These pages are bursting with information to help you have a safe and pleasant journey. SA, WA & NT specific bushwalking discussion. If some of the forums are anything to go by, people have hiked the APT and PCT - much longer trails than we are planning for - with as little as 5 kg base-packs (the weight of your bag before any food or drink is added). Then bury it. View topic - Bibbulmun Track - Tips and Gear List - Bushwalk The most important item on any hike is a pair of comfortable, well worn-in boots. There are three-sided shelters with picnic tables, rainwater tanks, as well as dunnies with toilet bowls and sometimes even toilet paper. 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. This isnt a problem on the outward journey, but on the way back it may be difficult to predict what time (or even what day) youll reach a town on foot. I have opted for. Most hotels, hostels and post offices along the track will happily hold resupply packages for you, just be sure to call in advance before you send them. While cooking and dehydrating meals took extra time & energy, this allowed me to enjoy meals that were more delicious, full of veggies & legumes, lighter & cheaper than many supermarket options. Im passionate about the Bibb, and am forever encouraging others to give it a go. . If youre an experienced hiker you probably wont find much here for you, but hey you dont know what you dont know! 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. How to Set Up Your eBay Sales Spreadsheet | Inexpensive eBay Sales Tracking Traditional camping equipment is rarely suitable for hikers, so youll need to buy equipment thats designed for hiking. 4WD campers have the luxury of an engine with a few hundred horsepower to lug all their gear around, while hikers only have their own two legs. Food can add considerably to the weight of one's backpack, significantly affecting the level of enjoyment experienced on the walk. 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. Buying food along the way also allowed me to get meals that I wanted to eat at the time, instead of having to make those choices months in advance. Scroll down for a Map of the Bibbulmun Track through Denmark WA. As much as I tried I still arrived in Northcliffe on a Sunday, which is the one day the cooperative is closed! Therefore, we will put "30 day fixed", "7 day auction", etc in this column. Of course this is all a bit subjective but if there is a lot of unstable rocky ground or long, steep walks uphill then I might be in trouble, Thanks for your quick reply, Andrew. I was happy to eat different mueslis, snacks and lunch meals by the end of the hike. The Bibbulmun Track, Western Australia Ranging from inland planes to beaches, limestone ranges to damp gullies, the 965-kilometre Bibbulmun Track, spanning from Perth to Albany, is one of Australia's great walks. 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. Theres all kinds out there, Best thing I have ever done. At the end of the weekend we felt tired yet recharged by our brief break in the country. Since I started using this I havent had a blister. If an access point is not shown here, then it is likely that it is not a permitted vehicle access point. It also helped me to better understand my bodys abilities, and made me realise how much more I could be doing with my life! I created a spreadsheet which recorded, for each date, the starting and finishing points and the number of kilometres between them. Information for bushwalkers from bushwalkers, by Empacitator Wed 22 Jan, 2014 12:20 am, by Empacitator Fri 24 Jan, 2014 10:58 am, by InspirationOutdoors Mon 27 Jan, 2014 1:33 pm, Return to South Australia, Western Australia & Northern Territory, Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests. Bibbulmun Track | Overview - the-life-of-py It doesnt do much to help the toe nail situation though! You should always use this calculator in conjunction with the Bibbulmun Track maps and guidebooks as whilst the distances are a good guide, they are rounded to the nearest 100 metres. 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. Autumn (March to May) is another good time weather-wise, though water supplies will be low if you set off early in the season before the rain. In Pemberton purchase two days worth of food to reach Northcliffe. An Australian owned one-stop-shop for outdoor and adventure equipment! Overview Stretching just over 1000 kilometres from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills to Albany, the Bibbulmun Track is Western Australia's longest walking trail, falling just behind South Australia's Heysen Trail as the longest walking-oriented trail in the country (the impressively long 5330 km Bicentennial National Trail is not designed with walkers in mind). In 1913 timber mills were established in Pemberton to supply half a million sleepers for the Trans-Australian Railway line. Posted on July 8, 2018 Cheers! The tank water is potable but if you get water from natural sources along the way its a good idea to treat it. (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Northcliffe had a great food cooperative selling bulk and local food that I wanted to support. The Bibbulmun Trackis a 623mi/1,002km trail that runs near the Southwest coast of Australia from Kalamunda (near Perth) to Albany. I highly recommend it! The next most important consideration for a long distance hike is your pack. Hi Ben, I did end to end over 10 years ago, agree with most of what you wrote but for your info, I passed a bloke wearing Dunlop volleys, an american wearing Teva sandals and socks and an Israeli carry a bag of rice. As were planning on doing the entire 1,000 km in 45 days, well need to skip some of the huts and plan carefully so we can resupply and rest where possible. Google Sheets: Online Spreadsheet Editor | Google Workspace If youre walking the whole Track in one go, transport is not an issue you can catch a bus from Perth to the northern terminus of the Track in Kalamunda, and get a bus back from Albany when you arrive at the southern terminus a month or two later (or vice versa if youre walking from south to north). I just googled the Via Dinarica and it looks amazing! Use Google Sheets to create and edit online spreadsheets. Id read an article about the newly aligned Bibbulmun Track that would be opening later in the year, but hadnt thought much more about it. Also, the campsites, which are located between 10 and 20 kilometres apart, are closer together near Perth, which is useful for end to end walkers to ease themselves into condition. It is situated in a valley surrounded by karri forests, so its history is inextricably linked to forestry and logging. This is a very rewarding and quite remote expeditionary hike. Each of the towns on the Bibbulmun has at least a mini supermarket, but the range is often limited and the prices are high. Dwellingup Collie: Pack everything (except breakfast), dehydrating my own food & post to Dwellingup accomodation to reach Collie. Everybodys body is different, so do some training hikes to work out any physical issues you might have, and how to manage them. 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. She made a road trip the week before she left and dropped off her own supplies. Track Angels are locals that support hikers on the track - whether they be end to enders like us, or just doing sections of it - with food drops, accommodation, advice and lifts. It was quite a process!! Notes for Potential Hikers of the Bibbulmun Track Introduction. a long weekend) its best to take a tent with you. I am so glad I dehydrated a lot of my own food. View topic - Bibbulmun Track Questions/Answers - Bushwalk Hey Ben! It traverses the Darling Range and has inspired reflections about the state of the Western Australian environment by William J. Bibbulmun Track | 9 Section Bibbulmun Track Itinerary, WA 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. The Bibbulmun Track, south Western Australia. He was also a pretty good breeder himself, fathering nine children! The solitude and peace on this trail is incredibly unique for one so near civilization. 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. Its designed to help decide which part of the 1000 km Track youd like to walk and to give you all the planning information you need. Bibbulmun Track - Walkingtwobytwo Tank water should be treated, either with a filter, a UV lamp or some chemical treatment method. Youll want to make sure you get plenty of calories about 4000-6000 a day is recommended for long-distance hikers. Bibbulmun Track (WA) ~ The Long Way's Better Just read your article, brilliant! Not a fussy eater at all, just after the basic hiker foods. I charge both from a portable battery pack, which usually lasts me between towns. Thats it. 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. was to work out what to take with me. It is roughly 1000 kilometers in length. 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? Do you keep your phone on you? The rest includes a teeny, tiny cooker and gas canister, down jacket, one change of clothes, basic hygiene kit, first aid kit and basic electronics. The following list is what I take on multi-day hikes on the Bibbulmun Track. 1000km. 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. Each hut can accommodate between eight and 15 people (depending on the design) sleeping on wooden boards. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. I currently have a fracture of my fifth metatarsal which will heal by then but I am wondering about the steepness of the terrain, especially near the Gloucester tree, and also the unevenness of the ground. Bibbulmun Track - Facebook 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. Of course, equally valid pursuits enjoyed by many visitors are eating, drinking and relaxing in nature! 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. I have done many day walks, 2 overnight walks and one 4 day/3 night walk on the Bibb. A range of tasty Back Country Cuisine meals are available in select stores along the Track. The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world's great long distance walk trails, stretching 1000 kilometres from Kalamunda in the Perth hills, to the historic town of Albany on the south coast. What to take on a multi-day Bibbulmun Track hike 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 . Australia: Bibbulmun Track - Doing Miles The Bibbulmun Track walk would technically take more than two months to finish at an average walking pace. The best word to describe it is pleasant. I took water purification tablets on my first hike, but the treated water tasted so foul I couldnt drink it! As you become more experienced you will get better at knowing what gear works for you. Shakedown: Bibbulmun Track in September : r/Ultralight Celebrate our 25th year with an adventure! Winter conditions (June to August) are not for the faint hearted, particularly further south where temperatures are lower and rainfall higher. 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. The towns Tourist/Information centers and some petrol stations have stored supplies for her. Bibbulmun Track Planning Guide | How To Create Your Ideal Hiking 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. Thanks for all the information about the Bibbulman Track. Two of the original fire lookout trees can still be climbed by daring visitors. Let's see how we go! On my first attempt at hiking the Bibbulmun Track end to end, I was thwarted by very nasty blisters, caused by my boots being slightly too loose and rubbing on my heels. Ill call them and ask and add something to the blog about that section, it probably warrants a mention. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Travel from Perth Airport to Fremantle for $4.50, What to take on a multi-day Bibbulmun Track hike. Bushwalk Australia and contributors 2007-2013. Youll be carrying your whole life on your back, so youll need to make sure you have the right equipment and supplies to make it work. It underwent many changes over the next two decades until, in 1993, work began to turn the Bibbulmun Track into one of the worlds great long distance walks, modelled on the Appalachian Trail in the USA. They cost nearly $700 and dont look like much, but theyre probably the best money Ive ever spent on hiking gear. I used a pyramid tarp which gave me good all round protection although next time I would choose something with a smaller footprint. There certainly are! If youre more tech-savvy than me, a GPS could also be invaluable, though youll need to take a solar charger too as there are no power points between towns. What my heart chose surprised even me. But be warned, this is not a stroll in the park. A checklist is great way to start. While on the contrary I bought packets of sugary lollies straight from the huge supermarket at home and packed them in my food parcels. But for the purposes of a non-picky hiker, theyre perfectly adequate. Bibbulmun Planner then met with a track veteran, "Wrong Way Jim" (eeeeekkk) at the Bibbulmun Track Foundation (BTF) to hone it further. Therefore, if my boots fit well at the heels, my second toes end up getting battered on hikes and eventually, the nails turn black and drop off. Premier Partner of the Foundation and the Bibbulmun Track maintenance volunteer program. Spring (September to November) is the best time to walk the Bibbulmun Track. 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. Good luck! I ate out in town more than I had originally planned, and so a few of my homemade meals were repacked for the next section. I was thinking I could toughen up for two nights, but would love to hear from someone who has already walked it as I dont want to regret not bringing a mat when I cant get to sleep. During the summer months (December to February) very hot weather, low water supplies, and abundant flies can make long walks very uncomfortable and even dangerous. Ive lived in Western Australia all my life, but it wasnt until I walked the Bibbulmun that I really appreciated what a rich and incredibly diverse landscape were blessed with. To help you get started on overnight walks the Foundation also has a range of items for hire. 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. Bibbulmun hikes: Harvey-Quindanning Road to Harris Dam, Dreaming of the Next Adventure Introducing the Bibbulmun Track Lifeone big adventure, Tent (for emergencies, and in case the shelter is full), Compass (some say optional, but I always take one in case I get lost), A personal locator beacon (PLB not optional for any responsible hiker), Dishwashing cloth (I can get by without detergent, but you may prefer it), Trowel (for digging holes for #2 between campsites), Water containers for at least three litres, Some method of water treatment (filter, UV lamp, chemical), Trekking poles (optional, I swear by them), Breakfasts (pre-made oat sachets are a good option here), Lunch (generally cold food that doesnt need too much preparation), Dinner (dehydrated meals are popular for dinner). 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. North to South - South to North: I aimed to start my hike in late September and to walk north to south. Bibbulmun Track Trip Planner | Bibbulmun Track Ive got a Wilderness Equipment Discovery 1 (medium), but I bought it in 1998 so things will have moved on since then! More information can be found in an accommodation and services guide for walkers published by the Friends of the Bibbulmun Track. The most important item on any hike is a pair of comfortable, well worn-in boots. 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. 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. A great option to have when the rain hits. Unless you can talk friends into bringing supplies to you, which could be difficult to coordinate, youll need to do a food drop before you go.