- Start date: 16 September 2013
- Direction Walked: North to South
- Others in Group:
Noah Watts
General Comments
I came to Australia to hike what I had heard was one of the world’s great long-distance back-packing trails. The Bibbulmun was everything I had hoped and more.
Food/Supplies Comments
Being from the US, we were unfamiliar with Australian products. Once we got some experience and found what other trekkers were carrying we did fine. (Thanks, Effie, and your group of moms - muesli was a great discovery!) I can’t understand why Coles / IGA’s don’t stock Crystal-lite or other drink flavorings in sachet form, but by Collie we had our menus pretty will figured out. Supplies were no problem - actually, shops in the trail towns were better stocked than I had any
right to expect. Best surprise was the Discovery shop in Pemberton.
Favourite Section
Hard to say. I think the Karri forests around Pemberton were my favorite section, but that was also because it had finally stopped raining every day. A close second would be the coastal section after getting Boat Harbor behind us.
Highlights
Dog Pool campsite, Giants area, Karri forests, and most of all, people we met on the Track.
Personal Reactions
I am profoundly grateful -
to the people of WA and the BTF for providing the Track;
to all those Noah and I met on the way;
for the beauty and diversity of this planet;
for life and sufficient fitness to finish the trip.
Wildlife
In the bush - saw kangaroos or wallabies, echnidna, emu, various birds, and tiger snakes. I wish we had seen more, except for snakes.
Your Best Equipment
I try to carry only “best equipment”, but new for this trip was a Thermarest NeoAir sleeping mat - feather light, comfy, and warm. It was great. Most critical “best” were my Asolo boots, which given the wet weather and variable terrains, performed wonderfully. Acquired on the way was a thermal liner for my sleeping bag at Collie which made nights a lot more comfortable.
Your Worst Equipment
I carried a great little 1Kg tent (MSR MicroZoid) for 46 days and used it only a few times for warmth and mos protection inside the shelters. I probably could have left it home and packed an emergency tarp or bivvy bag instead.
Advice for Others
(a) Get Aussie help in menu planning and shopping if you are from overseas and unfamiliar with what is in WA stores.
(b) Australia is not a hot, dry country. WA is cold and wet in spring, so pack clothes and gear accordingly.
(c) On long beach walks (there are two > 7k, other shorter ones) take off boots and walk firm sand at waters edge. Otherwise, beach walks are torture.
(d) If possible, avoid arriving at resupply towns on Sundays when shops are more likely to be closed. If you are looking forward to a pub lunch, assume the kitchen closes at 2:00PM on the dot, and won’t re-open for dinner until 5:30 or 6:00.