It is a great community of enthusiastic Bibb Track hikers, supporters and the Bibbulmun Track Foundation. In May this year, Tim and I will be flying to Western Australia to take on our biggest challenge yet; well be hiking the Bibbulmun track, 1,000 km through the remote Australian wilderness. There are a number of things to consider before setting out on the Track. Thats literally just a petrol station with very basic, expensive options, although it does have an attached cafe so you can have at least one decent hot meal. Personally, I would take one. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Luckily, the huts along the way collect rainwater, so well always have a supply of drinking water once we have purified it. If youre picky about what you eat or you have specific dietary requirements, you can make dried meals with a dehydrator and vacuum sealer, and ship them to yourself along the way. 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. Most hikers take several months to cover WA's famous 1,000km Bibbulmun Track, but Perth school teacher Jono Ride managed to do it in just over two weeks, despite not setting out to break records. Very jealous, Ill add it to my ever-growing bucket list. North to South - South to North: Cheers! Tank water should be treated, either with a filter, a UV lamp or some chemical treatment method. Thanks Kelly! If youre an experienced long-distance hiker, you could aim to finish in as little as a month. I aimed to start my hike in late September and to walk north to south. It also helped me to better understand my bodys abilities, and made me realise how much more I could be doing with my life! The Track was radically realigned (retaining less than 10% of the old route) and extended to Albany. 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. 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!) As with all long distance hiking, the lighter your pack the better your journey will be. The Bibbulmun Trackis a 623mi/1,002km trail that runs near the Southwest coast of Australia from Kalamunda (near Perth) to Albany. 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!) You can add to this if you like, but remember you will have to carry whatever you take! Some hikers drink straight out of the tanks without treating the water, but I wouldnt take the risk. This includes how to get there, highlights, interesting places, weather forecasts, Track conditions, the Track towns and photos. In August of 2018 after 2.5 years of planning I started my thru-hike of the 1005km Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia. Youll need more if you walk when the water supply is less reliable. If youre inspired to try, heres (some of) the info youll need to make it happen. Ridiculously crazy and amazing adventures for trail runners. However, walking with too heavy a pack will also be uncomfortable. Ill call them and ask and add something to the blog about that section, it probably warrants a mention. The tank water is potable but if you get water from natural sources along the way its a good idea to treat it. Take a walk on the wild side walking the Bibbulmun Track, Follow Local Travel Tips on WordPress.com. As a rough guide, there should be five waugals per kilometre in forest areas, and two per kilometre in more open areas. Overall my resupply plan worked out better than I could have imagined along the track. How much water youll need to take will depend upon the time of year. This saved me a lot of stress wondering whether I was on the right track in the absence of waugals. Innovative lightweight backpacking and travel gear for your next adventure. Thanks Andrew for such detailed notes. Since I started using this I havent had a blister. The Bibb connects the outskirts of Perth on the west coast with the town of Albany on the south coast. 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. It is managed by government agencies, and has a foundation. I have opted for. Today there is still a timber mill in Pemberton, surrounded by old mill cottages, but tourism is also important for the towns survival. But once my heart had spoken, I felt I had to follow through. On an excel spreadsheet I mapped out my entire walk highlighting where I was planning to stay each night, how many days I would be on the track, how many nights I would be in each town to provide an overall understanding of where I would be for each day and for each meal. 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. 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. 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. Wildlife abounds on the Bibbulmun Track. Your email address will not be published. It is important to keep an eye out for these waugals, as you can easily stray off track if youre daydreaming. Premier Partner of the Foundation and the Bibbulmun Track maintenance volunteer program. 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. I waited for my turn, not knowing which of the places on my bucket list to choose. Hey Ben! 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. The Bibbulmun Track passes a wide range of experiences, from a gentle stroll to enjoy the peace and beauty of the natural environment, to an epic eight week adventure camping out at the 49 campsites and enjoying the hospitality of nine communities along the way. As with all long distance hiking, the lighter your pack the better your journey will be. Bushwalking is a natural tonic, providing a balance between enjoyable, low impact physical activity and a wellbeing workout. 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). Despite and abnormally rainy experience, it was quite the relaxing hike. The Bibbulmun Track passes through some remote areas of Western Australia, so once youre on the Track you need to know how to stay on it. 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. 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. This well blazed trail travels through many national parks and state forests with various terrain that ranges from dense forest to beautiful coastland. South Australia, Western Australia & Northern Territory, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHfaBZT Q&index=15, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc sp=sharing. Thanks for the feedback, really chuffed you liked it! There's a chance of no water, with many days the temperatures up in the high 30's, and some days reaching 40C and beyond. Embrace it, and figure out what works for you. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. The facilities are world class compared to most long-distance trails around the world. 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 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' 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). Although walking is a relatively safe pastime, there are hazards associated with the bush. 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. Hi! Lines in his book A long walk in the Australian bush.. Unless something goes wrong, all your water will come from the tanks at campsites or taps in towns. 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. Im all about lists & planning for a hike. 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. Karri sleepers from Pemberton were also used in the early development of the London Underground and other railway lines in the UK. The track is one of the world's longest walking trails stretching from Perth to Albany. Required fields are marked *. But its still an awesome pack with a really strong hip strap. Your email address will not be published. However, you don't need to finish it in one go, with 49 campsites along the track. It doesnt do much to help the toe nail situation though! If you take this option, be warned you WILL get sick of the food you make yourself, so be prepared to improvise. I will definitely have to crack down on what I bring in order of importance. The Bibbulmun Track passes through many different environments; we saw an astonishing 85 different orchid species and hybrids. 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. We have been planning in earnest for a few weeks now and we have been using a huge excel spreadsheet to help us battle the logistics one step at a time. Once youve bought or borrowed everything necessary to hike the Bibbulmun Track, the next thing is to plan your walk. Pingerup Plains, the swamps comprising days . Awesome write up thank you! He was also a pretty good breeder himself, fathering nine children! What about tracking navigation? 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. Youll want to make sure you get plenty of calories about 4000-6000 a day is recommended for long-distance hikers. 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? This is intended as a guide for the absolute beginner. It was a useful meeting in that he gave some good key advice on certain sections and we spoke at length about the inlet crossings to be factored in. The Bibbulmun Track is generally well graded and relatively easy to negotiate. 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. Well be talking & typing all things #tinyhouse #hiking #permaculture #gardening #bushwalking #simpleliving #organic #wastefree #reading. It was quite a process! You need to be a special type of person to live in them and I admire people who thrive in these conditions I know I couldnt. However, even if you walk regularly, its surprising how much difference carrying a heavy backpack makes. Scroll down for a Map of the Bibbulmun Track through Denmark WA. Know that most who hike this track choose to hike hut to hut in almost double the time that I chose to do this track, and enjoy a relaxed experience of not having to hike full days. 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. Whether you are thinking about planning your first ever walk on the Track or wondering which section to walk next, the Trip Planner pages will assist you regardless of your level of experience. The Bibbulmun Track stretches 1,000 km from Kalamunda in Perth to Albany in the south-west. One of many shelters with covered tables and water tanks. 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. Tank water is often yellowish from the tannins in the leaves that get stuck in the shelter gutters, but is still perfectly safe to drink once treated. 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. It traverses the Darling Range and has inspired reflections about the state of the Western Australian environment by William J. This is useful for working out how much food you will need for each section and for arranging to meet other people. The track is officially measured as 1003 kilometres long, divided into 58 sections, each ending in either a town or a campsite. Im just worried about how rocky the sleeping areas are etc. 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. That said, its totally doable to do a thru-hike solely on town-bought supplies if you dont mind paying a little extra and youre not a fussy eater. Pingback: Dreaming of the Next Adventure Introducing the Bibbulmun Track Lifeone big adventure, Your email address will not be published. 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. Its a good idea to split your food into two parcels and bury them in different places to reduce the chances of losing everything. You should have a separate inventory spreadsheet where you record how much the item cost you to . 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. Celebrate our 25th year with an adventure! The towns Tourist/Information centers and some petrol stations have stored supplies for her. 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. It was another early settler who arrived a year later, Pemberton Walcott, who gave the town its name. Thats it. 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).

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