Planning is well underway for our next big celebration, the Bibbulmun Track’s 25th Anniversary. Saturday 13 September 2023 marks the 25th Anniversary of the opening of the Perth-to-Albany Track, now known to us as the Bibbulmun Track. As part of the anniversary, a range of festivities will be held in the communities along the length of the Track between July and September 2023, with opportunities for walkers, young and old, to get involved.
On 13 September 1998 the ‘new’ Bibbulmun Track was officially opened in Albany. The Track had been significantly realigned, extended from Walpole to Albany and upgraded with the addition of timber shelters at the campsites. An official function was held at the Bibbulmun Track southern terminus to open the Track and farewell a group of walkers, 11 of whom completed the first official End-to-End. Along the way they were accompanied by sectional walkers. The event was called ‘Bib Walk ‘98’
On 13 September 2008, the 10th Anniversary celebrations - the journey of a decade, culminated with the conclusion of an end-to-end walk in Kalamunda. Over 100 walkers joined the end-to-enders for a part of the eight week journey. The celebrations included gatherings at every Track Town and they brought together hundreds of people who share a passion for the Bibbulmun Track as well introducing many people to it.
We will be commemorating this amazing milestone in the tradition of previous celebrations. We will be holding an End-to-End walk.
The event will begin with a special ceremony in Kalamunda in July 2023. A small group of End-to-End walkers will then make their way to Albany and arrive in September. At each town along the way we will have a community celebration and the End-to-Enders will be joined by a new group of walkers (sectional walkers) to walk the next section. The distance between towns varies from three to eight days and people are invited to register for these sections. The anniversary celebrations culminate in a gathering in Albany after walkers finish the Track.
We invite local walkers, volunteers, community groups and schools to get involved with the festivities.
Applications to join as an end-to-end walker closed August 31st, 2022.
Registrations to hike a section close in June, 2023 or when full.
Make sure you are subscribed to our e-news, Bibbulmun Bytes or even better, become a member and keep an eye out for information in the Bibbulmun News (our member's only magazine) and member only notifications.
The Bibbulmun Track Foundation is pleased to be offering an introductory course for aspiring leaders who have no (or very little) prior experience or formal training in leading bushwalks.
This 1½ day course provides a mix of theory and practical sessions and participants will receive adequate training and information to safely lead walks on marked trails.
Thanks to the support of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) the course is free.
Participants will receive:
A comprehensive guiding manual
1.5-day contact time with theory and practical components including:
Preparation and planning for walks
Risk management plans
Emergency planning and response protocols
Equipment for day and overnight walks
Appropriate food for multi-day treks
Group ratios, health and safety
Judging the fitness and ability of groups appropriate to the walk
Group leadership skills and communication
Conflict resolution
Leave No Trace and minimal impact
Record keeping
Working within the guidelines of the AAAS and GPGs
Checklists and cue cards
Tips and insights from over 20 years of training volunteer guides
The training requires some pre-reading to maximise the time available during the course for conducting practical exercises such as navigational skills, fitting a backpack correctly, how to use a fuel stove and other hands-on exercises.
Course dates:
Mundaring - Monday 17 & Tuesday 18 April
Albany - Monday 15 & Tuesday 16 May
Wongan Hills - Monday 29 & 30 May
Dwellingup - Tuesday 6 & Wednesday 7 June
Carnarvon - Monday 19 & Tuesday 20 June
To register your interest please complete this form.
This training is supported through a Hiking Participation Grant from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries (DLGSC).
If you are considering walking over between December and March (the Birak and Bunuru seasons), please restrict your walks to day walks (duration of one day). We advise that you check the weather and fire forecasts. If the fire danger is extreme or catastrophic we recommend walkers don’t go out on the Track, or leave if they are already out. If in doubt, and the weather forecast is for hot (and windy) conditions, the recommendation is not to go walking.
It is usually too hot to walk in the peak of summer.
It is strongly recommended that you do not carry out any extended walk between December and the start of March anywhere on the Track.
If you do go out, you must be able to self-evacuate in the event of a bushfire as a rescue may not be possible.
The Track gets very hot and the bushfire risk is extreme. Temperatures can range from low 30s to mid-40s. In recent years the Track has been severely impacted by bushfires with the destruction of campsites and other structures which fire fighters were not able to save due to the ferocity of the fires. Much of the Track is difficult to access quickly in an emergency and more so during a bushfire.
Please plan to walk outside of these months and avoid putting your life at risk and the lives of those that may need to rescue you.
Day walks in the karri forest can be comfortable on cooler days (temperatures less than 27 degrees). We advise people planning a day walk to check the weather and fire forecasts. Again, if the fire danger is extreme or catastrophic it is strongly recommend people don’t go out on the Track. The south coast, although may be cooler, offers little protection from the sun due to the lack of a forest canopy and fire spreads more quickly in open bush and grassland. Even when walking in winter, always cover up and wear a hat and sunscreen.
Some key points to remember:
Plan your visits for cooler periods of the year, avoiding the hot summer months (Birak and Bunuru).
Check the Fire Danger Rating and do not go on the trails if the forecast is extreme or catastrophic.
Do not do extended multi-day trips as it is not possible to keep up with changing conditions (extremely limited mobile phone coverage) and it is difficult to self-evacuate from the trail at short notice. You must be able to self-evacuate in the event of a bushfire. This means you should not rely on rescue services, family or friends to come to your aid.
Avoid remoter sections of the trail where there is limited vehicle access.
Abide by all trail closure signage, and any instructions from Parks and Wildlife and other emergency staff.
Trails and parks may be closed on days when the Fire Danger Rating is extreme or catastrophic.
More info about total fire bans and permanent fire bans at specific Bibbulmun Track campsites.
Campfire in a fire ring at a campsite
Campfire bans will be in place at many campsites on the Bibbulmun Track.
Walkers are not permitted to light any campfires or wood operated stoves where campfire bans are in place. Please carry and use a liquid fuel stove.
Campfire bans will begin from December 1. Once in place, they may continue to April depending on weather conditions. Please check the Section By Section guide (under Trip Planner) for any changes.
Check the Section by Section Guide relevant to the section you are walking for other impacts. There are likely to be some sections of the Track that will be impacted by bushfires this summer.
The Track is indistinguishable alongside this creek bed after the fire.
On certain days, a total fire ban will be in force where walkers may not be permitted to light a fuel stove either. For information about locations of current total fire bans call 1800 709 355 or visit the www.emergency.wa.gov.au/.
No fires are permitted at any time of year at two campsites in the northern section (Yourdamung and Blackwood) and between the Mt Chance campsite (south of Northcliffe) through to Albany.
We strongly encourage walkers to always use fuel stoves to cook on whenever they are walking the Bibbulmun Track. Campfires are great to sit around, but they can have an adverse effect on the environment.
We were pleased to welcome 40 members to the Foundation’s 25th AGM which was held on 27 October at the Universal Bar in Northbridge.
In addition to providing an opportunity to update members on our activities for the year (you can read the Annual Report here), an election was held to fill the four vacant positions.
Nominations were received from Kath Broderick, Tristy Fairfield, Charlie Soord, Tim Larkin, Tim Macknay and Helen Studham and a vote was held by secret ballot.
Three positions were filled by returning Board members: Kath, Charlie and Tristy, and we were pleased to welcome newly elected member Tim Larkin.
Chair, Kath Broderick thanked retiring member, Patrick Tremlett, for his 17 years of service on the Board. As a retired drafter of legislation, Patrick contributed greatly to policy and governance matters and his wisdom and pragmatic approach will be missed.
Fortunately, we are not losing him altogether and Patrick is continuing to volunteer with the Foundation as a Guide and maintenance volunteer. Thank you Patrick for your continued support of the Bibbulmun Track.
On Thursday the 22 September, over 80 BTF members and guests came along to Leederville Sports Club to hear two passionate members share their experiences and photographs of two overseas trails.
Our first speaker was Ben Dickinson, who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2650-mile footpath from the US / Mexico border to Canada, in 2019. His journey took him through deserts, high alpine regions, forests, and three hospitals. Ben talked about his journey, the gear that he carried, and the mishaps he experienced along the way.
Our second presenter, Mike Wood, is a Board Member and volunteer guide. Mike led a group of West Australian over 19 days along the 315km Wainwright’s Coast to Coast walk in the UK. The walk passes through the rugged hills and remote, beautiful lakes of the Lake District, wends its way through farming valleys of the Yorkshire Dales and on to the wind-swept beaches on either side of the country.
Thanks to both Ben and Mike for sharing their adventures and photographs with us. We received lots of positive feedback from the audience and we look forward to having more Tales from other Trails next year.
It was great to have three of our sponsors, Anaconda, Small Things Wine, and Paddy Pallin at this presentation. Lots of people had a sample of the yummy wine range and got to try out various hiking equipment. A big thank you to the sponsors for the wonderful door prizes and lucky answer prize give-aways.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Annual Tales from other Trails night!
