Winter conditions (June to August) are not for the faint hearted, particularly further south where temperatures are lower and rainfall higher. The towns on the Bibbulmun Track are pretty spread out, with the greatest distance between two towns being 202 kilometres. Wildlife abounds on the Bibbulmun Track. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Banksia Burrow is a place to build and grow together. Looking at starting mid September, I hope thats a good time. The Duke of Edinburghs International Award, . The Bibb connects the outskirts of Perth on the west coast with the town of Albany on the south coast. It is situated in Western Australia starting in the beautiful suburban town of Kalamunda and stretches 1000 km's south down to the historical coastal town of Albany. As much as I tried I still arrived in Northcliffe on a Sunday, which is the one day the cooperative is closed! 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. I charge both from a portable battery pack, which usually lasts me between towns. Starting from just outside of Perth, it will take approximately 45 days to hike through the towering forests, quiet farmland and wild beaches until we reach Albany. Your email address will not be published. For advice specific to the Bibbulmun, the Bibbulmun Track Hikers Facebook group is a useful resource. It was originally envisaged by keen bushwalker Geoff Schafer, in 1972. But why? 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. Although I had grown up in the hiking mecca of Derbyshire in the UK, Id never done a multi-day hike and didnt even own a pair of hiking boots. 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!). The track goes through every resupply town, which is also rare to find. Photos featured on this site are courtesy of Tourism WA, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Doug Coughran, Colin Ingram, Peter Nicholas, L-A Shibish and Nature Play WA. 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. Good luck! Bibbulmun Track Video December 29, 2021. The stores arent that basic, you should be able to get all those items you mentioned. Glad to have stumbled upon your blog! Make a note of where youve buried the food in your journal because youll be desperate for it when you eventually get there! ), while still leaving opportunities to add to my lunch & snack supplies. Bibbulmun Track - Wikipedia Thanks Ben. In my defence, I find it difficult to get well-fitting boots because my second toes are longer than my big toes. The Bibbulmun Track - Part One - Kalamunda to Gringer Creek I highly recommend it! Dont know why I packed them), and not enough dried fruit & nut snacks. We are flying to Perth from London on Qantas new direct flights. BT Day 33: Nerang to Monadnocks 855.9km (25km) June 19, 2021. Id actually recommend this option for an end-to-end, because it supports the communities that host you and it saves you from agonising over a nutrition plan before your hike. If youre an experienced hiker you probably wont find much here for you, but hey you dont know what you dont know! You can get some pretty light self-inflating mats so Id explore that option if you plan on hiking regularly. You will know the right one when it comes along! Required fields are marked *. You can add to this if you like, but remember you will have to carry whatever you take! Bibbulmun Track - Walkingtwobytwo Follow the bright yellow waugyl through towering forests, over creeks and rivers, along wild beaches and up and over some impressive granite features. This would create the best variation and flexibility, encouraging me to explore the track towns and purchase local foods, while still predominately enjoying the same meals I would eat at home everyday!! Cooking for two, I prepared and dehydrated batches of 8-12 serves (4-6 days) of 11 different dishes, once or twice a week during our preparation time rather than all at once at the end, so the task wasn't too overwhelming. Sugars and fats might be your enemy in the real world, but theyre your friend on the trail. He was also a pretty good breeder himself, fathering nine children! Personally, I would take one. I want to walk the Bibbulmun Track, I said confidently when my turn came. Copyright 2023 Bibbulmun Track Foundation. Erika Lori sets a new record on the 1,000km Bibbulmun Track. Unfortunately, Ive been nursing a small injury in my hip so our grand plans for training has gone out of the window, but we are now walking to and from work whenever possible, as well as planning longer walks in the Peaks and near London as well as the Lakes in the coming weeks to build up our strength and endurance. Walking through the massive karri trees as they stretch high above you like a natural cathedral is awe inspiring, and we were lucky enough to see emus and kangaroos, the two native animals on the Commonwealth Coat of Arms. Thanks for the reply. Bushwalking is a natural tonic, providing a balance between enjoyable, low impact physical activity and a wellbeing workout. As a rough guide, there should be five waugals per kilometre in forest areas, and two per kilometre in more open areas. They have very straight trunks that dont separate into branches until high up near the tops of the trees so they were in great demand for railway sleepers. Thanks Andrew for such detailed notes. How much water youll need to take will depend upon the time of year. Im trying to cut down on as much weight as possible. Bibbulmun Track - Facebook as we pass through the eight track towns along the route, but other than that will be camping out in the specially designated campsites for Thru-hikers with only the snakes for company. Some things Im curious about: if you dont mind answering: What do you bring to take photos? The Bibbulmun Track often has temporary diversions and permanent realignments for various reasons, which can extend the distance to be walked on any day. View topic - Bibbulmun Track - Tips and Gear List - Bushwalk Posted on July 8, 2018 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. There certainly are! Hi! 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. Many other hikers swear by this method, but feet are very personal things! You will need to take some sort of shelter, both for safety reasons (getting caught out inbetween the huts) and just because sometimes the huts do get full. Just read your article, brilliant! These notes will help to make your Bibbulmun Track experience safer and more enjoyable. Leave No Trace builds awareness, appreciation and respect for our natural and cultural heritage. My basic gear, not including food and water, weighed about 13 kilograms (see the list at the end of this blog). There are many businesses and organisations along the entire length of the Track that offer goods and services to help you get the most out of your walk, whether it be for a few hours or an epic end-to-end journey. But once my heart had spoken, I felt I had to follow through. The Bibbulmun Track is a walking trail that stretches from Kalamunda, on the outer reaches of Perth, to the south coast harbour town of Albany. So far, our base packs come to approx. The calculator works in both north and south directions. Hi Sue, I got an injury before then. The Bibbulmun Track is generally well graded and relatively easy to negotiate. There are great opportunities for fit walkers to challenge themselves, on at least two of the days we walk around 25 km. On long walks, maps are essential and a compass comes in handy. Over its (roughly) 1000-kilometer length, the Bibbulmun winds its way through dense native forests, passes through a handful of sleepy country towns, climbs up and down ranges with magnificent views, and traverses the white, sandy beaches of WA's powerful southern coast. The Bibbulmun Track is one of the longest continuously marked trails in Australia, stretching 963 kilometres from Kalamunda, 20 kilometres east of Perth, to Albany on the southern coast of Western Australia. The first thing I needed to decide about was when to start the journey. The shelters with the water supplies are 10 km apart in the first few days out of Perth, average 18 km over the rest of the track until they go back to 10-12 km apart as you come into Albany. This well blazed trail travels through many national parks and state forests with various terrain that ranges from dense forest to beautiful coastland. It will come in very useful when I finally get to do my own E2E. was to work out what to take with me. 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!) The solitude and peace on this trail is incredibly unique for one so near civilization. The tank water is potable but if you get water from natural sources along the way its a good idea to treat it. Restocking food has been one of the biggest dilemmas for my hikes. This includes how to get there, highlights, interesting places, weather forecasts, Track conditions, the Track towns and photos. Bibbulmun Planner then met with a track veteran, "Wrong Way Jim" (eeeeekkk) at the Bibbulmun Track Foundation (BTF) to hone it further. Some of this trusty kit does however weigh a hell of a lot more than some of the ultralight stuff on the market. I think the more packs i try the more i go crazy. Country towns in Western Australia are spread out throughout this massive state; small pockets of civilisation with miles of bush in between them. She made a road trip the week before she left and dropped off her own supplies. Food planning & resupplying on the Bibbulmun Track! Northcliffe Walpole: Pack everything (except breakfast), dehydrating my own food & post to Northcliffe Visitors Centre to reach Walpole. Tank water should be treated, either with a filter, a UV lamp or some chemical treatment method. Walking the Bibbulmun takes some preparation, but its something that anyone of average fitness and mobility should be able to achieve. I also maintain a rigorous stretching routine when Im on multi-day hikes, to keep my legs from seizing up and to protect my knees. The only bad time to walk the Bibbulmun is summer. Well be weighing out all our food and making decisions on menus based on the weight/calorie ratio ( and cost will have a small impact on decision-making), to ensure were carrying the most calorie efficient food. Doing it sandals should surely count for more than a regular end-to-end. Trekking the Bibbulmun Track End to End - Snowys Blog The towns on the Bibbulmun Track are pretty spread out, with the greatest distance between two towns being 202 kilometres. . For example: Kalamunda to Dwellingup was approximately 11 nights, which was too far to carry food the whole way. Able to buy peanut butter, tortilla flatbread and instant pasta meals like those kind of things? Experiencing the Bibbulmun Track - WA Parks Foundation The towns on the Bibbulmun Track are pretty spread out, with the greatest distance between two towns being 202 kilometres. Proud of your achievement. Today there is still a timber mill in Pemberton, surrounded by old mill cottages, but tourism is also important for the towns survival. Bibbulmun Track - Slower Hiking Bibbulmun Planner | Photo - Travel Blog Then bury it. The majority of this comes from the big four: pack, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and tent - most of which we already had and are heavier than we might like. Karri sleepers from Pemberton were also used in the early development of the London Underground and other railway lines in the UK. The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world's great long distance walk trails, stretching nearly 1000kms from Kalamunda (Perth Hills) to Albany (South Coast) through the heart of the scenic South West of Western Australian town of Denmark, Western Australia. My kneecaps tend to rub against their track if I allow my IT band to get too tight, so I make a point of stretching it and rolling it out whenever I get the chance. 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. The Bibbulmun Trackis a 623mi/1,002km trail that runs near the Southwest coast of Australia from Kalamunda (near Perth) to Albany. The karri tree is one of the tallest species in the world, reaching heights of ninety metres, and some of the tallest karri trees in the area were used as fire lookouts from the 1930s to the 1960s. It allowed me to work out how many meals to dehydrate, pack and post, or alternatively buy in town.. If you ever come this way let me know so I can return the favour Let's see how we go! Required fields are marked *. I vividly remember the day I committed to walk the Bibbulmun Track. Donnelly River Village only had a simple general store.