As part of our second journey through the Bibbulmun Track, we decided to go opposite directions. Therefore, instead of going further down from where we stopped on our last short walk (see post here) to Mount Cook, we planned to walk from the farm to Kalamunda. It was a lengthy journey of about six and a half hours. We nearly gave up half way there, but with all might, we managed to complete our goal. We were delighted to reach the beginning of the track, in the town of Kalamunda, where we had an ice-cream break to sustain us on our way back.
We started our walk from Camel Farm on 31 May 2015, at 10.00.a.m. and returned just before 5:00.p.m. We did took a wrong path on the way to Kalamunda and ended up walking through a very steep and rocky area. Fortunately, no one broke a leg and we managed to get back on the correct track. This was personally the most challenging part of our journey, even though the track itself was not a smooth one. It went up and down repeatedly as we were nearing Kalamunda. However, we were, as per last trip, welcomed by beautiful scenery. We also walked through the Kalamunda National Park with breathtaking views over the valley.
As we walked across the National Park, we came across the above shoes' scraper. It was the first time I came across this device. I learned that it is to prevent us from unintentionally carrying dieback diseases into the National Park. Dieback disease is basically a 'plant destroyer', as such very detrimental to the flora and fauna.
All in all, it was a great walk. It is not for the faint-hearted since you do need to walk consistently. It was more physically demanding than initially expected and definitely a test of endurance as well. It was a great experience though and I was left with a great feeling of relief after returning back, tired, but safe and sound.
Notes and tips:
-There is no water all along the track, so do bring enough water to hydrate yourself.
-I wore my normal running shoes, but do use hiking boots if you have them since there are some rocky slippery parts.
-Use hiking poles for more stability or grab any strong stick along the way to ease the walk.
-Bring some band-aids and antiseptic, just in case.
-Bring food because once you're in, there is no point of return. However, if you are lucky, you could come across some self-served mandarins stand.
For more information about the track, please visit the below website:
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