The Bibbulmun Track, Western Australia. Days 11 – 16

There is nothing like a Rest Day to make you appreciate the feeling (and smell) of being clean, pulling on clean clothes, having a full belly and sleeping in a warm room as the rain patters down outside. Yes, hiking simplifies your outlook on life and really identifies the things that truly matter.

And now it’s time to go food shopping again and load up the backpack before heading ever southwards on the trail.

Days: 11 – 16

Dates: From Tuesday, 19 September to Sunday, 24 September 2023.

Stages: Dwellingup to Swamp Oak Campsite = 13.6km

            Swamp Oak Campsite to Murray Campsite = 19.2km

            Murray Campsite to Dookanelly Campsite = 18.1km

            Dookanelly Campsite to Possum Springs Campsite = 22.9km        

            Possum Springs Campsite to Harris Dam Campsite = 33.9km

            Harris Dam Campsite to Collie = 21.7km

Total Planned Distance: 130.2km    Total Actual Distance: 129.4km

Progress: 331/1,005km

Terrain: Constant undulations with lots of steep climbs and descents through yet more forest. The path varies from bush tracks to access roads. LOTS of bush bashing through endless green tunnels.

Average Daily Ascent: 421m           Average Daily Descent: 404m

Weather: It is really starting to warm up, encouraging us to start very early in the morning to get the bulk of the walking done before temperatures skyrocket. Even after some light showers the clouds soon burn off and the sun sizzles.

General Comments:

• Resupply: As you can imagine, people take slightly different approaches to resupplying food and other items along the Track. Most adopt the strategy of mailing resupply packages ahead of their arrival (to their accommodation or the local Visitor Information Centre) and then topping up with any fresh food requirements in the towns. Most towns have a general store or supermarket and these vary considerably in size. While the basics are at most places, be prepared to pay more for everything. They are small shops in small towns with much smaller purchasing power to buy economically. Oh well, needs must. *NB: If you are mailing resupply parcels, I recommend you contact them beforehand to check it is OK and make sure you clearly mark your parcel with your name AND arrival date.
• Don’t trust West Australian weather forecasters: We quickly learned that West Australian weather forecasters have a warped sense of humour or absolutely no idea what they are doing. Even if they say there is only 10% chance of rain, you can be pretty much guaranteed you will get soaked that day. Similarly, if they say it is going to be 21°C, add another 10° to that number to be closer to the real temperature. The safest approach is to look out the window and/or tent door and that is the weather for the day.

• Rest Day Nerves: I am not sure why, but I always feel nervous getting back on the trail after a rest day. You wouldn’t think that one day would make such a difference. Maybe a rest day shows me what I am missing out on or I slip back into old, comfortable habits? Maybe it is the new weight in my pack making me wonder what the hell I am doing this for? Whatever it is, I feel rusty and tentative for the first couple of hours before settling back into the ol’ one-foot-in-front-of-the-other routine.  
• Diversions: While mobile phone reception can be patchy on the Bibb, it pays to regularly check the Bibbulmun Foundation website for any updates on new diversions. We had already experienced a diversion due to a prescribed burn (which was implemented with only one day’s notice) and we were also to experience diversions caused by logging and damaged bridges. Most diversions are displayed on notices (with maps) in the pre- and post-shelters to advise both SOBOs and NOBOs of the changes, as well as bright yellow signs erected adjacent to the track.

• Early to Bed, Early to Rise: If you are a party animal or a late night rager, this track may not be for you! 😊 Within days of setting out on the Track we quickly adopted the routine of getting up and going to bed with the sun. This often saw me tucked up in my sleeping bag at 6pm! Although I would tell people I was only resting, it was pretty much guaranteed I would be asleep 30 minutes later. In my defence, I was usually awake at 430am and out of bed by 500am.
• Track Maintenance: The Bibbulmun Foundation coordinates and promotes the Track, and it is supported by a large number of wonderful volunteers who adopt a section of the Track to care for. As the Track is over 1,000km long, that takes a lot of volunteers and perhaps not every inch of the track is covered. What we found during this stage was that large sections were incredibly overgrown and we spent many hours ‘bush-bashing’ along the ‘path’, pushing through shrubs and bushes that created claustrophobic tunnels of green. It really makes you appreciate clear sections of the path where you can walk unhindered.

• Bridges: Volunteers, community groups and various arms of the defence forces have also been kept busy, not only building the fantastic three-sided shelters, but also various bridges and river/creek crossings. These vary from sophisticated swinging bridges to converting fallen trees into useful natural bridges. If you are afraid of heights and/or bouncy bridges, you may need to take it steady or close your eyes walking across a couple of these.
• Registers: Each of the campsite shelters have a register or log book and you are encouraged to sign it so the Powers-that-Be can gather statistics of who is walking and when. This is important information for the Foundation to use when lobbying for government funding as well as a safety thing, particularly if there is a search on for a missing hiker. When you walk into a town, you can find the register at the Visitor Information Centre.

Highlights:

• Chocolate: Out on the trail, is there anything better than popping a square of chocolate in your mouth and letting it dissolve on your tongue? OMG! The sweetness flooding your mouth, the feel of the silky, smoothness. There is no greater delight.
• Rivers, Creeks and Lakes: While personal hygiene standards may drop slightly on the trail, no river, creek or lake is safe from smelly and sweaty hikers. As mentioned previously, I have been enjoying my bird baths and they do create a semblance of cleanliness, but plunging into a freezing body of water – clothes and all – can’t be beaten. Obviously, you can’t use soap in natural waterways, however a good rinse is good. Even better if you get to camp early and you are the only one there, you don’t have to worry so much about averting your eyes from other bathers or being caught mid-bath. What was I saying about ‘standards dropping’? 😊

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