Walking the Bibbulmun takes some preparation, but its something that anyone of average fitness and mobility should be able to achieve. was to work out what to take with me. The Duke of Edinburghs International Award, . 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. Most of the sections are somewhere between 20 and 25 kilometres long, or about a full days walk for the average hiker. Get insights together with secure sharing in real-time and from any device. 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. 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. My basic gear, not including food and water, weighed about 13 kilograms (see the list at the end of this blog). 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. 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. Then bury it. The best word to describe it is pleasant. The most important item on any hike is a pair of comfortable, well worn-in boots. After some months now of planning and preparing the walk is almost upon me. I tried to allow at least one rest day in each town to stock up on supplies, do my washing, shower, eat and, most importantly, rest. Again, thank you and happy hiking! Bibbulmun Track Trip Planner | Bibbulmun Track The facilities are world class compared to most long-distance trails around the world. 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. Like anything, this can vary enormously in price and quality. Many campsites also have a fireplace, but between October and May fires are banned or restricted. Required fields are marked *. People also record their experiences in these registers so, as well as being a safety precaution, they are a useful source of Track intelligence about such things as: missing markers; the condition of the Track; the state of the water supply at the next campsite; big hills en route; flora and fauna to look out for; or the school party that took over the campsite the day before. Thanks for all the information about the Bibbulman Track. Estimated length: 1000 kilometres / 621 miles. Although walking is a relatively safe pastime, there are hazards associated with the bush. There are great opportunities for fit walkers to challenge themselves, on at least two of the days we walk around 25 km. 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. Cheers! 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. We like to track how the item was listed at the time of the sale. There are eight towns along the way, where well be able to buy supplies, but other than that, well be relying on what we carry to keep us going. 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. Answering these questions helped me map out how manybreakfast, lunches, dinners & snacks I would need across the hike, & where they would potentially come from along the way. Next time I would dehydrate even more of my own food, specifically dinners if time allowed (they just worked out so well! Open the map and click on a hut and then there is a button to download photos - so do that on Wi-Fi too. 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. The Bibbulmun Track, Western Australia | Odyssey Traveller That way the cooler areas in the south would be warming up, but were unlikely to be too hot, by the time I got there. 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. Wildlife abounds on the Bibbulmun Track. Overall my resupply plan worked out better than I could have imagined along the track. Collie was a bigger town with a large supermarket. Pingback: Dreaming of the Next Adventure Introducing the Bibbulmun Track Lifeone big adventure, Your email address will not be published. For example, I discovered from the registers that the Track markers on the Monadnocks (a series of exposed rocky hills) were piles of rocks instead of the usual waugals. Donnelly River Village only had a simple general store. Plus purchasing a small amount of meals from the supermarket did still switch up my diet. Glad you found my post useful. 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. Thanks for the feedback, really chuffed you liked it! 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. Gill Goes Trekking The Bibbulmun Track End to End - Planning Please read my food goals for a deeper understanding on some of these food choices, and the food menus for details of my daily diet. 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. I just googled the Via Dinarica and it looks amazing! Besides a 5,000-litre rain water tank, each campsite has a sturdy three-sided timber hut with a tin roof, a bush toilet, tent sites, and a picnic table. You get to experience the famous (or infamous!) 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. Restocking food has been one of the biggest dilemmas for my hikes. 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. Posted on July 8, 2018 Nowadays, I use an ultraviolet wand which doesnt affect the taste of the water. There are a number of things to consider before setting out on the Track. 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. Therefore, we will put "30 day fixed", "7 day auction", etc in this column. It should be noted that access points shown with a green car on the official maps and guidebooks, are not included as they involve walking various distances along trails or forestry tracks to access the Bibbulmun Track. Many of these groupies were British ex-servicemen who had returned from WWI to find there were no jobs for them. It may not have the most spectacular scenery for most of it, but it somehow wins the heart of everyone that hikes it for the pleasant experience. For gear reviews, I often rely on Outdoor Gear Lab. 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. Celebrate our 25th year with an adventure! Visitors can go four-wheel driving or mountain biking or fish for trout and marron. 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. It is roughly 1000 kilometers in length. It won't be gourmet dining, but it will do the job. For advice specific to the Bibbulmun, the Bibbulmun Track Hikers Facebook group is a useful resource. View topic - Bibbulmun Track Questions/Answers - Bushwalk 1000km. 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. Once youve bought or borrowed everything necessary to hike the Bibbulmun Track, the next thing is to plan your walk. 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. What a contradiction! While on the contrary I bought packets of sugary lollies straight from the huge supermarket at home and packed them in my food parcels. Sending packages to yourself does make a bit of guess work. Today, Pemberton has a population of just over a thousand people. Walpole Denmark: Purchase all food in Walpole supermarket to reach Denmark, Denmark Albany: Purchase all food in Denmark shops/supermarket to reach Albany. Im okay with sleeping on a hard surface (we are sleeping in a tent) but would you definitely recommend bringing one? Bibbulmun Track (WA) ~ The Long Way's Better Since I started using this I havent had a blister. How much water youll need to take will depend upon the time of year. The towns Tourist/Information centers and some petrol stations have stored supplies for her. Of course, equally valid pursuits enjoyed by many visitors are eating, drinking and relaxing in nature! 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. Spring (September to November) is the best time to walk the Bibbulmun Track. This was just so I could purchase my muesli there in bulk & support their local business. 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. Its a good idea to split your food into two parcels and bury them in different places to reduce the chances of losing everything. It was the perfect opportunity for me to wind down from the more rugged and draining hikes of the previous few months. Leave No Trace is all about promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor travel and recreation through education, research and partnerships. Since I started using this I havent had a blister. Bibbulmun Track Food planning & resupplying on the Bibbulmun Track! Im passionate about the Bibb, and am forever encouraging others to give it a go. 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 first thing I needed to decide about was when to start the journey. 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. Bibbulmun Track - Slower Hiking Very jealous, Ill add it to my ever-growing bucket list. The Bibbulmun Track passes through Pemberton and we did two walks, totalling 7 hours. There are plenty of great online resources with more info on long-distance hiking. 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. 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. was to work out what to take with me. I also occasionally use my phone. Nowadays, I use an ultraviolet wand which doesnt affect the taste of the water. Cate. This includes how to get there, highlights, interesting places, weather forecasts, Track conditions, the Track towns and photos. Hi we are considering heading over to WA from SA in September to experience a section of the Bibbulmun Track, imagining that the border will be open by then. 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. This Bibbulmun Track FB Group page was started by David Baird in mid 2009. Thats it. 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.