Bibbulmun Track Update - Loo out of Action at Mt Wells

[Aushiker]

The Department of Environment and Conservation has released an update notice on April 29, 2013 with regards to the drop-box toilet at Mt Wells Campsite on the Bibbulmun Track. It seems that there is a small problem with drop-box toilet (dunny) at the Mt Wells campsite on the Bibbulmun Track. Mt Wells Campsite is located between North Banister and Dwellingup and is the campsite in between White Horse Hills (northern end) and Chadora (southern side).

It seems that toilet at Mt Wells campsite is damaged and unusable. The Department of Environment and Conservation staff are said to be working to fix the loo as a matter of urgency and one would hope so .

Andrew

[nate]

Thanks for all your updates Andrew. Although I don't respond, they are most appreciated.

[Aushiker]

Thanks for all your updates Andrew. Although I don't respond, they are most appreciated.

Thanks for the feedback.

I am just glad I haven't been on the Track in the last couple of days ... pretty hairy weather.

Andrew

[rogo]

I was between Northcliffe and Walpole this week. We walked from Donnelly River and got as far as Northcliffe before the downpour end of last week and we were supposed to finished today in Walpole. But a family tragedy meant we had to get off the track at My Chance instead. I kind of glad we didn't keep walking in this wild weather. There was enough debris on the track as it was from the first rains.

[Aushiker]

I was between Northcliffe and Walpole this week. We walked from Donnelly River and got as far as Northcliffe before the downpour end of last week and we were supposed to finished today in Walpole. But a family tragedy meant we had to get off the track at My Chance instead. I kind of glad we didn't keep walking in this wild weather. There was enough debris on the track as it was from the first rains.

Sorry to hear you had to get out at Mt Chance. Was there any sign of the track flooding?

Andrew

[avalon]

We were out doing track maintenance from the Woolbales shelter which is the next shelter after Mt Chance, through to Mandalay beach last week 3-4/05/2013 and the track was still dry all the way .
Don

[kathyk]

Hi I was just wondering if you had the Northern Guide book or knew where I might get one? I am planning on spending a month in WA doing sections of the Bib but the northern book is out of print and it is almost impossible for me to find a lot of info on the logistics etc. Their site on the net doenst go into a lot of detail - just insists that you need to be well prepared so I am presuming that the guide book would be a real help. I rang them and was told that all the maps have profiles etc but I still dont know what sections would be best. I did the full Larapinta last year and found that it was very easy to find info on so just dont know where to start with the Bib.
Ta Kathy

[rogo]

Hi Kathy,

The books are outdated and I find it hard to find your way with just the book. Many features are overgrown etc. I believe they are reviewing the book's contents and rewriting it soon.

The track is a very well marked track and it is hard to lose your way for very long. Indeed at times on this last walk we hardly looked for a marker as it was logical you were on the track.

Being prepared in my view is to have plenty of water (2lts plus) each day and food and fuel. If you want to sleep in the shelters then earplugs are essential. Not just for the snoring, but as I discovered the teeth grinders make a heck of a noise!

The North is reasonably well used and doing it solo as a woman is fine. Since my last walk, I'm not sure if soloing south is something I'd feel comfortable doing. We met more men "living" on the track than the northern sections. They all deny they are homeless but these men spend more than 70% of their life walking the track. Nothing wrong with this, but as a woman, some of these guys made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Actually they "icked" me out.

The Foundation wants you to buy the maps. I am happy to buy them as the track is a superb track and I will support it in any way I can. The maps can be a bit wrong but essentially they are a good resource.

In the northern sections the closer to the city the more day walkers and overnighters you get. Also there is very little water by the way of rivers dams creeks and streams in the northern section that flow all the year. The further south the more water you find.

Hope this helps a bit.

[Aushiker]

Another vote for the maps. I like the guide books for background reading but really not for day to day walking.

What sort of "preparation" information are you seeking Kathy?

Andrew

[Clusterpod]

There are also GPS "tracks" pretty readily available in various places on the net.

In regards to people like "Leggin' It Luke" and others that "live" on the track, I can think of far worse places to live than walking the Bib end to end over and over and over.

The unsafest I have felt on the Bib is along the beaches which allow 4WD and the lengths of track where 4WDs and dirtbikes fly around with carelessness.

Though even as a tall, white male, I too have packed up and left a shelter to "escape" some seemingly dodgy characters.

Then again, I hike for solitude so will refill at the tanks and wander off elsewhere to sling my hammock rather than share with 20+ people (like my last trip out to Monadnocks) or what must have been more than 50+ when two school groups descended upon the poor Helena Valley hut.

If you want solitude, Walpole to Northcliffe gets my vote. I'm off down that way again next week

[kathyk]

Thanks for your replys
I am going to buy the southern book as it appears from your replys that this is the better area for walking. I will also buy the southern maps .But without any knowledge it is hard to say which sections are the better ones. The info from the Bib Foundation told me not to miss Mt Cooke to Dwellingup - so when I tried to find out how I would get to the start of that section he couldnt help me. Trans WA doesnt have a bus service from Dwellingup Basically all the net tells you is that is it 97kms which is fine, but I need to know logistics. He then told me that a section not to be missed was Walpole to Denmark which sounds like a definite section - but I cant fly from North Qld for a limited time of a month and then go about planning how to get to and from once I get there. Food is not a problem for me as that is easily sorted out once I know what I am doing - will have to wait for the maps and books I guess and hope that they tell you more than the Bib site.
Thanks for your help
Kathy

[Aushiker]

Thanks for your replys
I am going to buy the southern book as it appears from your replys that this is the better area for walking. I will also buy the southern maps .But without any knowledge it is hard to say which sections are the better ones. The info from the Bib Foundation told me not to miss Mt Cooke to Dwellingup - so when I tried to find out how I would get to the start of that section he couldnt help me. Trans WA doesnt have a bus service from Dwellingup Basically all the net tells you is that is it 97kms which is fine, but I need to know logistics. He then told me that a section not to be missed was Walpole to Denmark which sounds like a definite section - but I cant fly from North Qld for a limited time of a month and then go about planning how to get to and from once I get there. Food is not a problem for me as that is easily sorted out once I know what I am doing - will have to wait for the maps and books I guess and hope that they tell you more than the Bib site.
Thanks for your help
Kathy

It might be helpful if you can give some more definitive details on what you are happy to do walking wise ..

(1) Do you want to do one section in total or a series of sections?
(2) What sort of distances are you happy with (or days walking)
(3) How much time off the track do you wish to factor in, including transport time? Basically you are looking at probably two days for each section in terms of buses, assuming you can get buses on the days you need them. Transwa timetables (not the best system in the world) can be found here. All towns from Collie to Albany are serviced by Transwa. Southwest Coach Lines (Now Veoila) may fill in some gaps or provide alternatives but they are more limited in relation to the Bibbulmun Track towns.
[4]What time of the year are you thinking of coming over?

I have a bit of a summary of the sections based on my 2003 end to end on my blog. It needs to be cleaned up but may be useful in terms of giving you more of feel for the Track.

Thanks for highlighting the lack of public transport information ... I will add that detail to my blog post.

Andrew

[mikethepike]

I walked Kalamunda to Dwellingup a few years ago and intend going back to finish it, probably in two walks. I was lucky to get a ride back to Perth from Dwellingup but getting back there to restart the walk is a problem. It seems to me that buses access only a very small number of towns on the Track.

The track is a very well marked track and it is hard to lose your way for very long. Indeed at times on this last walk we hardly looked for a marker as it was logical you were on the track.

Well I lost the track a few times on the first 3 days out of Kalamunda,(but perhaps not for very long) particularly where there were other tracks competing for you attention and no signs for the Bib. track. I was on the track in a very cloudy wet week and often couldn't tell north from south. I suggested to the Bib Office that a dozen extra signs in the northern 204 km would make a big difference but got the somewhat facetious reply "What do you want, a rope to follow all the way to Albany?" (No, just a sign at the confusing track junctions.)

The North is reasonably well used and doing it solo as a woman is fine. Since my last walk, I'm not sure if soloing south is something I'd feel comfortable doing. We met more men "living" on the track than the northern sections. They all deny they are homeless but these men spend more than 70% of their life walking the track. Nothing wrong with this, but as a woman, some of these guys made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Actually they "icked" me out.

"Nothing wrong with this, but as a woman, some of these guys made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Actually they "icked" me out." This suggests that there is or at least could be something wrong with this.

I was previously there in August and found the huts generally to have only one or two people besides myself. Twice I was the sole occupant and only on a Saturday night was a hut full and the company was very friendly and it didn't stop me getting a good night's sleep. I'll choose school term time next visit but school groups are unpredictable.
Please don't take anything I've said the wrong way. I think it is a fabulous track.

[north-north-west]

Well I lost the track a few times on the first 3 days out of Kalamunda,(but perhaps not for very long) particularly where there were other tracks competing for you attention and no signs for the Bib. track. I was on the track in a very cloudy wet week and often couldn't tell north from south.

Compasses are wonderful devices.

I suggested to the Bib Office that a dozen extra signs in the northern 204 km would make a big difference but got the somewhat facetious reply "What do you want, a rope to follow all the way to Albany?" (No, just a sign at the confusing track junctions.)

So are maps.

[mikethepike]

Yes NNW of course you are right (and I didn't take a compass) but I question who is the track for? I think such tracks as the Bib., Heysen etc should be 'comfortable' for walkers with not much in the way of navigation skills especially if a few extra signs is all that is needed for the track to better cater for them. i.e. walkers who may never be interested in taking up cross country bushwalking.