Kanga Walk
Stirling Range National Park
Directions - Located in Stirling Range National Park, the Kanga Walk is approximately 100 kilometres (one hour) north of Albany. From the centre of Albany, head north on Albany Highway, turning right at the large roundabout to continue along Chester Pass Road. This will take you all the way to the well signed Bluff Knoll turn-off. The walk starts from the Walkers Registration stand, on the opposite side of Bluff Knoll Road from the café.
The Hike - With a trip planned to head down to Manypeaks to join Carbon Positive Australia for some regeneration work, I had given myself the whole day to drive down, and perhaps stop off for a couple of hikes along the way. My first stop was to sample the Cranbrook Wildflower Walk, and I was pleased to have seen a few Spider Orchids, and a smattering of wildflowers. That little entrée had me excited for the main walk I had planned for the day, a return to Stirling Range National Park to visit the Kanga Walk, one of the lesser known trails that explores the area around the Bluff Knoll Café.
Having turned off Albany Highway and passed through Cranbrook, this meant I would be approaching the Stirling Range from the northern side of the park. This was perfectly fine with me, as it meant getting to see the western peaks up close, and I could stop at a few favourite haunts along the side of the road to search for wildflowers and orchids, and take photos of the distant mountain peaks. With it being peak canola season for the nearby farms, I couldn't resist a few snaps of the yellow fields with the mountains in the background. At my main wildflower stop I was rewarded with plenty of Scallop Hakea in flower, one of my favourite Hakeas, and plenty of new species I had not seen before. Moving onto the Bluff Knoll Café, I had given myself just enough time to hike the Kanga Walk, and get myself off to Manypeaks before the light disappeared. Parking up near the Walkers Registration stand, I was instantly reminded of visiting here to log our Stirling Ridge Walk back in 2022.
This hike would be a lot different, with no mountains to climb, and the navigation as straight forward as it comes. Having completed the nearby Ongarup Creek Walk in 2023, after finding out about it from the Stirling Range Retreat, I was looking forward to a gentle meander along the relatively flat part of the Stirling Range, looking out for the flora and fauna that make this part of the world so unique. With my camera in hand, I set off from the car park, walking down Bluff Knoll Road towards the popular peak in the distance. The road walking doesn't last too long, before you turn right to head down a gravel road. Ignore the No Entry signs, this is meant for cars, not walkers, and you'll find the first trail marker near here to comfort you. Walking parallel to Chester Pass Road along the access road for the Ranger Station, I was curious to see what I would find in the low heath. Immediately I was rewarded with a Two-leaf Hakea and plenty of Grevillea depauperata, a species I had not seen before today.
The wide road leading past the various Ranger buildings curves around a bit before settling into a straight line as it heads south west. You'll spot a marker taking you off the curving road, and along an avenue lined with tall trees that was one of my favourite views of the trail. Throughout this part of the walk, you are treated to some distant views of Bluff Knoll and Mount Trio, adding a nice background element to the scenery. Now on the straight road, the vegetation lining the trail became a little sparser, although there was still plenty of colour thanks to various Acacia species, and lots of Grevillea. My eyes were scanning the undergrowth for any orchids that may appear, buoyed on with optimism thanks to my finds in Cranbrook. Even without orchids, the trail was surpassing my expectations thanks to lovely views all around, and the sense of space that came with walking out in the open. I spotted a bird up ahead, and using my 300mm lens, I was able to take a decent enough photo to identify it as a Black-faced Cuckooshrike. As I wandered along, it wasn't the only thing flying around that I noticed.
Zooming around above me was a glider plane that was surfing the airstreams that the Stirling Range is known for. A month prior to this walk I had shown neighbour Steve my planned realignment through the Kingdom of Py, and on that trip we spotted a Wedge-tailed Eagle soaring above us, and Steve told me all about how he was gliding in the Stirling Range once, and the eagles are great for showing where the updrafts are. Keeping an eye out for eagles was added to the list for this walk, as I continued along the straight path. The views of Bluff Knoll had disappeared behind a hill to my left, but were replaced with Mount Trio ahead and to the right. Dipping down into a valley, the Wandoo became more plentiful, with some lovely mature examples glowing golden in the afternoon light. I was hoping that the wetter valley might be more suitable for orchids but as I descended, it seemed to be full of grasses that didn't look to be native. At the bottom of the valley is Paper Collar Creek where you turn right to leave the wide track and follow a narrow trail through the thick vegetation leading towards the crossing of Chester Pass Road.
Crossing over the road, be mindful of traffic as cars and trucks will be zooming by at 110kmph. The trail markers on the other side of the road were easy to find, and the trail continues along the edge of Paper Collar Creek. The change in scenery is noticeable here, with the non-native grasses continuing, making it feel entirely different to the first part of the walk. Reaching the fence line, the remainder of the walk follows a path along the edge of the neighbouring properties, although the scenery does improve. With a grassy paddock on one side, and a nice woodland on your right, my thoughts walking through here settled on what a waste it is to have a paddock for livestock when this area is such a biodiverse place. Maybe one day it will be rehabilitated but for now it served to provide views across to Mount Trio and Mount Hassell, which I took great delight in photographing with my zoom lens. Switching between looking to my right at the increasingly better looking Wandoo, and the mountain views over the trees to my left, this was much better than the initial impression along Paper Collar Creek.
Arriving at the corner of the private property, you turn right to walk towards the edge of the Stirling Range Retreat. I took a wrong turn here, as I thought the single trail leading off to the right was part of the Kanga Walk, instead it is one of the wildflower walks on offer from the Stirling Range Retreat. I followed it, and that turned out to be a good idea, as I spotted a Narrow Shell Orchid and a Banded Greenhood right along the trail. In this area is a large, fenced off example of the Stirling Range Wattle, a vulnerable species that is only found in the northern part of the Stirling Range. Although not in flower, the distinct leaves were pretty cool to see. Around this point, the trail kind of disappeared, and I clued on that the Kanga Walk didn't come this way and doubled back to the main path. It wasn't long before I was back at Chester Pass Road, right where Bluff Knoll Road is located, so I finished off the loop by heading back to the car park. With an hour of driving left to reach Manypeaks, I had to get a hurry on, but what a drive it was through an area I had not experienced before, taking me past many nature reserves I might come back and visit in the future.
Final Thoughts - This was the last of the recognised trails within Stirling Range National Park that I hadn't done, and it turned out to be a really fun experience.
Before finding out about this trail and the Ongarup Creek Walk, I had always thought that some flatter walks in the Stirling Range would be a good idea, to combine the views of the mountains with the beauty of the flora found here.
All in all, this was a lovely trail, and I'm sure in the peak of the wildflower and orchid season (late August to October), this would be an even better place to explore.
It's well worth checking out if you're visiting during that time, and want a less challenging walk to combine with one of the mountain peaks.
Get out there and experience it!
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