Jessica Webster
Completed: 11 July, 2024

- Start date: 30 May, 2024
- Age When Completed: 33
- Direction Walked: Northbound
Track Towns and Supplies
- How many days did you stay in Track Towns? 10
- Did you have any issues finding food/supplies? No
- I sent one box to Donnelly River village, otherwise I found it easy enough to resupply in each track town.
- Dwellingup
- Donnelly River Village
- Walpole
- Denmark
- Albany
Your Story or Advice for Others
General CommentsAs a solo female hiker I felt safe hiking the Bibbulmun Track, I mostly met solo men at the shelters who i ended up having great conversations with. I hiked Northbound which I enjoyed making my way up to Perth, and did find the most challenging days being around Kalamunda and the hills there, so kudos to those who start at Kalamunda, and if you can get through those first few tough days, you can get through the rest of the trail.
Your Best Equipment
I love my tent- I was happier in my tent than out in the open in the shelter. Yes, it takes longer to set up and pack down, but I liked the privacy and comfort of having walls around me. I used a MSR Hubba Hubba 2 person tent. I also purchased $99 ASIC Trabuco trail runners just before starting the trail, and these were fantastic- I didn't get any blisters and they were comfortable and good for the terrain. I previously used Hoka Speedgoat trail runners for hiking, but thought I'd try the less expensive ASICs and they lasted me the 1,000km's with no issues.
Your Worst Equipment
Probably my pack cover, because it didn't seem to do a lot when there was heavy rain, it either came off or just soaked my bag through anyway.
Advice for Others
I hiked the Track Northbound in Winter therefore it was not a very social time of the year. So my advice for others who want to see more people along the way, is to hike at another time of year, but if you like the solitude, then I recommend this time of year. It rained 25 out of 43 days, but they were mostly drizzle, or I timed my town days to avoid bad weather, as well as trying to get to a shelter earlier for when there was going to be heavier rains. I didn't have any issues with the Pingerup Plains as there was yet to be heavy enough rains for flooding. I only met one other person going Northbound for the whole time (Hi Des), and had a shelter to myself about half the time, and when sharing it was mostly with hikers going southbound or people doing shorter trips.
Trip Details
How you completed the Bibbulmun Track:- All at once
- How many days did it take you to complete the Track? 43
- 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
- What first prompted you to walk the Bibbulmun Track? Word of mouth/friends
- App (please specify)
- - FarOut
Your Experience
- Availability of information: Excellent - The information on the website was very helpful. Additionally, I had a end to end planning session at the BTF office which was very helpful to get advice before starting.
- Amount of Wildlife Encountered: Good - As I went in winter, I was lucky to not see too many snakes, only a couple early on near Albany. I really liked seeing the shingleback lizards and the big kangaroos.
Denmark to Walpole. The combination of beach walking and the Tingle trees really showed the beauty of the track, as well as the fun novelty of canoeing across the inlet. And the towns of Denmark and Walpole were also lovely. I had a great experience staying multiple nights at Tingle All Over in Walpole hosted by Sheree. (who I found out has now sadly passed away.)
Highlight of your trip
I enjoyed getting to town and visiting the local bakery and getting a sausage roll, caramel slice and an iced coffee. The bakeries along the way were so great, and after a 5 day stretch or so, it was nice to get some delicious town food. I also enjoyed Donnelly river Village, with the kangaroos and emus, the cute General store and being able to do a puzzle while waiting out the rain.