bilbo taylor
- Start date: 7 October 2019
- Age When Completed: 51
- Direction Walked: North to South
General Comments
It was an amazing journey from the north through the Darling Range filled with wild flowers and mountains to the coast in Albany. What a beautiful way to experience the West Australian bush and wildlife.
The Track and the shelters where exceptionally well maintained and the water at each shelter was clean and drinkable (I didn’t even filter it).
I also had the pleasure of being the first (i think) person to stay at the newly completed (The afternoon before I arrived) shelter at Sand Patch, the last camp before Albany. I got to talk to the parks guy who came to sign off on the build and learn how much planning design and cost each new shelter costs, and how much effort and care all the volunteers and others put into maintaining and creating this world-class walk.
It’s so rare to find such a cost-effective, beautiful and well-maintained hike, I feel so blessed to have this incredible resource on my doorstep in Perth, and want to thank all the generations of Bibbulmun Track volunteers for having the vision and dedication to this incredible walk, enabling thousands of people from all over the world to experience the beautiful and special WA bush.
Food/Supplies Comments
I didn’t do any food drops as I couldn’t afford the postage etc. as I live off a pension, however, I was able to find what I needed in track towns along the way and it was reasonably affordable
Favourite Section
This is a hard question? there was so much to like in all the sections, however I think my favourite sections where the ruggedness, striking rock formations, mountain views and beautiful wildflowers through the Darling Ranges, and then the contrast of emerging from the forests to the swampy marshlands of the Pingerup Plains to the emergence of the coast and beaches from Northcliffe to Walpole.
Highlights
There are so many things I remember from the hike but the things that stick indelibly in my mind are the wildflowers, rivers, rocks and mountains. The crystal ocean waters and vast deserted beaches, sand dunes and the faerie gardens of the coastal heathlands, and the emu’s, kangaroos, parrots and tiny wrens and robbin redbreasts and yes even the beautiful snakes.
Personal Reactions
It was a life-affirming experience that I am keen to do again and again.
Wildlife
Every day I seemed to be followed by all the types of black cockatoos, red, and yellow and Carnaby. There was also so many small finches, splendid blue wrens, djiti-djiti, and my first robin redbreast.
There were so many kangaroos and joeys every day as well as tones of emu. I saw 22 tiger snakes, 2 brown snakes and 6 Dugites (had a few too many close encounters).
But my two most memorable animal encounters were witnessing what I think where Lamprey climbing over the small dam wall at Dog Pool camp (very creepy) and walking into Walpole early through the mist to see a Quokka emerge in front of me on the track, sooo amazing.
Your Best Equipment
MY best equipment was my hiking poles that saved my knees and my Altra Trail runners which were so comfortable and gave me a blister-free walk. Also just having a Jetboil for cooking eating and drinking was great.
Advice for Others
My advice is to take your time, think about what you actually need as opposed to what you think you need (to be honest you don’t need that much to survive) and try and get your pack down to the lightest weight possible, it will make you hike more enjoyable.