Alexandra Repetto (Roadrunner)

Track Towns and Supplies

• Did you have any issues finding food/supplies? No
• I resupplied entirely from trail towns and had no issues at all. I overpacked on food at the start and carried food from Kalamunda to Collie, but heard that the Dwellingup general store had good variety too. Provided you don't have dietary requirements and don't mind a bit of repetition, overall I would do it this way again, rather than send packages.

Particular Track Towns that you would return to:

• Balingup
• Donnelly River Village
• Denmark

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Your Story or Advice for Others

General Comments
What an awesome, well maintained track! Thanks for all the hard work that goes into maintaining such a special resource. What absolutely tops off the experience are the amazing people you meet along the way.

Your Best Equipment
15W Solar panel - Kept my power bank charged and gave me independence from time in town. I was also able to top up others with power on the trail. Yes, it works under tree cover. Dental Floss and a sewing needle - awesome multipurpose combo for removing ticks, gear repairs, splinter removal and keeping teeth clean. I hiked in a skirt - fantastic for stealthy pee breaks on the side of the trail or getting changed in a busy hut. Also super comfy.

Your Worst Equipment
Metho stove - kept getting blown out by the wind in the more exposed coastal sections. Tweezers on my swiss army knife - were not effective at removing ticks, proper tweezers would have been nice. Water bladder - I usually take bottles but gave a bladder a go. It eventually developed a slow leak on the bite valve.

Advice for Others
Everyone is out there to hike their own hike and chase what inspires them. Whether that be spending a prolonged time in nature or pushing yourself physically, seeking solitude or hearing other's stories, we all are out there for different reasons with a shared journey in common. A pet peeve of mine, was the first question that most people asked, was where you camped the night prior and where you were camping tonight. The trail is not a competition, we are all out there for different reasons. The distance you hike does not define you, it's about what you take away from the experience. Try starting things off, asking someone what their favourite thing that day was, or, what inspired them to do the trail. You'll get some more interesting answers and hear some amazing stories that way.

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Trip Details

How you completed the Bibbulmun Track:

• All at once

• How many days did it take you to complete the Track? 24
• Who did you complete the Track with? Solo (primarily)
• Was undertaking your hike the PRIMARY/MAIN purpose of your TRAVEL from where you currently live? Yes
• What first prompted you to walk the Bibbulmun Track? Word of mouth/friends
  

What did you use to navigate the Track?

• App (please specify)
• Other
• - Far Out, Gaia
• - The default topo maps on my garmin watch had the trail marked and were great for a quick reference.

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Your Experience

• Availability of information: Excellent
• Amount of Wildlife Encountered: Excellent - 26 species of bird including owls and emus, bandicoots, antechinuses, various macropods, oodles of lizards and snakes, so many cool spiders, and lots of frogs.

Favourite Section
Ballingup to Pemberton Pingerup Plains Walpole to Albany - especially the kayak crossing

Highlight of your trip
I went onto the trail wanting to see some beautiful ecosystems and landscapes, but the highlight was the people you meet along the way. Each evening was a box of chocolates, turning up to a shelter not knowing if you would be alone or get meet someone new and hear their story.

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