These pages are bursting with information to help you have a safe and pleasant journey. We like to track how the item was listed at the time of the sale. Its important to ensure your pack fits comfortably and has a good hip belt to keep the weight on your hips rather than on your shoulders. 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. Its become an obsession. This saved me a lot of stress wondering whether I was on the right track in the absence of waugals. In Pemberton purchase two days worth of food to reach Northcliffe. 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. 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. Some hikers drink straight out of the tanks without treating the water, but I wouldnt take the risk. This series will show you what it's like to thru-hike the 1002 km (623 mile) Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia, including the terrain, life in camp, the b. These notes will help to make your Bibbulmun Track experience safer and more enjoyable. This was just so I could purchase my muesli there in bulk & support their local business. It was originally envisaged by keen bushwalker Geoff Schafer, in 1972. A checklist is great way to start. (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). 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. There are buses from all the main track towns to Perth or Albany in case we get injured and need to bail. Bushwalking is a natural tonic, providing a balance between enjoyable, low impact physical activity and a wellbeing workout. 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!). Bibbulmun Track - Albany to Denmark - Australian Walking Holidays So far, our base packs come to approx. Youll need more if you walk when the water supply is less reliable. 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. Sounds as though it might be possible..Rosie, > miso soup (Ajishima freeze-dried miso with fungi, South Australia, Western Australia & Northern Territory, https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sawyer-Sque :rk:2:pf:0, https://www.facebook.com/andrew.richman 1913222176, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ edit#gid=0, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ 1858826788, https://www.facebook.com/andrew.richman 1659377176. She made a road trip the week before she left and dropped off her own supplies. Copyright 2023 Bibbulmun Track Foundation. 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!). Summer is not recommended as Western Australia has extremely hot dry summers, making it a high-risk fire season. Collie was a bigger town with a large supermarket. 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. Food can add considerably to the weight of one's backpack, significantly affecting the level of enjoyment experienced on the walk. At the end of the weekend we felt tired yet recharged by our brief break in the country. Bibbulmun Track Western Australia 1000km - Simply Trekking 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. 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. I just googled the Via Dinarica and it looks amazing! 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. Hi Emma, Plus purchasing a small amount of meals from the supermarket did still switch up my diet. An Australian owned one-stop-shop for outdoor and adventure equipment! As with all long distance hiking, the lighter your pack the better your journey will be. 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. Flood traps family of five who hike to safety after days isolated at Im just getting the blog off the ground so its good to hear somebody is finding it useful. Is there anything else less essential you can leave out of your pack? Home Trip Planner Distance Calculator. Its a good idea to split your food into two parcels and bury them in different places to reduce the chances of losing everything. Each campsite has a three-sided shelter, a water tank, a drop toilet and picnic tables. However, you don't need to finish it in one go, with 49 campsites along the track. The best word to describe it is pleasant. With tips on how to create your ideal. Water is available from tanks at each of the 48 campsites along the. Im quite an experienced hiker, and find your blog post very usefull. Bibbulmun Track Planning Guide | How To Create Your Ideal Hiking A range of tasty Back Country Cuisine meals are available in select stores along the Track. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Banksia Burrow is a place to build and grow together. Thankyou in advance! More information can be found in an accommodation and services guide for walkers published by the Friends of the Bibbulmun Track. Where were the best opportunities to send parcels, such as to my accomodation spots or visitors centres? 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. Food planning & resupplying on the Bibbulmun Track! It is named 'Bibbulmun' after a group of . If you want to experience the geological features, biodiversity and scenic beauty of this long-distance walking trail, the Section-by-Section guide on the excellent Bibbulmun Track Foundation website is a great place to start. Northcliffe Walpole: Pack everything (except breakfast), dehydrating my own food & post to Northcliffe Visitors Centre to reach Walpole. Bibbulmun Track (WA, Australia) | Fastest Known Time Luckily, the huts along the way collect rainwater, so well always have a supply of drinking water once we have purified it. Follow the bright yellow waugyl through towering forests, over creeks and rivers, along wild beaches and up and over some impressive granite features. Western Australia generally doesnt experience snow or extreme cold, although it can get a little chilly at nights and in the early mornings, so warm clothes and sleeping gear are a must. The Bibbulmun Track runs from Perth to Albany, 1000 km and takes about six weeks to thru hike. If youre attempting an end-to-end for the first time, youll inevitably develop your own way of living on the track that will probably vary a little from the directions in this guide. Feel free to comment below for advice, or suggested additions to this guide. Your email address will not be published. It also provides schools with the resources to participate in the WACE endorsed end-to-end program and students to attain the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. 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. 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. Walkers should always check the current Track conditions before embarking on a walk. North to South - South to North: 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. As you become more experienced you will get better at knowing what gear works for you. This is intended as a guide for the absolute beginner. May 27, 2020 thebanksiaburrow Over the last couple of weeks before I left for the Bibbulmun Track, I was up until midnight planning my itinerary, counting sections, cooking up curries, dehydrating meals, weighing portions & allocating food for each day. Western Australia, AU Distance 992.8 km Vertical Gain 17,500 m The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world's great long distance walk trails, stretching 1000km from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills, to Albany on the south coast, winding through the heart of the scenic South West of Western Australia. Either plan to supplement your meals with town-bought supplies, or make sure you cook up a decent range of dishes. Make a note of where youve buried the food in your journal because youll be desperate for it when you eventually get there! Karri sleepers from Pemberton were also used in the early development of the London Underground and other railway lines in the UK. 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 WAs powerful southern coast. The local food shop in Balingup had closed down. Estimated length: 1000 kilometres / 621 miles. Again, thank you and happy hiking! You may be able to ship a resupply to the cafe, called the Three Ways Road House. Those that walk every step of the way can be registered as end-to-enders. Walking the Bibbulmun takes some preparation, but its something that anyone of average fitness and mobility should be able to achieve. The Track was radically realigned (retaining less than 10% of the old route) and extended to Albany. I might end up with a couple of 40km+ days I think but the majority should be around 30km. Good luck! Megan, I find this very good sharing, especially on the resupply considerations that included supporting local businesses. 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. Bushwalk Australia and contributors 2007-2014. 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. 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. Unfortunately, in the 1930s they found themselves out of work again when the Great Depression hit and many families had to leave their properties. Once youve bought or borrowed everything necessary to hike the Bibbulmun Track, the next thing is to plan your walk. Required fields are marked *. These pages provide youth group leaders with the necessary tools to plan, lead and complete a successful expedition on the Bibbulmun Track. Testing out the Sawyer Filter in a murky Peak District stream. Mmm, difficult question! Hi Sue, I got an injury before then. Today, Pemberton has a population of just over a thousand people. Each hut can accommodate between eight and 15 people (depending on the design) sleeping on wooden boards. The Bibbulmun Track walk would technically take more than two months to finish at an average walking pace. What pack did you use for this hike? Since I started using this I havent had a blister. The first thing I needed to decide about was when to start the journey. Required fields are marked *. Once we reach Albany, its a long six hour bus back to Perth and then onwards. Im trying to cut down on as much weight as possible. Ive only done Bibbulmun day hikes as of yet. Erika Lori sets a new record on the 1,000km Bibbulmun Track. Im hooked on my fitbit for tracking my hikes but they run out of juice so quickly thanks man! Leave No Trace is all about promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor travel and recreation through education, research and partnerships. 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. If youre inspired to try, heres (some of) the info youll need to make it happen. 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. 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. If youre an experienced hiker you probably wont find much here for you, but hey you dont know what you dont know! As much as I tried I still arrived in Northcliffe on a Sunday, which is the one day the cooperative is closed! It was quite a process!! Metal rungs were hammered into the tree trunks to form a spiral ladder leading up to a look out in the canopy of the tree. WA Parks Foundation Chair the Hon Kerry Sanderson AC CVO with Board Director Eva Skira AM hiking on the Bibbulmun Track. Gill Goes Trekking The Bibbulmun Track End to End - Planning Use Google Sheets to create and edit online spreadsheets. However, even if you walk regularly, its surprising how much difference carrying a heavy backpack makes. Take a walk on the wild side walking the Bibbulmun Track, Follow Local Travel Tips on WordPress.com. The Pingerup Plains between Northcliffe and Mandalay Beach are usually inundated in late winter and spring, but many hikers believe its worth a few days of wading to see their magnificent wildflowers in full bloom. Celebrate our 25th year with an adventure! I took water purification tablets on my first hike, but the treated water tasted so foul I couldnt drink it! Nowadays, I use an ultraviolet wand which doesnt affect the taste of the water. 10 kg each. The Bibbulmun Track is a long-distance walk trail in Western Australia.. Dwellingup Collie: Pack everything (except breakfast), dehydrating my own food & post to Dwellingup accomodation to reach Collie. Wildlife abounds on the Bibbulmun Track. 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. Bibbulmun Track Gear - Mick Beckers Ridiculously crazy and amazing adventures for trail runners. I have opted for. Innovative lightweight backpacking and travel gear for your next adventure. Should just bite the bullet and get one! Overall my resupply plan worked out better than I could have imagined along the track. I charge both from a portable battery pack, which usually lasts me between towns. After some months now of planning and preparing the walk is almost upon me. If youre of average fitness, you could expect to finish the Bibbulmun in somewhere between 40 and 65 days, depending on your pace and how many rest days you take in towns. Choose a section of the Track for a day of amazing scenery or challenging walks or, if you're game, tackle the whole Track. Pemberton to Walpole The section from Pemberton to Walpole is exciting. I decided to see what my heart picked for me when the time came. One of my favourite places to escape to is a little town called Pemberton, 335 kilometres south of Perth. The distance calculator is designed to help you plan your walk. BT Day 35: Mt Dale to Helena 918.6km (29.3km) June 21, 2021. Northcliffe had a great food cooperative selling bulk and local food that I wanted to support. I want to buy food as I go like you suggested, support the communities along the way, always choose that option. Of course, equally valid pursuits enjoyed by many visitors are eating, drinking and relaxing in nature! For gear reviews, I often rely on Outdoor Gear Lab. Donnelly River Village Northcliffe: Pack everything dehydrating my own food & post to DRV accomodation to reach Pemberton. I take a Sony A6000 camera, which I have attached to my backpack with a Peak Designs capture clip. The Perth ultra-endurance runner crossed the finish line at Kalamunda this afternoon, completing the 1000km journey in 11 days, seven hours and eight minutes. This Bibbulmun Track FB Group page was started by David Baird in mid 2009. Not a fussy eater at all, just after the basic hiker foods. Open the map and click on a hut and then there is a button to download photos - so do that on Wi-Fi too. 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. Although walking is a relatively safe pastime, there are hazards associated with the bush. I aimed to start my hike in late September and to walk north to south. If youre on a tight budget, its still possible to put together a kit with gear from AliExpress and sale items watch this space for gear reviews on how to make that happen! In my humble opinion, the Australian outdoor gear industry is still stuck in the 1980s, when heavy packs were a source of pride and durability was the biggest concern. Wildlife abounds on the Bibbulmun Track. Scroll down for a Map of the Bibbulmun Track through Denmark WA. I hope to do this one day soon. 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. You can add to this if you like, but remember you will have to carry whatever you take! 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. They generally only have one brand of everything though, and fresh items are often very limited. ), while still leaving opportunities to add to my lunch & snack supplies. Distance Calculator | Bibbulmun Track Thanks Andrew for such detailed notes. Thanks Kelly! Information for bushwalkers from bushwalkers. The next most important consideration for a long distance hike is your pack. 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. 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. a long weekend) its best to take a tent with you. Very jealous, Ill add it to my ever-growing bucket list. In my defence, I find it difficult to get well-fitting boots because my second toes are longer than my big toes. I put together a list of distances from the details on the Bibbulmun Website today and a rough guide on how long I would potentially take, it's roughly based off your times but I've added a few extra days to sections as I won't be doing it as fast as you did. 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? Life on the Bibbulmun is pretty simple: You wake up each day, walk as far as you can, camp, and repeat. SA, WA & NT specific bushwalking discussion. Tank water should be treated, either with a filter, a UV lamp or some chemical treatment method. They cost nearly $700 and dont look like much, but theyre probably the best money Ive ever spent on hiking gear. Good luck choosing one! Looking at starting mid September, I hope thats a good time. It would have taken way to long and once I start something I'm driven to . Blisters are a big problem for many hikers, so its worth experimenting with different shoe and sock combinations to see what works for you. 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. Keep up to date on our projects, our supporters, opportunities for involvement and more. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. 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. 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. Water is available from tanks at each of the 48 campsites along the. If youre an experienced long-distance hiker, you could aim to finish in as little as a month. Im passionate about the Bibb, and am forever encouraging others to give it a go. Restocking food has been one of the biggest dilemmas for my hikes. Pembertons first settler was Edward Brockman, the son of Perths first mayor, who moved to the area in 1861 to breed horses. You should have a separate inventory spreadsheet where you record how much the item cost you to . 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!! If you ever got foot pain while walking, its worth going to a podiatrist to get your feet assessed. March 27, 2018 Bibbulmun Track Planning - Spreadsheets and an obsession with weight In May this year, Tim and I will be flying to Western Australia to take on our biggest challenge yet; we'll be hiking the Bibbulmun track, 1,000 km through the remote Australian wilderness. The most important item on any hike is a pair of comfortable, well worn-in boots. 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. Required fields are marked *. If you take this option, be warned you WILL get sick of the food you make yourself, so be prepared to improvise. How much water youll need to take will depend upon the time of year. Karri trees grow in the high rainfall areas of south west Australia. 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. My resupply plan was developed with the the goals of eating delicious, plant-based, package free, local and organic foods as much as possible. Bibbulmun Track | 9 Section Bibbulmun Track Itinerary, WA While I had mapped out many of the places to shop along the way, where I planned to buy certain items, sometimes that didnt work out. In this section you will find a brief description of the towns that lie on, or adjacent to, the Track. Weve bought a Sawyer Squeeze Filter - apparently it gets rid of 99.9% of bacteria and only weighs 85 grams (I did say weight was now the only thing I think about!). One of many shelters with covered tables and water tanks. Western Australias famous Bibbulmun Track extending from Kalamunda in the Perth hills to Albany on the south coast has much to offer in that regard and the best seasons to walk it are Winter and Spring. 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. Perth hiker sets out on the 1,000km Bibbulmun track and accidentally At this time the wild flowers (including orchids) are out, temperatures are moderate, and the streams and water tanks are likely to have plenty of water in them. We have included all campsites, towns, recreation sites and legal vehicle access points as shown by the red car on the Bibbulmun Track maps and guidebooks. There certainly are! Bibbulmun Track, Kalamunda to Albany - Trails WA The Bibbulmun Track, Western Australia | Odyssey Traveller This creates a logistical nightmare. SA, WA & NT specific bushwalking discussion. The next most important consideration for a long distance hike is your pack. A combination approach really worked well for me. Bibbulmun Track Video December 29, 2021. This is a very rewarding and quite remote expeditionary hike. 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. Proud of your achievement. 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. Bibbulmun Track - Facebook It also helped me to better understand my bodys abilities, and made me realise how much more I could be doing with my life! 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. Youll want to make sure you get plenty of calories about 4000-6000 a day is recommended for long-distance hikers. Oct 10, 2021 28 Dislike Share Dori's Hiking Adventures 2.03K subscribers This video is for everyone that is planning to hike the Bibbulmun Track. I took water purification tablets on my first hike, but the treated water tasted so foul I couldnt drink it! 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. Due to its size, the Track is divided into nine sections. Premier Partner of the Foundation and the Bibbulmun Track maintenance volunteer program. The Bibbs campsites are far better than those on the famous Appalachian Trail, but not quite as lavish as those in Tasmania or New Zealand. 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' Ill call them and ask and add something to the blog about that section, it probably warrants a mention. Bibbulmun Track (WA) ~ The Long Way's Better It was at a travel writing workshop with Susan Storm in early 1998. It doesnt do much to help the toe nail situation though! The only bad time to walk the Bibbulmun is summer. Sharing the journey. This includes how to get there, highlights, interesting places, weather forecasts, Track conditions, the Track towns and photos. 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. 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. 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 was happy to eat different mueslis, snacks and lunch meals by the end of the hike. 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). If youre not walking alone and have two cars at your disposal, a good strategy is to park a car at each end of the section.