Northcliffe to Walpole

Bibbulmun Track

Start

Northcliffe

Time

5-8 Days

Finish

Walpole

Date Hiked

June 2018

Length

144km

Campsites

7 Total

Elevation

2,700m+

Traditional Custodians

Bibbulman & Minang People

One of the most varied sections of the track and one of spectacular beauty, Northcliffe to Walpole is also one of the most divisive. Seasonal flooding affects the area known as the Pingerup Plains so if you tackle this section in winter or spring then there is a chance you'll be spending days on end wading knee or sometimes waist deep in water. In drier times this area is very pleasant, being touted as one of the most remote and wilder sections of the track. As you traverse the landscape, your day might take you from Karri forest to open plains to meandering along a river to walking along the coastline. Southbound walkers will experience the might of the Southern Ocean for the first time while northbound walkers will leave the dunes behind and enter the beautiful forests of the South West all the way up to Kalamunda.

Northcliffe to Gardner

Length - 15.8km

Time - 4-6 Hours

Vertical Climb - 254m

Shelter Style - Nornalup

Leaving Northcliffe, you walk through different patches of forest before reaching the wilder area around the Garnder River as you follow its path into the campsite.

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Gardner to Lake Maringup

Length - 17.1km

Time - 4-6 Hours

Vertical Climb - 285m

Shelter Style - Nornalup

Traverse sandy vehicle tracks, pop in and out of the Karri forest and cross the Gardner River for the final time before arriving at a stunning natural lake within earshot of the Southern Ocean.

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Lake Maringup to Dog Pool

Length - 25.9km

Time - 6-9 Hours

Vertical Climb - 540m

Shelter Style - Nornalup

The longest section of the Bibbulmun Track, walk through the stunning Karri forest surrounding Lake Maringup and then head through a variety of scenery on towards Dog Pool.

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Dog Pool to Mount Chance

Length - 20.1km

Time - 4-6 Hours

Vertical Climb - 361m

Shelter Style - Nornalup

Containing the infamous Marron Road and Pingerup Road sections of the track, this day sees you enter the wide open plains and Karri islands before finishing at the breath-taking Mount Chance.

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Mount Chance to Woolbales

Length - 23.1km

Time - 5-8 Hours

Vertical Climb - 386m

Shelter Style - Nornalup

Exploring the emptiness of the Pingerup Plains with a side trip to the summit of Mount Pingerup, this is a stunning part of WA that is often flooded in late winter and early spring.

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Woolbales to Long Point

Length - 18.7km

Time - 4-6 Hours

Vertical Climb - 367m

Shelter Style - Nornalup

Another monumental day on the Bibbulmun as you hike from the hills around Woolbales through varied scenery towards Mandalay Beach, your first encounter with the wild Southern Ocean.