Jill Tanner

Completed: 18 October, 2019

Start date: 14 July, 2011
Age When Completed: 54
Direction Walked: Both

Track Towns and Supplies

How many days did you stay in Track Towns? 3
Did you have any issues finding food/supplies? No
We dehydrated our dinners (which I think tasted much nicer than bought dehydrated meals) and treated ourselves to a Devonshire tea on the Track each day for morning tea. We arranged food drops so we only had to carry a few days food at any one time.

Particular Track Towns that you would return to:

Dwellingup
Collie
Balingup
Donnelly River Village
Pemberton
Northcliffe
Walpole
Denmark
Albany

Your Story or Advice for Others

General Comments
I felt very intrepid as I set off with my hiking buddies on our first hike of 89mkms, from Stirling Road north to Donnelly River. Little did I realise the track would become a bit of an obsession and that I would eventually hike the whole track over the next 8 years, and also do many day walks out of the track towns.

Your Best Equipment
A good sleeping mat - long, dark nights provide plenty of time to mull over your choice!

Your Worst Equipment
A three quarter length sleeping mat instead of a full length one - felt like I was sleeping with my feet in a cold pond all night!

Advice for Others
Take time to enjoy your journey. Write about your day in the book at each hut while it is still fresh in your mind, then photograph what you have written as a record of your special experience

Trip Details

How you completed the Bibbulmun Track:

In sections

How many days did it take you to complete the Track? 42
Who did you complete the Track with? With friends
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?

BT Maps

Your Experience

Availability of information: Great
Amount of Wildlife Encountered: Great - Perentie who refused to move out of our way, as strolled up the track in front of us. Whales along the southern coast.

Favourite Section
The whole track is amazing but Northcliffe to Walpole provides the greatest variety over the shortest distance - the tall trees opening up to the wide expanse of the ocean, then back up through the tingle trees and down to the coast again.

Highlight of your trip
Specifically - Lake Maringup, and also the first glimpse of the ocean approaching Mandalay Beach from the north after walking through tall trees for most of the time