. This fabulous infrastructure means you can sleep ‘inside’ and stay dry if the weather turns wet, and also only carry the water you need to get you from shelter to shelter. Bonus!
Highlights:
- Our first night at Helena Campsite was heavenly. It is a beautiful rammed earth structure overlooking a wide valley AND we had the whole thing to ourselves. Luxury, but we had earned it after +31km on our Day 1!
- The terrain, while challenging is beautiful and those long, steep climbs never fail to deliver sweeping views over the surrounding countryside. The path takes us through some gorgeous forest, past magnificent trees (jarrah and marri) and endless wildflowers. I am constantly dazzled that such beauty can survive in such a harsh landscape.
- We start to meet some lovely and inspiring people including Harry, who at 75years of age, decided to set out on his first ever hike. We went on to meet many other amazing people (79year old Sue from Sydney) and I was just a little bit pleased to know that I was one of the younger people on the Track! 😊
- My dehydrated food is tasty and working out well although I quickly discovered that the meal on its own is simply not enough to fill me up. Supplementing it with half a packet of flavoured cous cous gave me the bulk and carbohydrates I needed. I soon learnt that I will spend the next +40 days with a persistent low-level hunger, constantly mentally auditing my food supplies and thinking about what I can eat next! I would also get incredibly sick of flavoured cous cous!
- Trail Angels: This trail is supported by a whole range of people who are passionate about the Bibb and are happy to help where they can. As the first stage of the path (SOBO) is around 10 days long and doesn’t pass through any towns, we arranged for our wonderful Trail Angel Isabelle to meet us at Sullivan’s Rock with our food resupply parcels. This saved us from carrying additional kilograms of food and that was sincerely appreciated. It also coincided with a huge diversion from the path to avoid a prescribed burn AND a massive storm. Isabelle truly was an angel saving us a 12km walk along a busy highway in the bucketing rain. Trail magic is definitely a thing.
- Nature is a wonder. Whether it is walking through endless natural beauty or watching the power of a dramatic storm, it is a sight to behold. We ended up having Nerang shelter to ourselves and, after stripping off all our wet gear and draping it about the place, we donned every warm piece of clothing we owned and spent the afternoon snuggled up in our sleeping bags watching branches fly through the air. Thank goodness we were safely out of the weather.
#travelinspo #BibbulmunTrack #multidayhikes #adventurebeforedementia #longdistancewalks #australianbush #Kalamunda #bushwalks #greatoutdoors #crosscountry #exploreonfoot #WesternAustralia #Perth #discoverwesternaustralia #nativeflora #trailangels #hikingadventures #epicadventures
Life...one big adventure 
Off to a great start, the wild flower pictures are gorgeous. 😊 Maggie
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Yes, a very colourful start! 🙂
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Wow Mel, I can’t believe how many different flowers you encountered in 6 days – how lucky were you?! Looks fabulous and I am envious that you were able to do this walk.
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We were dazzled on a daily basis by the number of flowers and their diversity. I was particularly amazed that many were so delicate and yet seemed to be very happy in such a harsh environment. It was a memorable stroll, that’s for sure! Melx
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Another epic trek. You set a high bar!
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I’m not sure about setting the bar high. More like biting off more than I can chew!
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What an amazing selection of flora, all beautifully photograped too.
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Many thanks for your kind words. They were truly worth the walk.
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It’s a heck of a long way, even just looking at the map! Determination and a sense of humour carries you through, Mel. And, wow! Stunning flowers everywhere.
I’m sorry I got this and the Larapinta confused in the early stages. Do you never sit at home and knit? Laughing!
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🙂 …. I started knitting a jumper in 1989 and only just gave it to my Mum to finish off!! Needless to say both my body and the fashions have changed dramatically since then!! 🙂
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🤣🩵
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Hahahaha, I so relate to this. Until, I gave up smoking in the 1980s and my brothers brought me wool to make them jumpers [to keep my fingers busy] in which the jumpers nearly changed their facial features trying to get them on. They still remind me of that trauma 😉
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Too funny! Obviously we are better walkers/hikers/cyclists than knitters!
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We are that 😉
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🙂
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I have followed this through Heather’s blog, but I’m happy to walk it again. In fact looking at your excellent floral photos I would be tempted to do a short walk in that bush.
Is there anywhere in Australia that you haven’t hiked? There must be a Tassie trail?
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Yes, sorry for the repetition, but maybe you are one of those people we met on the trail who have walked it 3 or 7 times!! One woman had walked all the way to Albany and we met her walking BACK to Perth! Now that is dedication OR insanity. And Yes, there are tonnes of places I haven’t been in Aus. I had better get my skates on then! 🙂
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Well I am more than happy to walk it twice, especially as I can do it from the comfort of my armchair 😍
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You are one smart lady! 🙂
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Amazing journey and fantastic wildflowers.
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Thanks – I agree with both.
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Your images of the wild flowers are incredible, Mel. I could easily live in parts of W.A. especially down south as the beaches are so stunning. We’ve done a couple of road trips from way up north to across the bottom of W.A. I would love to do some of this walk, so I will enjoy following your posts.
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Yes, it is a very liveable State and we met a lot of new Aussies, especially Poms, who now call WA home. For me it is a tad too far from the East Coast and I suspect that is just how they like it! 🙂
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The east coast is always preferable not as dramatic weather wise as the west coast and that is why I will always be a Bay of Plenty girl. Though this area is way too popular with retirees 😉
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I think being a Bay of Plenty girl may be a very nice state to be in!
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You are right about the wildflowers, they are very beautiful. ❤️
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Clear evidence of how clever Mother Nature is!
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Goodness 👀 … 1,005km! You silly girl! Well, it starts well with the lovely wildflowers (some of which I have never seen before). Day 6 sounds wild – rain is one thing, but thunder, lightning and flying tree branches is another story! I look forward to this adventure. Do you ever just sit around and do nothing?
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I promise I am doing a lot of sitting around at the moment, but do admit to starting to get itchy feet again!🥾🥾🏃♀️🚶♀️
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Noooo 😅
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🙂
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Wow, this is a very different landscape from your last hike. I’m amazed by the many unique flowers and plants. They’re so bright and pretty! I’m also glad to hear that you were safely sheltered once branches started flying. That sounds awful.
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Yes, this one was VERY different from the Larapinta Trail.
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You are unstoppable!!! Can’t wait to follow along on this adventure next 🙂
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I am not sure I am unstoppable. I certainly stopped big time at the end of each day! 🙂
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Fabulous. Another adventure
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There is always at least one on the drawing board…
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Oh my gosh, Mel. You are a wonder. Do you ever sit down? 😂
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Another great adventure Mel! It is so nice to have these trail angels, I guess they are the ones filling the water tanks too? So many wildflowers along the way, they are all amazing!!!
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Agreed, the trail angels are wonderful and a wonderful support to hikers out on the trail. The tanks and campsites and mostly maintained by the National Parks service and that includes tank maintenance. Having said that, Bibb volunteers will often do repairs and maintenance on the shelters or build whole new shelters if they burn down.
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thanks so much for sharing your adventures.
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My pleasure. Always happy to share the madness! 🙂
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