Mamang Trail
Fitzgerald River National Park
Start - Point Ann
Trail Type - Hike
Length - 23.5km (Loop)
Elevation - 316m
Time - 1-2 Days
Date Hiked - 13th October 2023
Directions - Point Ann is found in the western side of Fitzgerald River National Park and can be accessed by the combination of tarmac and dirt roads, which can be heavily corrugated depending on when they were last graded. The trail head is located near the brand new toilet block with great signage.
The Hike - I was blown away with my first visit to Fitzgerald River National Park in 2018, with two visits within a couple of months, including mapping out the trail for the Google Trekker. That fun experience provided privileged access to the park that regular hikers don't usually get (we were transported to near Point Charles via a Polaris). As a result, the old write-up started at the Fitzgerald Inlet Campsite, and only talked about the one-way trip running inland from the beach.
Back in the area as part of an epic three week road trip in the Great Southern, to research for my Best Walks of South Coast WA guidebook, I was here to hike it in a manner that is logistically reasonable. By this time I was two weeks in, and had hiked pretty much every trail from Walpole to the Stirling Range. The final week of the trip would see me head further east, to visit Fitzgerald River and the area around Esperance. Having not visited this side of Fitzgerald River National Park in quite a while, I was excited to return, albeit for a whirlwind one day, one night liaison. Waking up at the Stirling Range Retreat, a bit sore after four days hiking up and down the Porongurups and Stirling Range, I made myself a cooked breakfast wrap, and began packing up the car with all my possessions. Ahead of me was a two hour drive through mostly farmland, so I loaded up a couple of podcasts, and enjoyed seeing the mountains before they were replaced with endless fields.
Arriving at Point Ann after surviving the corrugated road leading into the park, I would park at the main car park, before camping at St Marys Inlet overnight. I always find it funny to arrive at Point Ann and see a perfectly paved car park, with gazebos, picnic areas, and a spacious toilet block after enduring that road. With a long hike ahead of me, I set about packing my gear for what was forecast as a relatively warm day. As I was going to be out in the open, I loaded up with extra water, just in case I wanted to do the trip out to the Fitzgerald Inlet Campsite from Point Charles. Visiting the lookout first via a wooden boardwalk, it's a good opportunity to survey how long the beach section is you'll be returning on, along with getting a good view of the Mid-Barrens in the far distance. Heading back to the trail head, I admired the lovely signage, and was excited to finally walk the full circuit, and relatively close to the peak of the wildflower season.
Walking along the linking section that takes you to the start of the circuit, it didn't take long before I was stopping frequently to photograph new wildflower species including Melaleuca jonesii and Stylidium albomontis. Fitzgerald River National Park is one of the most incredible places in the world if you're into botany, with 20% of Western Australia's plant species found in this relatively tiny part of the state, and over 300 species that are only found here, or in small numbers elsewhere. Intrigued by the possibility of all the wildflowers I would see along the inland section of the route, I wasn't expecting this to be a quick hike. The weather over the past week had been hot, and as I discovered during my visit to the Stirling Range, this had meant plenty of the orchid species had succumb to the heat, so I tempered my expectations for finding orchids today. The 500 metre trail leading to the beach was a good entrée for what was to come.
Popping out onto the beach, I never tire of seeing the pure white sands of Fitzgerald River National Park, and those lining Point Charles Bay are some of the best in Australia. Heading closer to the water, it provides a harder surface to walk along, and it's just nice to be next to the gently crashing waves. This part of the beach near St Marys Inlet is a pretty sheltered spot for swimming, but as always along the South Coast, be wary of rips. Starting to cross over where St Marys Inlets would flow into the ocean if it was breached, I love this point as you can look down the waters of the inlet, and at a certain point, you'll see West Mount Barren framed in the distance. That would be the morning activity for tomorrow, but for now I was enjoying the first beach walk before a long inland section leading to Point Charles. Forgetting how long the beaching walking was before the turn-off, I was beginning to wonder if I'd missed the bright orange pole alerting you to the exit off the white sands.
I soon found it, without having to panic backtrack, and headed off the hard sand towards the dunes. This would be the start of the inland section of the loop, and one I was particularly excited for given I'd never hiked it in spring before. Exiting the beach, a small section of boardwalk greets you behind the dunes, before a exposed patch of orange soil makes way to the low heath that will become a familiar sight as you continue along. It didn't take long for the wildflowers to appear in full force, with lots of Verticordia, Gompholobiums, Isopogons and a favourite of mine from this hike, the Claw Leschenaultia. Putting this post together, it was difficult deciding which wildflower photos to include, and what you see in the galleries is just a small percentage of what I saw on the day. With a decent distance to get through today, the constant stopping meant my pace was super slow, something I wasn't worried about given the long stretch of beach walking later on.
After walking up a small hill, and heading inland a fair way, the views looking to the west and the east had started to open up. To the west was endless heath leading towards the peak of West Mount Barren, and to the east was the ocean, and glances down to the starting point near St Marys Inlet. Arriving at the Nuytsia Lookout, this is the first of many wooden platforms dotted along the inland section that provide nice little rest spots to break up the walking. Being the high point of the area, you get the first decent views of the Mid Barrens that will be a big feature in the northern part of the trail. Inaccessible to walkers due to dieback concerns, they are destined to only be admired from a distance. Down the hill you'll come across a few ancient examples of the Nuytsia floribunda, also known as the Moodja or WA Christmas Tree. There is a wooden bench underneath the trees, an odd choice given these trees are considered the death tree in the Noongar culture, and as I understand it, sitting in the shade of the trees is considered taboo.
I decided not to stop here, instead continuing along as the trail starts to descend slightly. The wildflowers continued to be excellent, with Grevillea tripartita, Four-winged Mallee, Narrow-leaved Pimelea, and one of the more famous plants within Fitzgerald River National Park, the Qualup Bell. I had been gifted one for my new garden, which was a great reminder of this trip, but unfortunately it hasn't survived growing in the Fremantle area. Reaching the second stopping point of the inland section, the Lake Nameless Lookout, I stopped here to have a good drink, and a bit of a rest. It was really starting to warm up, and being exposed for a lot of the trail means you really feel the heat. Joined by a significant portion of the local fly population, I played a losing game of trying to swat the flies away while I sat on the wooden lookout and sipped some sweet Stamindae elixir from my water bladder. When I had hydrated myself sufficiently, I made my way to the end of the lookout to admire Lake Nameless.
As I'd only ever previously visited this side of the park in Autumn, it was a pleasant surprise to see the lake looking quite full. Supporting a great deal of bird life, along with providing a valuable year round water source for the mammals and reptiles that call Fitzgerald River home, it's a pretty important body of water in what can be a harsh environment during the summer months. Along with the views of Lake Nameless, West Mount Barren is a feature in the distance, and the wilds of the national park that remind you of the amount of space out here dedicated to the preservation of the environment. Moving along, the next section would provide some much needed variety to the walking, with a descent into the thicker vegetation, complete with many different Mallee species. The shade was greatly appreciated, and for some reason I had in my mind that this would be a great place to spot orchids, something that had been lacking for the walk so far.
That feeling would be misguided, and much like the Stirling Range, where the mini heat wave had signalled an end to many orchids for the year, it would appear Fitzgerald River would be the same. Luckily there were plenty of wildflower species to discover, and a Grey Fan Tail that stopped on a branch to pose for a photo. Rising out of the sandy valley, I soon came across the Intercolonial Rest Area, with a small bench overlooking the best views of Lake Nameless, with the full width of the lake now visible. I'm sure this would have been a useful spot to rest back when it wasn't a national park, given the close proximity to water, but for me it was a little too close to the last lookout to stop for any meaningful amount of time. Continuing along, this is the start of a similar sized climb to the previous one, taking you through the Mallee and heath that was filled with all kinds of delights, such as the Barrel Coneflower, Red Kangaroo Paw and Grevillea fistulosa.
Rising higher, the views looking back provided a nice photo opportunity, with Lake Nameless and West Mount Barren in the same shot. This also marked the first sighting of the trail of the famous Royal Hakea, an iconic symbol of the park that lends its likeness to the trail markers. A remarkable looking plant, with leaves that range in colour from green, yellow, orange and red, it was named after Queen Victoria (with the Latin name being Hakea victoria), examples were sent back to England to show off the magnificence of the plant. Not surprisingly, it didn't survive the journey, and turned a black colour, which you might also see along here, as a few of the plants I saw had naturally died off. Having first seen them in person on a trip with my partner in 2018, she decided to name them Traffic Light Bush Kale, and that has been their nickname ever since. The beautiful colouring comes from the nutrient deficient soils of the area, which is really hard to replicate elsewhere, as demonstrated by me planting one in builders sand in my garden, and it being a vibrant green colour.
About halfway up the hill, and right in the thick of the largest population of Royal Hakeas, is the Royal Hakea Lookout. With lovely views overlooking the ocean, I stopped here and noticed I had reception for the first time on the hike. Sending some updates, and replying to messages, I made it brief so as not to draw myself out of the moment entirely. It was a short stop, as I was keen to continue along my merry way, and I knew that there were plenty more opportunities to have a break further along. The vegetation continued to be a mix of heath and Mallee, along with some taller Yellow Lantern Banksias that were in flower. While I was photographing the hanging flower, I noticed something moving on one of the bright needles. On closer inspection it was a Banksia Masked Bee, a pretty cool find in my book. Kind of making up for the lack of orchids, I was delighted with the find as I kept going, eventually reaching an area that was more exposed, and contained low heath.
The Mid Barrens were a prominent feature in the distance, and it was a nice photo at one point with the trail seemingly leading straight towards them. The sandy beach of Fitzgerald Inlet could be seen after a while, and this meant I was close to the end of the inland section. With a few highlights still to come, I picked up the pace, stopping occasionally to photograph flowers such as the Pink Bottlebrush and Gompholobium venustum. Eventually I reached the Fitzgerald Inlet Lookout, accessible off a short side trail, and providing excellent views looking down at the expanse of the water below. Fed by the Fitzgerald River that that park is named after, this wide and sweeping inlet is one of two in the area, with the other (Dempster Inlet) located a little further north, at the end of the beach. To me the most fascinating bit of this view are the exposed cliffs on the edge of the water, providing a sah of orange and yellow to the endless greens and blues of their surrounds. Nestled along the inlet is the now abandoned Fitzgerald Inlet Campsite, that you can still stay at, but given it has no vehicle access, is no longer looked after by Parks and Wildlife.
Enjoying a break here, this is a pretty cool spot to spend some time and soak in the amazing views that not many people get to see. Almost at the end of the inland section, I made my way back to the main trail, and turned left to head towards Point Charles. Walking through thicker heath, the views of the Mid Barrens disappear, as you disappear into the vegetation. Appreciating the wildflowers, as I wouldn't be seeing any as I tackled the beach section, I spotted an oddity on one of the branches, a black glove. My initial thoughts were that Dumbledore was summoning me, as if I was Newt Scamander in Secrets of Dumbledore, but after staring at it for a while, it appeared to just be a glove that someone has left behind. Moving on, I reached an important point, the small rock wall where the trail deviates in two directions. One takes you towards Point Charles and Fitzgerald Inlet, and the other leads down to the beach, and the way back to Point Ann.
While I wasn't visiting Fitzgerald Inlet on this hike, I was keen to visit Point Charles, and get the iconic shot of the wooden lookout with the Mid Barrens and turquoise water in the background. My first visit here coincided with prescribed burning in the area, so the photos are very hazy, something that wasn't an issue today, although the brightness provided by a cloud free sky was. Following the path towards Point Charles, it wasn't long until I could see down towards the Fitzgerald Inlet, and the breathtaking colours of the sheltered bay. With views looking down to the inlet, and off to the right at the rocky shores of the headland, it was refreshing to be out in the open and to be close to the water. As much as I enjoyed weaving through the wildflower-filled heath, this scenery was on another level. Reaching the wooden lookout, things were looking pretty good for photos, and the water below looked inviting for a swim. Being the tail end of the whale migration, there was a chance I could see passing whales in the bay, but it wasn't meant to be today (I would see some on the Le Grand Coastal Trail a few days later).
Stopping here for a decent break, I dropped my pack and explored the rocky headland for a while. Taking a million photos, there is so much to see as you pan around from the Fitzgerald Inlet, to the beach, the bay, the Mid Barrens, and even East Mount Barren way off in the distance. As I was getting ready to leave, I spotted something circling above, and ended up watching a White-bellied Sea Eagle drift in the currents for a while. Heading back to the intersection, there was another cool find on one of the rocks, with a large centipede wriggling around. Back at the intersection, I was more than ready to head down to the beach section that would see me finish the circuit with seven kilometres of hard sand and gently crashing waves. To get down to the beach, you follow a natural dune that rises all the way up the hill from the beach. While looking straightforward from the top, this proved to be a little more difficult in practice. After spotting some surprise Hibbertia growing right out of the bleached white sand, I reached a rounded dune that was blocking the way.
I could see the trail marker buried in the middle of it, but it seemed impossible to be able to scale it without sliding back down again. Spotting some kangaroo tracks leading off to the side, I figured I would take the same route, and after a bit of effort slipping down the side of the dune, I was successfully on the other side. Filling my shoes with more sand as I continued down the hill, the vegetation on each side soon gave way to great swathes of white sand, as the dunes right off the beach came into view. Reminding me of a pretty enjoyable walk on the penultimate day of the Bay of Fired Lodge Walk, I love photographing these scenes with the contrast between the sand and deep blue of the sky. Spotting the trail marker high up in the dunes, I found a break between two of the dunes to step out onto the beach, and begin the long walk back to Point Ann. Making a bee line for the harder sand right by the water, I stopped to take off my shoes, so I could enjoy both the cool feeling of the water on my feet, and the sand between my toes. Looking to my left, the rocky headland of Point Charles at the end of the beach was a nice feature to photograph, as was the endless beach ahead.
Getting going, this was a part of the trail I had not walked before, as the first time doing the Mamang Trail with the Google Trekker, we were dropped off at the top of the dune by the local Parks and Wildlife officer. I love an extended beach walk, and revelled in the long beaches of the Bibbulmun Track and South Coast Track in the past. This would be no different, and I thought to myself how nice it was to be able to stretch my legs after many days in the mountains, where I was either climbing or descending at a much slower pace. I had expected to have the entire beach to myself, but like so many beaches along the South Coast, this one is accessible to vehicles. Coming across an older couple that had parked up on the beach, I'm not sure who was more shocked. I kept going, keeping an eye out for Blue Bottles that might have washed up, along with anything else. I love a bit of beach combing and there was a bit to see here, with an array of fish, jellyfish, and unfortunately a Common Sea Dragon. It's not all pristine white sands and turquoise waters along the walk back to Point Ann, you also get an array of jagged rocks to provide wonderful foreground objects when looking back at the Mid Barrens.
They are scattered along the beach in various clumpings, and break up the monotony of the beach walking, as you stop and take a million photos from all different angles. Ranging in colours from light grey to black, they also provide home to a variety of different marine plants, and sea life where they are partially submerged in the water. I had great fun exploring them all, which slowed me down a bit, but I had plenty of time up my sleeve this afternoon. Along with the epic rock formations along the beach, I was also on the lookout for different bird species, which I got with Hooded Plovers, Silver Gulls, Pacific Gulls and Red-capped Plovers. Meandering along, the rock formations are well spaced out, and provide a fun distraction to what could have been a long beach walk, even if provided stunning scenery everywhere. Passing St Marys Inlet, I could see the boardwalk on the headland, and started looking out for the exit off the beach. It wasn't long until I was safely back at the start, thoroughly pleased with finally walking the proper Mamang Trail loop. I finished off the day with a wander around the Point Ann Heritage Trail, before camping the night at St Marys Inlet, where it didn't take me long to fall asleep after such a big day.
Final Thoughts - While my original Mamang Trail post was a wonderful adventure involving the Google Street View project, it wasn't really representative of the typical hikers experience on the trail.
Not everyone is going to get dropped off at Point Charles, so tackling the full 23.5 kilometre loop trail was something I always wanted to return and do. It felt good to finally tick that off the list, and despite being a couple of weeks too late for orchids given the hot weather in 2023, I was really impressed with the hike.
If I wasn't two weeks into a three week hiking trip where I was walking every single day, then I would have continued on to Fitzgerald Inlet Campsite to investigate. From what I've heard, it's pretty run down now, which is what I would expect now it's not maintained.
Fitzgerald River is such a unique place in WA when it comes to native flora, and I was not disappointed with the variety that I saw. If you treat the inland section as a botany survey, it's quite fun, with the beach walk to finish as a delight for your eyes, given the epic scenery.
It is a bit of an effort to get out to the western side of the park, but you won't find many people there, and even less so on the Mamang Trail, so that's a good reason for me.
Get out there and experience it!
If you've found this page or the website helpful and you want to show your support then consider making a small donation by visiting our Ko-fi page. You can give as little as a dollar with no sign-up required and everything will be put towards the website, creating new content and promoting the trail community.