Denmark to Albany
Munda Biddi Trail
Start
Denmark
Time
4-8 Hours
Finish
Albany
Date Ridden
8th September 2021
Length
75.8km
Elevation
472m
Traditional Custodians
Minang People
2023 Update - The Munda Biddi has been permanently realigned, taking you off Lower Denmark Road and up towards the the Albany Wind Farm. This will add an extra 8km and 300 vertical metres to the ride into Albany.
The Ride - Well, this is it, the final post, the final section of the 1065km Munda Biddi Trail. We'd started all the way in Mundaring almost three weeks earlier, nearly been reduced to a party of one after the first day but soldiered on to have the finishing line in sight. At a tick under 76km in length and no campsite to break it up, most people automatically think that this is going to be one of the hardest days on the trail. Having ridden almost 1000km so far, including a 104km day coming into Denmark, this was going to be a gentle ride in the park so to speak. I make no apologies for the length of this post, I had great fun photographing this day so in order to fill the page around all the galleries, I need to waffle a fair bit.
I'd done the hard yards already, even on this leisurely schedule and with a rest day in Denmark behind us, this was the equivalent of my run into Paris along the Champs-Élysées, sipping champagne after toiling away in the Alps and Pyrenees. Replace Champs-Élysées with York Street, champagne with Staminade powder and the Alps with the hills around Walpole and you get the idea. Despite 76km to get through, we had a relaxed morning as we waited for Mark from the Blue Wren to arrive and open up his shed that our bikes were stored in before we made our way to breakfast. As we had already sampled Ravens the previous morning, we thought we would mix it up and chose the Bibbulmun Cafe for our final day on the Munda Biddi. Fuelled up and raring to go, we made our way towards the Denmark River and picked up the Mokare Heritage Trail as it meanders down towards the bridge near the Wilson Inlet. I love this stretch of pavement as the gentle flow of the river combined with the lush Karri forest provides a serene experience on bike or foot.
Aron zoomed on ahead, wary of the pace we'd averaged so far over the journey and wanting to get to the finishing line at a good hour where Jen his partner would be waiting (with his terror of a dog Pablo). I wasn't so fussed and would continue along my merry way, stopping to photograph everything that took my fancy, of which there was plenty along here. This was my first time doing this trail in the morning time and I was impressed with how much better the lighting was given the sun was on the righthand side of the river. Compared to the previous two days, we were blessed with perfect weather today, with light cloud and only the slightest chance of rain. Reaching the bridge, this would be new territory for me as the Bibb requires you to get a lift to the Nullaki Peninsula to continue walking towards Albany while the Munda Biddi follows the edge of the Wilson Inlet as it avoids the coastline altogether. Joining what is both the Wilson Inlet Heritage Trail and the Denmark-Nornalup Heritage Trail, this was one of the highlights of the whole day and one I made sure I slowed down to fully appreciate.
Dotted along the Wilson Inlet Heritage Trail are a series of shelters, beaches and lookouts in various states of disrepair to explore and most are accessed off little side trails. Figuring I had enough time, after the first couple I decided that I would stop in at all of them just for funsies. The first side quest was the Koorabup Shelter and it was a short walk from the main trail to reach possibly the most intact shelter. It's a small place with a picnic table under a wooden gazebo and I'm going to be honest when I say that it isn't the most appealing place to have a picnic. Fantastic if you want to be murdered but maybe just head back to the Denmark River and choose a nice spot near the bridge. Jokes aside, this may have been a better spot when it was built as part of the the 1988 heritage trail cash splash that occurred on trails all over the state with only a handful remaining to this day. The second shelter is at Bandicoot Point and requires more of walk to reach but is in my opinion, the best location of all the shelters.
Right on the edge of the Wilson Inlet, it's a shame the wooden structure is now a ruin as it provides a marvellous vantage point to soak in the inlet views. I spent more time here than any other place, walking around and photographing the lovely Paperbarks lining the water, admiring the moss and lichens growing everywhere and staring out across the Wilson Inlet towards Mount Hallowell. It was such a beautiful day with long white clouds reflecting on the still water that I remarked to myself that it felt like something you'd see in New Zealand. Prying myself away from this stunning location, I joined my bike up on the main trail and continued on, wondering how far in front of me Aron was. As I was following the edge of the water, I could ride at a decent speed in-between side quests but I spent so long at each one that I had no chance of catching my riding buddy. After a brief stop at the Springdale Drain (also home to a nearby beach that must be interesting after some rains), I arrived at the Minang Shelter, the last of the wooden structures along this part of the trail. A little worse for wear, it's still useable but I decided to move on after taking a couple of photos.
Following the wide trail as it snakes its way along the edge of the Wilson Inlet, it gives you a great chance to make up some time while also soaking in the fantastic scenery. Feeling like I had not rushed that section, I was on a high as I sought to reel Aron in and share stories of what the side quests were like as I knew he would have skipped them. I passed a couple of young guys heading the other way and I would find out later from Aron that they were planning a 10 day Munda Biddi E2E but had overestimated this first section and only made it 40 or so kilometres. With this being one of the easiest days elevation wise, I wonder how far they got before they pulled the pin. Reaching the end of the nice riding along the inlet, you pop out into some farmland areas where the old rail formation thankfully has been preserved within a tunnel of mixed trees, including a nice stretch of Karri. As you come across a sign for the Denmark-Nornalup Heritage Trail and the old sign pointing you to Crusoe Beach, the rail form riding ends and you head towards South Coast Highway.
Knowing the Hay River crossing was just ahead where you are forced to use the road bridge, I was pleasantly surprised to find a section of single trail running parallel to the road. Lined with Bracken Ferns and exploding with colour thanks to the numerous wildflowers on display, I of course kept stopping along here, except when there was a puddle that forced me to keep riding to avoid wet shoes. With no sign of Aron still, I figured he was properly motivated to reach the finish and I would catch him in due course. Reaching the Hay River Bridge, you are forced to ride on the road where there is just enough room for two cars so be careful and try to pick a gap. I did this only so I could stop in the middle to get photos of the river draining into the Wilson Inlet but the gap quickly disappeared as I believe the speed limit is 90kmph along the highway. Not long after you cross the river, you turn left onto Keith Road and start an odd loop that takes you north before turning around and heading back to the highway once again.
Now heading north, I was wondering how bad the puddles were going to be given the road was closed and the answer came pretty quickly. Immediately there were large bodies of water but with a wide road, it was easy to skirt around them to start with. Thanks to a very wet winter and some overnight rain topping them up, this low lying area between here and Albany had copped a fair bit of damage with some roads washed away. There are some good access points to the river along this road and every now and then I would take one to get some more interesting photos. Re-joining the road I was passed by a P-Plater in a beat up Commodore but around the next bend I passed her again as she couldn't go any further thanks to the flooding. At the time she was unloading the car and on the phone to mum or dad to come bring the 4x4 to pick her up. There was a raised bank that allowed me to pass safely and I kept going, finally spotting Aron in the distance after about 16km of solo riding.
We had a chat about the first part of the day and what we saw as we tootled along Hunwick Road that was looking kind of pretty with the trees providing a nice canopy. Like so many places along the route today, this was a good opportunity to increase the average speed thanks to the gentle gradient and smooth-ish roads. Along Hunwick Road is the first "hill" of the day with a 20m ascent that when I reached the top I let out a Fremantle Freight Services (FFS) under my breath as Aron had hopped off to push. After 1000km of riding I was hoping that his sea legs would be under him but apparently not. Pedalling along a couple of more dips and rises, we turned right onto Sleeman Road and headed south towards South Coast Highway. The wildflowers through this forested section were popping with a Southern Cross, Hibbertia and Hovea providing a splash of colour. Rolling down a small hill, we reached some open farmland that looked nice with the greenery and rolling hills in the background. A flooded section revealed a mass of Bin Chickens having a poke around the water and it was a sight to see with the water and grass blending into each other.
After the flooded section there is a long stretch of straight gravel road with open paddocks either side so once again it was into cruise mode to rack up the kilometres. With a few sheep to speak to, it was pleasant riding as we rode side by side towards South Coast Highway. Thankfully when you reach the highway, you don't have to ride on the road with a strip of single trail running parallel providing a better option. Despite being able to hear the nearby traffic, it does feel like you're own little world as the tree cover is quite thick and you can't see the offending cars. It was fun crossing a small foot bridge that goes over a drainage channel and the old wooden structure was still visible. With perfect weather, this was idyllic riding as we eventually reached the highway crossing. Cycling through some non-native grasses to begin with, you reach Eden Road, a familiar name for Bibb hikers as the Eden Road gates into Nullaki is a popular drop-off point to start their day.
Joining Lower Denmark Road for the first time today, you begin a stretch of road riding that takes you all the way to Youngs Siding. The road riding isn't ideal but at least it's not the highway and the road is straight enough that passing traffic has a good sight line for overtaking. The 1.5km of road riding is over before you know it as we pulled into Youngs Siding for a well earned break. Grabbing a drink and some lollies, we sat down on the veranda and soaked in the glorious sunshine. Having a chat with the General Store owner, I asked about Lower Denmark Road further on as I knew it had been washed away over the winter. Thankfully it had been rebuilt but he still had concerns that it would happen again soon. Re-joining Lower Denmark Road for a short while before turning onto Lake Saide Road (Sadie in my mind), it was more road riding but this time along a much quieter stretch. This was peaceful riding in the open farmland and I was happy to see a young Highland Cow (or Heeland Coo if you're Scottish) having a grand old time scratching his head on a log.
Reaching the turn onto Thompson Road, I was pleased to see someone had spray painted their objections to the new Nullaki mine right on the sign for it. Passing Blueberry Lakes, we were passed by the postwoman that we met at Youngs Siding and this wouldn't be the first time our paths crossed today. The road riding stops as markers point you left into the bushes and it was the start of some pleasant single trail riding as we headed into a mix of farmland and remnant forest. Along here the wildflowers were pretty nice and I spotted the only Cowslip Orchid of the entire trip. This wasn't unexpected as we were riding in late winter so this was a good surprise on the final day. Looking across the farmland, I could see the hills above Lowlands Beach and Knapp Head, knowing that was where the Bibbulmun route heads. While it would be nice to have some views of the ocean, I don't think the sandy dune system would make for fun riding a lot of the time. Continuing on, we passed through the middle of two paddocks and reached Francis Road, a dead end servicing the local farms.
This continued the picturesque farmland scenes and while waiting for Aron, I stopped to photograph some nearby sheep. At first it was a cute scene with a young lamb following it's mother around but I soon noticed another lamb that wasn't moving. With blood on the living lamb, I thought maybe they had been attacked by foxes but looking at the photos more closely, it appears the lamb moving about had only just been born so perhaps the one on the ground didn't make it out alive. Moving on from that sad moment, we were heading into the middle part of the day that involved a bit of climbing. There was a small 60m climb as we joined Tennessee Road South but with some of it on paved road, it wasn't such a big deal. Descending down towards another crossing of Lower Denmark Road, we joined an old rail form as it headed through some Paperbark filled swampland. Remnants of the old rail sleepers and farm sheds could be seen and it was much better riding than being on the wide roads.
Entering more thickets of vegetation, I love this kind of green tunnel riding as the variety of flora amazes me. Spotting a Showy Banksia was a treat and the Peppermints through here made me smile. Popping out onto Bornholm Road, it would be more road riding as we climbed up to the highest point of the day, a giddy 113m ASL. At the junction we spotted a Black Cockatoo having a munch on a pine tree and we watched as it playfully hopped from branch to branch enjoying a feed. Climbing up Bornholm Road, I left Aron to go at his own pace while I headed into the Karri trees that makes this feel a bit more special than the regular farmland we had been riding through this morning. Originally the plan was for Aron to dump his bikepacking gear around here as he had accommodation booked for tonight in this area but when I met him at the top of the hill, he had decided not to. As I was riding up to the top I saw a car that turned out to be the postwoman again and we both had a laugh as we waved at each other.
Near the summit I had spotted a couple of riders heading in the same direction as we were going but didn't quite catch up to them before I stopped to wait for Aron. From the corner of Bornholm and Rosedale Road you can look back and see the Wilson Inlet, plus some great views looking north towards the Porongurups. With the climb now over, we could cruise down the hill towards Torbay and while I occasionally stopped for photos, Aron powered on and caught up to the couple I had seen earlier. I eventually caught up too and they were locals just out for the day cycling between Youngs Siding and Torbay. We had a chat about our ride so far and how they were exploring the Munda Biddi in sections as we all rode along the flats towards Torbay. It's mostly uninteresting open farmland until you reach the end of Railway Road and follow the edge of Unnidup Creek, which resembles more of a drainage channel than a natural creek. It's much better than the previous 4km of road riding and eventually you reach a bridge over the creek that takes you to the Torbay Hall.
We said goodbye to the other riders and departed along the Torbay-Ellekar Rail Trail that for a while, has it's own markers. There are a few short walks in this area that I might have to come back and check out in late spring as the wildflowers when we rode through were already very impressive. Crossing Lower Denmark Road again, I noticed a sign pointing Munda Biddi riders in the opposite direction saying the trail was 1km to your left. Ignoring that as it was pretty clear you you were meant to go straight, I crossed the road and rode along the mowed grass that looks like an obvious rail form. Being able to see well into the distance as the green trail stretches out towards the horizon, I couldn't see Aron, which was odd. Stopping to photograph the cows that were hanging around what looked like a giant cemetery for old trucks and cars, I went to phone Aron to see where he was when something large collided with my back wheel. It was Aron, who had followed the sign and quickly realised that it wasn't the right way thanks to his app. Moving on, we enjoyed more flat riding as we traversed green fields and headed towards a lovely patch of Karri forest.
This forested stretch doesn't last long as you pop out into some open views but it doesn't take long before you are riding through a corridor of mixed vegetation. This section is also a bridle trail and I found it hilarious that they have tried to separate out riders and horse people by having them take different routes at certain points. Most of the time this involves one marker pointing a group into some thick scrub while the other enjoys the well formed pad. I enjoyed the riding through here as the She-Oaks were stunning thanks to the gnarled limbs providing a spooky feel and also impressive was the wildflowers. We made good time through here and when we popped out onto Lower Denmark Road again, I could feel a bit of rain on the air. Crossing the road and doing a short ride on the opposite side, you join it again just near the Ellekar General Store. With rain around and a break needed, we decided to head there for some hot chips and a beverage. This turned out to be a great decision because hot chips are always a great decision and it allowed us to break up the final section so it didn't feel rushed.
With 17km to go for the entire journey, we hopped back on the bikes and charged off to finish the Munda Biddi. Following Lower Denmark Road into the small settlement of Ellekar, we found the Munda Biddi trail head and then crossed the railway line. I had a laugh at a pile of gravel that someone had written with rocks "Get Out of My Sandwich" and I thought that was a sentiment that applies to life in general. Rather than riding on Lower Denmark Road, you follow a gravel road that runs parallel before eventually reaching the least enjoyable stretch of riding for the day. For a tick under 5km you have to ride along a busy section of Lower Denmark Road where there isn't a shoulder to ride on so you're at the whim of passing motorists to keep you safe. While not ideal, it is at least paved and you can scoot along at a decent pace. The road works towards the end made it a bit safer as everyone was forced down to 40kmph but it would be great if this was realigned in the future, possibly taking it south towards the Wind Farm and along the coast.
Reaching Robinson Road, I was happy to be off the busy road and riding along the back roads. It was night and day in terms of enjoyment with no traffic and plenty of thick boi Karris lining the road. This stretch is part of the Stidwell Bridle Trail and is an idyllic part of Albany thanks to the winding roads and beautiful Karri trees. It makes for a relaxing finish as you head towards Princess Royal Harbour. In my mind for some reason I imagined the Munda Biddi popping out onto the pavement along Princess Royal Harbour a bit further to the south so was a little miffed when not long after reaching the path, we were already at the old Woolstore Buildings. The entry into the familiar Albany scenery was a little abrupt and it would be cool if you cycled more of the Frenchman Bay path that would be much more enjoyable than walking it. Right before reaching the Woolstores, I spotted a familiar car with Aron's partner Jen having parked up to see us before we finished. Reaching the railway tracks that you must cross before the final push into town, we had one last climb to go before it was all over.
The bulk of it is on the narrow Carlisle Street that thanks to the high curbs, doesn't give much room for cars to safely pass. After holding up traffic a bit, we turned onto Grey Street for a much more pleasant run into town via the picturesque backstreets. With an elevated position I could see across to the Torndirrup Peninsula, home to many past adventures and Albany Port started to come into view. Following Grey Street all the way into town is a great way to finish as this is a very pretty part of Albany with all the heritage homes around. We reached York Street and made our final turn as we ventured up to the new Southern Terminus right outside the Albany Visitor Centre. 1065km in the bag and a complete end to end under the belt, what an experience. Jen was there waiting and many photos were taken as we soaked in the moment. Aron was awarded an official Munda Biddi medal for services rendered but Aron, Jen and Caris decided that I wouldn't enjoy one so I got a Munda Biddi marker fridge magnet instead. I would have loved a medal so was feeling like Chewbacca in A New Hope but maybe I'll order myself one now I'm finally finished writing these posts. The End.
Final Thoughts - I'm going to write a separate post with a collection of my thoughts on the whole experience so this will just be the typical end of post wrap-up.
Being the longest section of the whole Munda Biddi, this is actually one of the easiest thanks to the minimal amount of hills and long stretches on paved road or compact gravel road.
Although you don't get to see the wildness of the Albany coastline, as I said earlier, I'm not sure it would be a fun experience slogging it out in sandy dunes like the Bibbulmun Track does.
The scenery throughout the day is really enjoyable with the first section leading away from Denmark being a big highlight. I loved rolling through the open farmland at this time of year with enough corridors of vegetation to make it feel like you weren't too exposed all the time.
As finishes to long distance trails go, it's a pretty good one and I like how it's just one long 76km stretch linking two great towns.
Thanks to everyone who has read these posts, I know they're long winded to say the least but all the comments have been greatly appreciated.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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