We will be able to top up our food supplies (and replace our worn out shoes!) Many Different Landforms. The Bibbulmun Track can be tough so, go on take a walk on the wild side! The only place you might need to plan ahead is the Kalamunda to Dwellingup section, where the only resupply point is the North Bannister Road House. Well be sending a second pair of each ahead to one of the Track towns in case they are so worn we need to replace them (gulp!). The towns on the Bibbulmun Track are pretty spread out, with the greatest distance between two towns being 202 kilometres. The Bibbulmun Track is a 623mi/1,002km trail that runs near the Southwest coast of Australia from Kalamunda (near Perth) to Albany. The next most important consideration for a long distance hike is your pack. Despite and abnormally rainy experience, it was quite the relaxing hike. Here are the main points we are currently looking at: If left to my own devices I would happily stick with the full contingent of hiking kit I currently own - including a sleeping bag dating back well over 15 years and a hiking pack purchased for my Bronze D of E. In my mind, if its not broken, why replace it? I am hiking only a section of the Bibbulmum (two nights) during July (not the best time, Im sure) but I was wondering if you think I really need a sleeping mat? Celebrate our 25th year with an adventure! These notes will help to make your Bibbulmun Track experience safer and more enjoyable. I have since found a fabulous tape called fixumol, which I put on my heels and toes at the start of a hike as a preventative measure and add more of as hot-spots begin to develop. The next thing I needed to do in preparation for hiking the Bibbulmun Track (see my previous blog for the background to this crazy idea!) There are also taxi services and tour operators who can help you to co-ordinate your walk, and some B&Bs near the Track offer drop-off and pick-up services. Bibbulmun Track camp site rebuilt after bushfires Thanks Kelly! Doing it sandals should surely count for more than a regular end-to-end. How do you keep it charged, do you have a solar charger of some sort? Hi we are considering heading over to WA from SA in September to experience a section of the Bibbulmun Track, imagining that the border will be open by then. If that makes your eyes water, its possible to put together a reasonably lightweight backpacking kit with gear from Paddy Pallin, Wild Earth and a few other retailers for less than 2000AUD. Once youve bought or borrowed everything necessary to hike the Bibbulmun Track, the next thing is to plan your walk. If youre an experienced hiker you probably wont find much here for you, but hey you dont know what you dont know! The towns on the Bibbulmun Track are pretty spread out, with the greatest distance between two towns being 202 kilometres. I vividly remember the day I committed to walk the Bibbulmun Track. A "horrifying" attack on Perth's world-famous Bibbulmun Track has left two hikers in hospital after one was allegedly run down by a car before both were allegedly set upon by the driver wielding a . Collie Donnelly River Village: Purchase all of my food from the Collie supermarkets & Balingup shops to reach Donnelly River Village. I hope to do this one day soon. Walking the Bibbulmun Track Maps and Guidebooks The $270,000 structure was designed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) in consultation with the Bibbulmun Track Foundation and has been constructed using fire resistant products such as rammed earth and steel. a long weekend) its best to take a tent with you. Track so, if you walk in the spring when water is plentiful and temperatures are not too high, you could get away with carrying about two litres of water. Its become an obsession. Trekking The Bibbulmun Track End to End - Planning. They cost nearly $700 and dont look like much, but theyre probably the best money Ive ever spent on hiking gear. On my last 16-day section hike from Northcliffe to Albany, I lost 5 kilos and that was with a calorie-rich diet, while stuffing my face in each of the towns I visited. Innovative lightweight backpacking and travel gear for your next adventure. Each of the towns on the Bibbulmun has at least a mini supermarket, but the range is often limited and the prices are high. 10 kg each. It may not have the most spectacular scenery for most of it, but it somehow wins the heart of everyone that hikes it for the pleasant experience. To walk the whole track is an adventure in contrasts, where the reward for your hard work is to see the world change before you at the speed of a human being. The following list is what I take on multi-day hikes on the Bibbulmun Track. I have met a lot of people with the same foot conformation so, if this applies to you, you may need to choose between sore toes or blisters on your heels. It is a great community of enthusiastic Bibb Track hikers, supporters and the Bibbulmun Track Foundation. WA Parks Foundation Chair the Hon Kerry Sanderson AC CVO with Board Director Eva Skira AM hiking on the Bibbulmun Track. Required fields are marked *. The Bibbulmun Track - Part One - Kalamunda to Gringer Creek I tried to find a balance between: The ethical conundrum of what to buy & where, was so big in my head that I tried to change my itinerary to make sure I reached Northcliffe on a day that the food cooperative was open. I have done many day walks, 2 overnight walks and one 4 day/3 night walk on the Bibb. There are buses from all the main track towns to Perth or Albany in case we get injured and need to bail. Walking the Bibbulmun has been one of the best things Ive ever done not only because it whipped me into shape after years of being overweight, but because it gave me an appreciation for adventure and the natural world. Food planning & resupplying on the Bibbulmun Track! Awesome write up thank you! Collie was a bigger town with a large supermarket. This well blazed trail travels through many national parks and state forests with various terrain that ranges from dense forest to beautiful coastland. The Bibbulmun is on my list of possibilities. For example: Kalamunda to Dwellingup was approximately 11 nights, which was too far to carry food the whole way. The Bibbulmun Track is one of Australia's famous long distance bush walking trails. Distinctive yellow triangles displaying a waugal symbol (a rainbow serpent spirit-being from the Aboriginal Dreaming) are nailed to trees along the way to mark the Track. There are great opportunities for fit walkers to challenge themselves, on at least two of the days we walk around 25 km. Like anything, this can vary enormously in price and quality. Thank you so much for the quick reply! If youve got a decent budget, Id recommend looking at equipment made by speciality manufacturers in the US like Zpacks, Enlightened Equipment, ULA and others (detailed gear reviews coming soon!). However, we went there last weekend to hike on the Bibbulmun Track a 963km walking trail that stretches from Kalamunda in the eastern suburbs of Perth to Albany on the south coast of Western Australia. It may be a restricted road or a closed quarantined road within a Disease Risk Area where vehicles are not permitted. Youll need more if you walk when the water supply is less reliable. The Track is popular with locals, interstate and overseas visitors alike. It was quite a process!! Pemberton to Walpole The section from Pemberton to Walpole is exciting. Since I started using this I havent had a blister. One thru-hike at a time. Cheers, Andrew. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The Archer family became trapped in their remote cabin when floodwaters rapidly rose last month After three days they hiked out, with three young children, including a baby, to their neighbour's place They are now rebuilding and say they look forward to moving back to their 'rainforest homestead' More information can be found in an accommodation and services guide for walkers published by the Friends of the Bibbulmun Track. Matt. Visitors can go four-wheel driving or mountain biking or fish for trout and marron. Get insights together with secure sharing in real-time and from any device. If you are doing more than a day walk on the Track, you will need to take a lot of equipment: sleeping gear, cooking equipment and food, a change of clothing, basic toiletries, a first aid kit and maybe a tent. Pembertons first settler was Edward Brockman, the son of Perths first mayor, who moved to the area in 1861 to breed horses. The Bibbulmun Track: The Best Long Distance Wildflower Walk for Slower A checklist is great way to start. Perth hiker sets out on the 1,000km Bibbulmun track and accidentally Pingerup Plains, the swamps comprising days . Bibbulmun Track | 9 Section Bibbulmun Track Itinerary, WA Download the app on Wi-Fi and then open the Bibbulmun Track and make sure you have downloaded the maps for offline use. If you are doing more than a day walk on the Track, you will need to take a lot of equipment: sleeping gear, cooking equipment and food, a change of clothing, basic toiletries, a first aid kit and maybe a tent. After some months now of planning and preparing the walk is almost upon me. Whether you want to walk for a couple of hours or a couple of months, the Bibbulmun Track provides the means to get away from it all and to experience the peace and beauty of south-west Australia. The solitude and peace on this trail is incredibly unique for one so near civilization. There is no charge for accommodation and it cant be pre-booked, so if youre hiking for a long time or overnighting during a busy period (e.g. Im just getting the blog off the ground so its good to hear somebody is finding it useful. A great option to have when the rain hits. The Group page. Required fields are marked *. Water is available from tanks at each of the 48 campsites along the. Of course, equally valid pursuits enjoyed by many visitors are eating, drinking and relaxing in nature! A practice walk of three or more days should give a good indication of how much food you need, otherwise allow about one kilogram of food per day. It may be several weeks before you arrive there on foot, so make sure your food parcel is water- and vermin-proof by packing the food in plastic bags, inside plastic boxes, inside another large plastic bag. More to come, I'm sure. was to work out what to take with me. Im okay with sleeping on a hard surface (we are sleeping in a tent) but would you definitely recommend bringing one? When buying a backpack, try on as many packs as you can before making a decision, and ask the shop assistant to add weight to them and adjust the straps to fit your body so you can assess how the pack distributes the weight. So I thought it might be helpful to share in a little more detail some of the things I considered when organising food for the trip. I created a spreadsheet which recorded, for each date, the starting and finishing points and the number of kilometres between them. If an access point is not shown here, then it is likely that it is not a permitted vehicle access point. What my heart chose surprised even me. cooking at home with bulk foods & predominately organic or local vegetables that were purchased from independent stores but would then travel to Western Australia, buying food in these small towns from local businesses that sell ethical products to support their local food economy, understanding I would be shopping from supermarkets and purchasing standard food, sold in packaging both here at home & in Western Australia. Ive decided to walk the Bibbulmun Track! We like to track how the item was listed at the time of the sale. Spring and autumn are the most popular times to walk the track, but winter is my favourite because I love seeing all the creeks and rivers in full flow. Personally, I would take one. Take a walk on the wild side walking the Bibbulmun Track, Follow Local Travel Tips on WordPress.com. This occurs on the first stretch (on a north to south hike) between Kalamunda and Dwellingup and involves walking for at least 10 days with no opportunities to resupply. The Bibbulmun Track runs from Perth to Albany, 1000 km and takes about six weeks to thru hike. I take a Sony A6000 camera, which I have attached to my backpack with a Peak Designs capture clip. my partner and I are planning to do the Bibbulmun Track starting ~14th of September (we're arriving 10th of September in Perth from Europe) and we're looking for some advice.