Catherine Williams (Cat and Kate (sometimes Cat without Kate))

Completed: 10 November, 2018

Catherine Williams thumbnail — **Catherine Williams**
Cat and Kate (sometimes Cat without Kate)

Start date: 1 October, 2005
Age When Completed: 45
Direction Walked: Both

Track Towns and Supplies

Did you have any issues finding food/supplies? Yes
I go basic, pretty much eating the same things each day and not over thinking it. Food is fuel, and you appreciate the track town meals all the more. The best thing is a having cup of tea on arrival at camp, taking your boots off and making camp for the night.

Your Story or Advice for Others

General Comments
It's taken me an age to complete the track as a sectional, with the biggest chunk being Collie to Albany in 2016 when I couldn't start at Kalamunda as planned due to bushfires and destroyed huts. Doing it this way has been a slow plod, then it also took me a while to register my end to end. Being slow is OK and captures the essence of the Bibbulmun Track for me.

Your Best Equipment
My trusty 30yr old Leki walking pole, perfect for snake wrangling, pea gravel slide arrest and honky nut relocation. Also love my solar lamp (LUCI) which I bought after seeing "Harry and Margie" use theirs during a dark, wet night at Mt Clare.

Your Worst Equipment
Definitely my homemade waterproof poncho/groundsheet. Firstly, it wasn't waterproof, then in the strong winds and rains on the beaches I was nearly blown out to sea wearing it.

Advice for Others
Look up from your navigation app or turn off your headphones and pay absolute attention to the environment around you, look, feel, listen and sit awhile. Slow down, yes - the track can be done quickly, but part of its charm will be lost.

Trip Details

How you completed the Bibbulmun Track:

In sections

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? No

Your Experience

Favourite Section
So hard to answer, but i really enjoyed the ambience of the tall timber from DRV to Pemberton. Also Collie to Dwellingup through the upper Harris river catchment, really interesting ecosystem and plants. But then there are the coastal sections...

Highlight of your trip
Doing a big chunk of track in 2016 I set out from Collie in late March heading south. On that walk I amazingly had track and huts to myself until Boarding House. Apart from Balingup I didn't see a soul for days on end and it was quite special, if a little challenging to experience.