News
We’re excited to welcome members of Ultra Series WA as our newest Track maintenance team. The trail running organisation will coordinate a group to regularly check and tend the Track between Nut Road lookout and the Conspicuous Beach carpark, just west of Peaceful Bay. Volunteer Manager Helen Grimm with Melanee Maisey and Shaun Kaesler from […]
Tent poles are tensioned with shock cock – an elastic cord that helps the tent poles snap back together and keep their shape. Over time the elastic in the shock cord can deteriorate causing it to slump and eventually it will make your poles very hard and almost impossible to use. A replacement tent pole […]
The first 2020 ‘Field Day’ for maintenance volunteers was held in the Perth Hills on June 14. Field Days originally scheduled for locations on the south coast in May were postponed due to COVID-19, so this was the first opportunity for our maintenance coordinators and volunteers to get out onto the Track and make some […]
Bibbulmun Track Foundation Guided Tours Wander out Yonder with us and discover the spirit of Australia’s south west. Both tours are carefully compiled to combine a variety of day walks with off-Track accommodation. You will experience the varied landscape of the Bibbulmun Track, taking in the spectacular ocean views and coastal heathlands in the far […]
After more than two years of surveys, planning and grant applications the Support Volunteers were ready to start Campaign 1 in late March. Along came COVID-19. Regional boundary restrictions were lifted in late May enabling a 12-person SV team to mobilise to Peaceful Bay and start Campaign 1 in fine weather they couldn’t have hoped […]
Despite the pandemic and lockdown, the Support Volunteers started 2020 on a high note by completing the Waalegh shelter extension. Waalegh is in the Disease Risk Area which requires a three-day period without rain before vehicle entry. Fortunately, but perversely, the expected autumn rains were late and sporadic so in early May a week’s fine […]
The Bibbulmun Track Foundation (BTF) is delighted that long-term Board Member, Mike Wood, has been appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday 2020 Honours List on 8 June 2020. Mike was nominated to recognise his long association with the BTF and his outstanding contribution to raising the profile […]
National Volunteer Week (May 18-24) was celebrated online this year, with coverage on our main social media platforms. We recognised the contribution made to the Foundation by our 400+ wonderful volunteers in roles including office assistance, data entry, brochure distribution, Track maintenance & Support Volunteers, Guiding and community events. We topped off the week with […]
The Support Volunteers have been busy on the Track during Autumn. They have just completed the Waalegh campsite shelter extension, extending the sleeping capacity and adding a verandah. Other activities saw Support Volunteers and Maintenance Volunteers working together to clear sections of regrowth north and south of Murray Campsite south of Dwellingup. […]
Having been around for a while (officially since 1999), the wealth of knowledge, experience and appreciation for the environment around them is what makes Toni and her team at Pemberton Discovery Tours so unique. Warren river mouth Yeagarup Dunes by drone Bibbulmun Track Transfers have been part of their service offering for some time, and […]
I’ll start with a confession – I do not hike in full-grain leather boots. I purchased these boots (Zamberlan Skill GT) in 2013, and then promptly realized I really didn’t like hiking in them. I do however love them for freezing wet mornings when I take the dog on a short hike, or for car […]
We had a great response to this year’s Adventure Raffle and are delighted to announce the lucky winners. 1st Prize – Intrepid’s Annapurna Sanctuary Trek, Nepal including flights for two. Value $5000: WINNER: Marcus Harris, Ticket Number: #158 2nd Prize – $500 Sea to Summit gift voucher: WINNER: Michael Eyre. Ticket Number: #233 3rd Prize […]
Join the Get on Track Challenge Whilst most people are not thinking about traveling right now it is fair to say that most hikers and runners are itching to get on the Track. Looking for ways to get outdoors whilst social distancing, finding ways to distract from the boredom of self-isolation, the pain of missing […]
The days have seemed dark and full of constant changes, updates and new restrictions and we all need a light to look for at the end of this tunnel. If getting back on Track for an overnighter, multi-day, town-to-town or end-to-end adventure is your light, then we are here to help you… There […]
Re-waxing your canvas gear is a good to not only keep the fabric waterproof but continue to develop the well-earned patina that will inevitably be creeping in on your beloved piece of gear. Waxing canvas fills the tiny holes in the canvas creating a waterproof membrane – a discovery we can thank sailors for. The […]
On Sunday 15 March, the Foundation hosted a picnic for walkers who had registered an end-to-end walk on the Bibbulmun Track since it was officially opened in 1979. We were delighted that our Patron, Kerry Sanderson AC CVO, attended. Kerry, who is Chair of the WA Parks Foundation, gave an informative update on […]
Dr Jen George is an academic and consultant passionate about facilitating community-led governance of green infrastructure. Last week Dr George presented a summary of her PhD research at an event organised by the Bibbulmun Track Foundation, which was well attended by representatives of local government and community land-care groups. Her work included the Foundation as […]
In early March, four tonnes (twenty loads) of materials and equipment were airlifted to areas of Track inaccessible by vehicle. This meticulously coordinated operation was the start of a project to stabilise badly eroded sections along the south coast. At several locations, including the popular Conspicuous Cliffs, the Bibbulmun Track is badly eroded making the […]
We are excited to see that the new shelter at Sandpatch Campsite near Albany is ready to go well before the 2020 walking season. The new shelter at Sandpatch, open in late 2019. The original shelter was destroyed by bushfire in May 2018 after only being in use for 6 years almost to the day! […]
Congratulations to the Bibbulmun Track volunteers that were presented with Outstanding Service Awards by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation & Attractions this morning. Well done to Jim Freeman, Charlie Soord, Graham Murdoch, Charmaine Harris and Chris Lee. And special mention for Mike Wood who received the Volunteer of the Year Award! Among other things, Mike […]
The full range of work done in the name of the Foundation wouldn’t be possible without all our volunteers – in the office, carrying out Track inspection and maintenance, guiding events, collecting and processing Track user statistics, and more. To recognise this contribution, all volunteers were invited to a “thank you” morning tea on 17 […]
Retiring Chair Mike Wood congratulates Kath Broderick on her appointment as Chair of the Bibbulmun Track Foundation board. After 21 years as Chair, Mike Wood stood down from the role on 31 October 2019. Mike’s involvement with the Track started around 1993 when he joined a steering committee that oversaw the Building a Better Bibbulmun […]
On Wednesday 9th October, Carolyn Riordan and Penni Ellis took the final steps of an incredible end-to-end to raise awareness and funds for the Lung Foundation Australia; and as a tribute to their father’s epic contribution to the creation of the Bibbulmun Track. Carolyn Riordan and Penni Ellis Their father, Peter Hewett, was the Superintendent […]
On the ealry hours on Monday (23rd September) morning a fire broke out in the Balingup Tavern. Thankfully, the owner managed to get out of the building avoiding harm, however the fire has caused a substantial amount of damage to the Tavern. The tavern will be closed for some time but reports say there are […]
A boardwalk / possible bench seating will be built around the tree to protect the root system. Discussions around relocating the Southern Terminus of the Bibbulmun Track and Munda Biddi Trail near the new visitor centre in York Street have progressed with a meeting held in Albany last week. The major redevelopment of the public […]