Blackwood to Gregory Brook
Bibbulmun Track
Start
Blackwood
Time
4-7 Hours
Finish
Gregory Brook
Date Hiked
20th September 2018
Length
18.1km
Campsite Style
Standard
Elevation
470m
Traditional Custodians
Bibbulman People
The Hike - The penultimate day of my seven day trek between Collie and Donnelly River and I was treated to a gloriously foggy morning as I awoke from my slumber. This was not entirely unexpected as I'd woken up the previous night to find a beautifully moonlit fog rolling in through the Blackwood River Valley. Given I only had a leisurely 18km to hike today I wasn't too fussed about getting up early, and being up on the hill the photos of the surrounding landscape wouldn't contain very much landscape. I put on some stirring music to match the moody surroundings and enjoyed being snuggled up in my warm sleeping bag. The morning was spent slowly getting my things packed and savouring a jaffa hot chocolate (magic stuff and you should buy some for your next long hike).
Eventually around 9am the fog started to lift and there was just a wispy twirl rolling through the valley. I enjoyed this show for longer than I should have and it was getting on past 10am before I decided to leave but I was surprised by a fellow hiker that had just rocked up to the campsite. An older gentleman, he had hiked in the 17.5km from Balingup after a very early start and I don't think he planned on getting here so quickly. We had a bit of a chat and I figured I wouldn't be alone at Gregory Brook that night as lounging around at Blackwood for almost an entire day might get a bit boring for him. He said he would rest for an hour and decide after that but he must have found something to do as I didn't see him at Gregory Brook that night. I said my goodbyes and started the hiking for the day with a short walk towards what is dubbed "Cardiac Hill" by seasoned Bibbulmun Track walkers. For those travelling S-N this is a fun finish to the day as you climb over 150m in about a kilometre and is billed as one of the toughest climbs in this area.
As I was during the reverse journey today I just had to worry about getting down and with my bruised feet not yet warmed up, it was a little uncomfortable. Making it better was a slew of wildflowers dotted on the hill framing the surrounding farmland with a little colour. I reached the bottom in one piece and joined up with an access road to Southampton Homestead, one of the private property that the track passes through. I was greeted with a variety of farm animals included a large chicken coop and a couple of horses. The real treat was yet to come and as I passed through one of the gates (please remember to shut them properly) I heard a flurry of borking from up on the hill and spotted two fluffy puppas thundering down the hill to check me out. Having checked me out and given their tick of approval I was allowed pats, something I had missed after being separated from my own silly muppets for a week. With a big smile on my face I had one final play with the two guard dogs (apparently there are four of them on the property) and continued on.
With the Blackwood River on my right and having spotted it at the bottom of Cardiac Hill, I was looking forward to some relaxing river walking as the sun was quite fierce today. Unfortunately though the river is mostly blocked by vegetation or deviates away so I was left a little bemused. I'd heard the Blackwood River was a lovely snaking feature of the South West and given this is the only interaction with it for Bibbulmun Track walkers, I was expecting a bit more. Much like the walking along the Murray River, the track has missed a trick here. I understand the complexity of walking right on a relative flat river valley but some stretches of being able to wander down to the river and enjoy it wouldn't have been too much to accomplish. Your only real opportunity to visit the Blackwood River up close is at the concrete traffic bridge where Southampton Rd crosses the river. This is where I dunked my hat in the river and sat on the rocks for a while watching the world go by. With the easy part of the day over it was time to get into the lengthy climb that would be your friend for quite a while.
Over the next 8km you'd be ascending 240m vertically to the highest point of the trip so not difficult terrain but still a gradual uphill none the less. A gentle stroll on Southampton Rd along the Blackwood River for about a kilometre leads you to the turnoff and the beginning of the climbing. Taking a vehicle track that is used to access the nearby Millstream Dam, you rise up a hairpin bend until your course straightens up and rounds the contours of the hill. This bit I found quite relaxing as you can see what you're up against as the trees seem to tower even higher above you from the lower vantage point. With a late start I was hiking this section in the heat of the day and was looking forward to seeing what Millstream Dam was all about and possibly enjoying another hat dunk in the water. My thoughts kept wandering to my time in the Pilbara exploring Millstream Chichester NP given the shared name so this brought back some happy memories.