Bibbulmun Track

The Bibbulmun Track runs about a thousand kilometres from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills to Albany on the south coast, marked throughout by the waugal, a serpent from Noongar tradition, on yellow triangles. It passes through jarrah and marri forest, the tall karri and tingle forests of the southwest, granite outcrops, river valleys and finally the coastal heath and beaches of the south coast. Around fifty campsites with three-sided timber shelters, rainwater tanks and pit toilets sit roughly a day apart, free and first-come. End-to-end walkers take six to eight weeks; most people walk sections, with popular stretches around Dwellingup, Pemberton and Walpole.

History

Bushwalking, youth hostel, scouting and caving groups proposed the track in 1972 and planned it with the Forests Department of Western Australia; it opened in 1979, its route was changed twice, partly because forest along it was threatened by logging, bauxite mining or dieback, and the third alignment, extended to Albany, opened in 1998, keeping less than ten per cent of the earlier routes. The name comes from the Bibbulmun, the Noongar people of the Perth area (Wikipedia, Bibbulmun Track).

The main sights

• The forests - jarrah, marri, karri and tingle along the length of the track.
• The trail campsites - timber shelters and tanks spaced about a day apart.
• The waugal markers - the yellow serpent signs guiding the route.
• The south coast - heath, granite and beaches on the final sections.

When to go

April to November; summer brings extreme fire danger, heat and closures, and walking then is discouraged. Wildflowers peak from August to October. Winter is wet and cold but the forests are at their best.

Before you go

Water at campsites comes from rainwater tanks that can run dry in late summer, so carrying capacity and checking tank reports matter. Shelters are first-come and can be full in peak season. Fire bans close sections at short notice.

Nearby

Kalamunda is the northern end; Albany, Pemberton and Walpole sit on the route.

Key facts