The attractive town of Walpole, which has a population of about 500, is positioned on the banks of the Walpole Inlet and is surrounded by Walpole-Nornalup National Park. Walpole is located on Bibbulmun Track map 7 - Walpole.
In 1909, Pierre Bellanger and the Thompson family were the first European people to settle permanently in the Nornalup/Walpole area. Further settlement occurred in the 1930s when the Nornalup Land Settlement Scheme sent unemployed men and their families, hit by the Great Depression, to the area to establish farms. The task of hand-clearing the small blocks of karri and tingle forest was daunting to say the least. Many settlers eventually left the area. Walpole was named after Lieutenant William Walpole, who served with Governor James Stirling on HMS Warspite in 1809. Nyoongar Aboriginal people have long referred to this area as Nor-Nor-Nup, the place of the Norne, or black snake, which explains the derivation of Nornalup, Walpole’s sister town.
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Getting there
Walpole is situated 430 kilometres south-east of Perth. It is a drive of 5 hours from Perth, via the Kwinana Freeway, Old Coast Road and the South West Highway. Denmark is about 66km east of Walpole, a drive of approximately 50 minutes along the South Coast Highway. Northcliffe is about 100km north-west of Walpole, a drive that takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes along the South Western Highway.
Alternatively, take the TransWA train from Perth City Railway Station to the Bunbury Passenger Terminal with a bus connection to Walpole and Nornalup, or the coach from the Perth East Terminal to Walpole or Nornalup. These services may not be available every day, check with the operators beforehand. Walpole Taxi provides transfers between Walpole centre and the Bibbulmun Track. See the contact details in the list below.
Accommodation & service providers
The Walpole-Nornalup region offers every standard of accommodation: caravan parks, backpackers, budget accommodation, motels, B&B, holiday houses and luxury chalets. Although it is a small town, Walpole has all the services walkers may need: delis, pharmacy, cafés, restaurants, post office, and a telecentre. There is also a restaurant in Nornalup.
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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…
Walking in either direction from Walpole, a growing sense of expectation builds with the proximity of the coastal cliffs, bluffs, beaches and the wild ocean beyond. At Mandalay Beach, walkers from the north catch their first glimpse of the southern ocean, with Chatham Island looming large. On the way to Walpole, the impressive granite cliffs of Long Point and Point Nuyts are seen, before walkers cross Nuyts Wilderness, Deep River and the tingle clad Mount Clare. The natural occurrence of four species of rare eucalypt is restricted to the Walpole vicinity. In addition, the forest holds three species of tingle trees; the yellow tingle, the Rate's tingle and the red tingle. The larger specimens of tingle are more than 400 years old and attain a great size. The massive red tingle trees are encountered for the first time at Mount Clare, before the Track descends to Walpole.
Not far beyond Walpole, the trail passes Hilltop Lookout, before descending to the Frankland River, and then climbs to enter the Valley of the Giants. Here, it passes the award-winning Tree Top Walk, a 600m long walkway that rises almost 40 metres above the forest floor, offering a remarkable canopy-level view of the ancient tingle forest. Below, a boardwalk winds though a grove of veteran tingle trees known as the Ancient Empire. After passing through heathlands and low woodlands, dominated by the magnificent red flowering gum, the Track rejoins the coast at Conspicuous Beach and heads east again with a climb to Conspicuous Cliff and Rame Head.
Suggested walks
Day walks:
- Tree Top Walk to Nut Road Lookout return (14km). To get to the Tree Top Walk from Walpole, travel east on South Coast Highway for 14km, turn left onto the Valley of the Giants Road and travel for 5km.
- Sappers Bridge to Walpole one-way (21km). To get to Sappers Bridge from Walpole, head east on the South West Highway for 3km, turn left onto Hilltop Road and travel for 6km. Turn right onto Creek Road and travel for 3.5km toSappers bridge. When the western access is closed, turn left at Boxhall Road for 3km, left at Pedro Fireline and then soon after, right at Brainy Cut Off and travel for 1 km.
Overnight walks:
- Walpole to Frankland River campsite return (34.8km, two days, one night)
Although Denmark is the next town after Walpole for walkers heading south (Walpole to Denmark is a walk of 126.6km which takes approximately five or six days, six or seven nights), Peaceful Bay is a popular intermediate starting point. Peaceful Bay and Walpole are 61.4kms apart, a distance usually walked in three or four days, two or three nights.
Northcliffe is the next town after Walpole for walkers heading north – Walpole to Northcliffe is a walk of 137.1km, which takes approximately eight or nine days, seven or eight nights.
For more information visit our day walk webpage and check out the Walpole day walk map pack which has futher suggestions.