The Track links to Collie via a 2.7km spur trail. The town is located on the Bibbulmun Track map 3 - Collie.
The first Europeans to visit the locality of what is now Collie were Surgeon Alexander Collie and Lieutenant William Preston of HMS Sulphur, in 1829. Nestled in beautiful jarrah and marri forests, the town was originally known as Coalville, and was declared the town of Collie in 1897.
A shepherd, George Marsh, who was employed by a Mr Perrin, discovered coal on the banks of the Collie River in 1883. Mining began in Collie in 1889 with the opening of the West Collie and Wallsend mines. A promise, made by the Government, to purchase 75,000 tonnes of coal annually for use by the Western Australian railways, assured the future of the young town. The coal-fired Muja Power Station east of Collie is now the main supplier of electricity to Western Australia. Collie has a population of around 7,700.
Handy contacts
Getting there
Collie is located 211km south of Perth. It is a drive of approximately two and a half hours from Perth city centre, via the Kwinana Freeway, Old Coast Road and Coalfields Road.
Collie to Dwellingup is 89km and a drive north of one hour and 20 minutes; Collie to Balingup is 64km and a drive of 55minutes south, chiefly along Grimwade Road.
The TransWA Australind train runs from Perth City Railway Station to Brunswick Junction, with a bus connection to Collie. A taxi service is available in Collie for transfers to and from the Track.
Accommodation & service providers
Collie has a wide variety of accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, including motels, hotels, a caravan park and B&Bs. Supermarkets, newsagencies, chemists, laundrettes, camping stores and a wide variety of other specialty shops cater for the needs of walkers. The many pubs and cafés welcome visitors to enjoy a meal and a conversation with the locals.
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The Bibbulmun Track Accommodation & Services Guide has extensive information about walker-friendly services, their location in and between towns, and discounts offered to members. The Guide contains 144 pages of essential information at a cost of only $12 RRP.
Along the Track…
Soon after leaving the Murray River, the Track crosses the Worsley Alumina conveyor near the Harvey-Quindanning Road crossing, which transports bauxite (naturally occurring aluminium oxide) from the Mt Saddleback mine to the refinery. The Harvey-Quindanning Road crossing is a popular starting point for day or overnight walks on the Track. From there it heads due south through jarrah, marri and wandoo forest to the Harris River flats and on to the Harris River Dam. This popular picnic spot, 15 kilometres north of Collie, provides good access to the Track.
From Collie, the trail winds through jarrah forest to the Glen Mervyn Dam and crosses on the dam wall before descending to the Forrest Tavern at the tiny settlement of Mumballup, on the Donnybrook-Boyup Brook Road. Immediately after passing the Tavern, a steep climb through farmland leads to the Noggerup Conservation Park and one of the best stands of virgin jarrah forest in the south-west.
Suggested walks
Day walks:
- Harris Dam to Harris Dam campsite return (6.4km). Harris Dam car park is 13km from Collie on the Harris River Road.
- Mumballup Tavern to Noggerup camsite return (12km). Mumballup Tavern is 19km from Collie on the Collie-Preston Road and 30km east of Donnybrook on Donnybrook-Boyup Brook Road.
Overnight walks:
- Harvey-Quindanning Road to Collie one-way (61.6km, four days, three nights). Harvey-Quindanning Road is approximately 42km east of Harvey and 35km west of Quindanning, and intersects the Track at Long Gully Bridge.
- Collie to Mumballup Tavern one-way (31.6km, two days, one night).
For more information visit our day walk webpage.
Balingup is the next town south of Collie. Collie to Balingup is a walk of 81.6km, which takes approximately four days, three nights.
Dwellingup is the next town north of Collie - Collie to Dwellingup is a walk of 122.1km, which takes approximately seven days, six nights.