Jarrahdale Railway Heritage Trail
Jarrahdale
Directions - Located just outside of the small town of Jarrahdale, from South West Highway, take Jarrahdale Road all the way up the hill to the corner of Nettleton Road. There is a small car park located on the north side of the two roads with a large wooden information board at the trail head. There are new metal signs for the full out plus loop trail that have been installed and these are the best reference.
The Hike - The Jarrahdale Railway Heritage Trail or 1872 Railway Heritage Trail as it's also known as was the second ever trail I did for this website way back in 2014 and has been one that I've been meaning to return to and correct. Originally there was no record of this on TrailsWA (one of the reasons I started the website) and the wooden sign at the trail head suggested it was just a return walk along the railway. Apparently there was a loop section but wasn't well marked so I've always just had this as an out and back.
Work has been done by the Jarrahdale Heritage Society Walks volunteer group to remedy this (big thanks to them), so with 2022 shaping up to be the year of enjoying old favourites and re-shooting some trails to provide much needed updates, let me tell you about a near perfect day where I headed back to Jarrahdale to hike an OG Life of Py trail. With the cold of winter finally setting in and Perth receiving a moderate amount of rainfall so far, I was extremely happy that the hiking season was well and truly underway. With a visit to the Hill Street Walk the week before, spotting a good variety of wildflowers gave me confidence that this would translate to other trails up and down the Darling Scarp. Having a few wildflowers really helps with providing variety in the photo galleries and I was hoping that there would also be some early season fungi finds. Normally I am an early riser so I can get out on the trails and walk a section in the late golden hour settings of early morning but today I had different plans thanks to this being the time of year where the NBA Finals are on. I've previously made a memorable day out of watching the NBA Finals and then taking in a hike with the best one being my visits to Bald Head Walk Trail (although at different times of year thanks to the pandemic).
With the Golden State Warriors facing off against the Boston Celtics in a crucial Game Four for the Warriors, I cooked up mushrooms on avo toast, brewed a few cups of coffee and enjoyed some puppa cuddles as I watched Steph Curry drop 43 points to level up what had been a weird series for both sides. Feeling elated that the Warriors had tied it up and the series would extend to at least six games, Caris came home with sushi for lunch as a little cherry on top. Having packed my hiking gear during ad breaks, I was ready to go after lunch so loaded up the car and drove out to Jarrahdale, ready to give this page a much needed refresh and also experience the loop trail for the first time. Arriving at the corner of Jarrahdale and Nettleton Roads, I was surprised to see only two cars in the car park given the popularity of this trail thanks to its dog friendly status. Waiting for my Garmin to find GPS signal, I was pleased to see the new green boot trail markers, meaning that finding the path off the main railway onto the loop should be much easier. The first section was familiar territory as I've visited this trail a few times, the most recent one being a clean-up day organised by Tracy from Off the Beaten Track.
It isn't long until you reach the first section of railway as you have to cross over to continue walking along the northern side. No longer in use, it was originally used to transport timber from the forests around Jarrahdale to the jetty at Rockingham and was later used by Alcoa for their mining operations. I like that it's been left in tact instead of being ripped up like a lot of the railway lines around WA as it provides a fun feature for most of the hike. While the trail officially doesn't use the railway line along its route, there are more than enough opportunities to have a play on it where the trail runs close. After the first crossing, the trail teases you and heads away from the railway line as it takes you along Hayes Road. While this isn't ideal as you're walking along a gravel road, there was enough here to keep me entertained. Initially there was a thicket of distinctly smelling Parrot Bush with their lovely yellow flowers and then it transitioned to more traditional Jarrah forest. There were a few good wildflower finds on the edge of the road with Holly-leaved Hovea, Bitter Peas and some native Wattle. I was happy to see a couple of bigger fungi in the leaf litter and got right down to ground level to photograph them. Looking out for the marker pointing me back towards the railway line, I was passed by a couple out with their Golden Retriever, accounting for one of the cars in the car park.
I got a brief pat from the happy puppa and was soon at the set of stairs leading down to the trail running parallel to the railway. Having mostly been walking in natural looking bush, at the bottom of the stairs you are introduced to a different style thanks to many introduced species. While not great, it's to be expected given the proximity to the railway and upcoming private properties that border the trail. Having already visited here, I wasn't expecting anything else so it wasn't a bad thing and some scenes like the narrow tunnels made for some different photos. Hearing the cries of a Black Cockatoo, I found the cheeky culprit hanging around just after the tunnel but getting a photo was hard as the trail contained a few ant hills that were hard to avoid. Having to move on, you dip down into a little valley below the railway line and in this very damp spot were some more lovely fungi finds. Rising up again, you walk right along the edge of the railway and this spot is where my previous cover photos have come from. I love this section of railway line as it curves into the undergrowth and disappears but with many years between visits, it seems nature is well and truly taken over as it was almost unrecognisable, to the point where I was questioning if this was the right spot.
It was so I took a fair few photos trying to replicate the angles and framing I had in my previous posts but the scene had changed so much I didn't get it as nice as I wanted. Moving on, you follow the old vehicle track as it makes its way up and down a few small hills, still running parallel to the railway line. This is one of the areas that was full of dumped rubbish that sparked the clean up event and while a marked improvement on what was there, you still see bits and pieces lying around. Add to this the garbage lying around the private properties that are visible as you walk along the track and it pays to be selective about where your eyes are focused (and what photos you include on your website). Hearing a cronch cronch sound up ahead, I had a feeling it was a kangaroo or wallaby bouncing away so was delighted when I was checking out the railway up close and saw one in the distance. This section around the private driveway crossing is quite pleasant, especially when you are raised above the railway with forest on one side and the railway line on the other. Rising up one last hill before the turn-off I was looking forward to seeing the giant granite boulders that sit right next to the trail but unfortunately this is when a brief shower decided to roll through.
Stopping for a break while also sheltering under a tree, I thought about getting my rain jacket out but in the end I could see less threatening skies ahead so decided to wait it out. Now reduced to a light drizzle, I continued on and reached the turnoff for the loop section. Previously I had just walked on from here along the railway line so was excited to see what the loop was all about. Spotting the new green boot marker, I headed uphill along another vehicle track and was soon at the start of the loop. The markers point you in a clockwise direction and after some burnt Marri/Jarrah forest lining the trail, I spotted some golden trunked Wandoo. Along here I spotted a new wildflower with a white Astroloma variety flowering next to the fence line of a private property. Reaching the intersection of Jubb Road, this area looked very sparse and I started to wonder about the quality of this loop given a wooden sign pointed you off along a barren path that didn't look like it led anywhere particularly pleasing. Around the wooden sign I was impressed with the volume of Redink Sundews on the ground with literally hundreds as far as the eye could see. Moving along the open road, there were at least some pleasant but limited views looking over the coastal plain and to your right is some quality looking Wandoo in the distance.
Rounding the corner, my fears of a substandard trail were alleviated as the road looked to be heading into the Wandoo that I had been eyeing off. Slowly the wide space closed in and some beautiful examples of these stunning looking trees lined the road. Spotting some hills in the distance, my imagination was working overtime picturing what was beyond this patch of forest and hoping the trail continued to improve. Scanning the edge of the road for wildflowers as my spidey senses have been attuned to doing over the years, I was rewarded with a little spec of white that turn out to be a Bunny Orchid. I had seen a few of these so far this hiking season on the Stirling Ridge Walk and at Christmas Tree Well so was happy to find one in an area that didn't strike me as being a haven for orchids. Buoyed by my find, the scenery kept getting better as I descended down the road that turned out to be mostly used by the nearby property, with the house coming into view near the bottom. From here it got much better as the Wandoo transitioned to Marri/Jarrah as you start to climb up the hill. As I was rounding the corner to start the climb, I heard an unpleasant noise behind me and sure enough two 4x4s approached.
I got off the trail and pretended to photograph a Parrot Bush as they loudly attempted to get up the hill, spewing unpleasant smelling diesel fumes everywhere (they are also really bad for your lungs) and generally being an obtrusive presence. I stopped for a while to give them enough time to disappear and I hoped it would be the last I would see of them, although with the racket these modified 4x4s make these days, I was sure I would still hear them off in the distance. A little grumbly about the intrusion, I hiked on and was presented with some lovely forest as I hiked up the hill that set my mood right. With Grass Trees everywhere and some really old trees in abundance, I now understand why there is a loop through here. With much of the area near here previously strip mined for bauxite and rehabilitated in a questionable manner, this pocket seems to have survived the miners, although not the axes of the logging industry. At least they left some bigger trees and I don't think any logging has occurred here in recent times so the regenerated forest is very pleasing to the eye. The stunning views looking up the trail made me forget about the effort of climbing it and I was stopping so much to shoot the nearby trees and fungi finds that I hardly worked up a sweat.
It's only a 60m vertical climb to reach the top and at the summit is a nice bench for you to rest on while you stare out over the farmland to the west. What goes up must come down and there is an equally pleasant descent complete with fabulous looking forest on either side. Reaching the bottom of the hill, I could see the 4x4s had stopped at the edge of the creek that runs through here and with the road continuing to the right, I knew at some point they'd probably have to pass me again. Hoping to get to a point where the trail leaves where they might want to be going, I soldiered on as the Wandoo returned to the views ahead. The forest was little more sparse through here as a couple of granite platforms created gaps in the canopy. Entering the thicker forest once again, I could hear engines starting up again so decided a little off track visit to inspect a fallen tree over the creek below would be a good idea given the road was a bit narrow here and I really didn't want to sprayed with diesel fumes again. Finding a pleasant spot to sit down and admire the creek, they eventually passed and I got going again. Thankfully they turned off the path I was on and headed uphill but from the sounds of it they were doing donuts on the granite platform at the top of the hill because simple things amuse simple minds.
Glad to be rid of them, I followed the green boot as it pointed me right and into some more spectacular looking forest. Running parallel to the creek, it felt really damp and moist through here, helped by the recent rains and expansive greenery. Walking at a slower pace to soak it all in, there was much to enjoy on this short stretch. Off in the distance were a couple of big, multi-stemmed Grass Trees, probably a couple of hundred years old and doing well to have survived all the activity that must have gone on through here. The wildflowers appeared once more with lots of Holly-leaved Hovea and Bitter Peas through here, along with the occasional Wattle and Parrot Bush. The thicker forest has a distinct end as you reach an open area where roads meet. Taking a left turn, it was immediately apparent that this area had gone through a recent burn-off. You follow the road down towards an orchard and the views open up even further. You walk along the edge of the orchard for a while before markers appear in the forest to the right and beckon you on to complete the loop section. Heading right into the recently burnt forest, the ground looked pretty blackened but thankfully they don't seem to have burned right up into the canopy so job well done in this section.
The trail through here is a nice change (well would be if it wasn't so burnt) as you are no longer on a vehicle track but single trail. Meandering down the hill, there were plenty of Sundews to be found emerging through the leaf litter and some with little white flowers already sprouting. I think in a couple of years this area will look much better but for now it was a little samey as not enough time has passed for new plants to start germinating from the fire. Joining a vehicle track once again, you continue downhill as the track winds along the edge of the hill. I was pleased to see some habitat logs survived the fires, further indicating it was a cooler burn, with one giant example seemingly balanced on the stump of another long gone tree. It was a nice enough finish to the loop section as I spotted the railway line down the hill and figured I would soon join back up where I started. That turned out to be true as I passed the same smashed windscreen on the linking trail that I had passed earlier. With familiar territory for the rest of the hike, I could pick up the pace a little as I wouldn't be taking as many photos, or so I thought. First on the agenda was to properly photograph the giant granite boulder that I couldn't capture on the way out thanks to the rain.
I still didn't get great shots but as I was doing that I spotted some wildflowers that I missed, a variety that I don't think I've seen before. Enjoying the walk back, I stopped a few times to explore the railway, getting some low down shots for something different and trying once again to capture the iconic scene from my previous posts (a canvas of that scene is still hanging in my parents place). While this whole stretch is far from natural, I enjoy something different every now and then, and I have to admit that the non-native Wattles that grow along here make for some great looking photos. Photographing very similar angles to the walk out, I spotted a sluggy slug crawling around some yellow fungi I had captured before so used that photo in the galleries instead. Hearing more Black Cockatoos ahead, I was hoping for a better shot of one than I got earlier and luckily one landed on a branch just across the railway line. I zoomed in and waited for it to fly off, in the process getting the money shot of the bright tail feathers in a full expanse. That was a fantastic way to finish as I joined Hughes Road again for the trek back to the car. Very happy with that trail experience after an enjoyable morning watching the NBA, I cooked up a roast for dinner while we watched The Prisoner of Azerbaijan followed by the qualifying for the Azkaban Grand Prix.
Final Thoughts - Having re-shot the Echidna Trail a few weeks prior, the Jarrahdale Railway Heritage Trail was next on the list in 2022. It's been a fun nostalgia trip to remember back to the early days of the website when I really didn't think it would last this long or warp into what it is.
I'll always have a sentimental attachment to this trail so that skews my perception of it in terms of enjoyment. Having said that, it's still a nice walk of decent length with an interesting feature (the old railway line) and I was pleasantly surprised with the loop section that I had not done on previous visits.
Even if you just bring the kids and dogs and walk the first section along the railway and back, this is a nice way to get out and about.
I'm happy to have this as a 2022 spec post complete with way too many photos. What a day this was for me and I hope you make you own pleasant memories here.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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