Wadandi Track North
Busselton to Yallingup Siding
Directions - The trail head is located right near the Busselton Jetty, about 2.5 hours from Perth. Driving along Bussell Highway, take the right turn at the roundabout for Causeway Road and follow this towards the foreshore as it becomes Queen Street. Take a right at Marine Terrace and turn left into one of the many car park servicing the Busselton Foreshore. The official trail head is located to the west of Equinox Restaurant, look for the series of cube shaped information boards.
The Ride - Busselton is not the first place you think of when it comes to trails but this large holiday town on the shores of Port Geographe has a lot going for it in other ways. The big attraction is the recently renovated Busselton Jetty and foreshore area that is now home to a brewery, several cafes, restaurants and a large playground/grassed area for families to use. It also happens to be the northern end of the Wadandi Track, an incomplete old rail trail that stretches 108km from Busselton all the way to Augusta. Many trail enthusiasts will be aware of the section of trail that runs between Cowaramup and Witchcliffe (previously named the Rails to Trails) but there is another small 16.5 km section that is open running between Busselton and the Carbanup River.
With my podcast partner joining Rail Trails Australia as a WA representative, he was keen to cycle the northern section of the Wadandi Track and see how far we could get until we lost even just a basic idea of where it would have existed. Plans were made to tackle this in October 2021 and the plan being that we would meet at Busselton Jetty, cycle the first part to a predetermined location where Alissa would pick us up and then drop us off at Cowaramup to tackle the southern section. Donovan was running lead on this one so I just had to get myself to Busselton Jetty with my bike and enjoy what would be an excellent day of riding through the South West. Waking up super early for the long drive from Fremantle to Busselton, it was forecast to be a pretty perfect day and I was excited for a late season adventure with my mate. Having just completed the Munda Biddi the month before, my bike fitness would be much better than our previous rail trail experience on the Kep Track, so it would just be a case of enjoying the journey. Having spent a few holidays in Busselton at the Broadwater Resort when I was younger, we never really ventured to this side of town so I was keen to see what it was like after many years away.
I arrived a bit before Donovan and Alissa so grabbed my camera and headed towards the jetty to take some photos of the stunning morning. The calm waters of Geographe Bay were looking a treat and the various shades of blue combined with the white accents of the jetty made for a pleasing visual. With the jetty offering some great snorkeling and diving, I have plans over the summer to return and enjoy the marine life that call the pylons home. Donovan messaged me when he arrived so I headed back to my car to get everything sorted before meeting him near the official trail head. It was nice to see the trail head given a bit of investment with some information cubes suggesting that the trail is being taken seriously (there are plans to complete the full 108km trail sometime in the future). Saying goodbye to Alissa, we headed off along the foreshore bike path and enjoyed the great views over the bay and passed plenty of people out making the most of their Saturdays. The path is a nice way to start and pretty representative of what it would be like for the ride towards Vasse. Donovan was in charge of navigation and was aware the Busselton Health Campus was the turning point for us heading inland. Unfortunately the campus isn't visible from the coast path so we sailed straight past it after crossing the bridge over one of the many drainage channels.
We almost made it to Broadwater Resort before Donovan decided to stop and check out Google Maps, confirming that we had missed the turn by a good 3.5km. It wasn't a bad thing given how nice the coast path was to ride but it was a little annoying that the trail is not signed once you leave the trail head. The turn you are looking for is Mill Road and as we arrived back, a danger noodle had decided to cross the road in front of us. Snapping a couple of quick photos, we then headed along the right path until we reached a set of traffic lights. With our earlier mishap, Donovan wanted to make sure we headed the right way from here and it was determined that crossing Bussell Highway and into EW (Moose) Kingston Reserve would yield satisfactory outcomes for the ride. After a short path, we were presented with a narrow gravel corridor that very much looked like an old rail trail so we were happy. Riding through the flowering Peppermint trees was great as I always associate this region of WA with these fragrant trees. There was also a good collection of wildflowers along the edge of the trail with Wattle, Pink Fairy Orchids and Rose Scented Geranium in bloom. The rail trail ended as we reached Fairway Drive as it made sense to use the road bridge over the wetlands instead of building a custom bridge for cyclists.
We would continue along the edge of the road until we reach the Busselton Bypass, where a purpose built path running parallel to the busy road was waiting for us. While you could hear the traffic noise and occasionally see the road, there as some remnant bush in-between that blocked out some of the distractions, providing a thin illusion of nature. After taking a 7km diversion, we used this stretch as a good place to pick up the pace, stopping occasionally to photograph some 28s in a dead tree and to photograph one of the prettier waterway crossings (ignoring the Arum Lily infestations). Reaching the end of the path, we continued along what looked like an old rail trail but soon realised we were meant to cross the Bypass before the roundabout. Popping out at a proper crossing, we could see the new developments around Vasse and this may be the only time a McDonalds is shown on my website as most trails on here aren't in built up areas. After crossing the Bypass, we continued along the path and came across the first official Wadandi Track sign that proved they existed. Crossing Northerly Street we reached a very nice park that contains some public art in the form of a sculpture and railway lines, a good sign we were on the right track, so to speak.
Continuing on, this area has been heavily developed into a new suburb and it had the exposed feel of one of the newer suburbs of Perth, with no trees around and just another heat island. We rode through here pretty quickly as it had very little aesthetic appeal and only really faffed about as Donovan investigated a road that led to Vasse-Yallingup Siding Road, a road that we would follow later on. Reaching the end of that road we were perplexed as to where the trail continued and after lifting our bikes over a wooden fence, Donovan spotted a sign pointing the way, which required us to lift the bikes over once again. As it turned out we should have continued straight along the original path but no harm done in checking out the way we came. Crossing the Vasse Bypass, we could see the path heading along a typical rail formation into a section of forest that look much more appealing than a cookie-cutter housing development. The path eventually gave way to compacted gravel and this was starting to feel much more natural, even if the forest was just a thin strip bordering the rail trail with expansive farms on either side. After spotting a lovely piece of gratuitous public art in the form of graffiti on the side of an electrical box, we reached the end of the 16.5km open northern section. The old rail bridge over the Carbanup River is in disrepair and so until further investment is made into the Wadandi Track, this is where the ride ends...but not for us.
Donovan wanted to survey where the old railway alignment was and get an idea of how much work would be involved to complete the full 108km. This meant a lot of road riding for the next 15km so photos were limited as the tiny space on the edge of Vasse-Yallingup Siding Road wasn't safe enough to stop on with passing traffic. Unfortunately it became quite clear that the surrounding farmland had encroached over the old rail formation and in places it will require a path right along the edge of the road or reclaiming land from farmers. Stopping every now and then when we found a wide driveway that would allow us to see if the old rail form was evident, it was becoming clear that a lot of work will need to be done to complete this section at least. Reaching the end of Vasse-Yallingup Siding Road (after a sustained climb), we had to find the rail form to continue on, as the T-Junction meant following the road was not an option. We eventually found it with a Road Closed blocking the way and despite being horribly overgrown, at least it was an obvious continuation of the rail form. It wasn't long before we had reached Yallingup Siding Road and then Blythe Road, with the gravel and tarmac making for easy touring. Alissa was waiting for us just past the Furniture Gallery and this last stretch was really enjoyable thanks to the nice forest and wildflower display. Packing the bikes up, we both agreed that there was plenty of work to be done and it wouldn't be easy without turning it into a road ride. Next stop was Cowaramup for part two of the days riding.
Final Thoughts – With extensive logging throughout Western Australia, there are hundreds, if not thousands of old rail formations dotting the landscape. A few still exist as rail trails with many more forming parts of the Munda Biddi but there is potential for plenty more to be reclaimed.
The Wadandi Track represents an opportunity for not only a recreational trail but a fun commuter trail, as it is being used for people travelling between Cowaramup, Margaret River and Witchcliffe.
This northern section still has a lot of work to be done and some of the riding around the Bypass areas and new suburbs isn't exactly immersing yourself in nature but with the amount of development going on around Busselton, this was never going to be the case.
I hope the two shires responsible for the trail (Augusta-Margaret River and Busselton) plus other parties like Main Roads can sort out the unfinished parts so the full 108km is rideable.
It would be a great single day or overnight ride, perhaps more if there were detours off it to various wineries and food producers. For now it is still an enjoyable ride, although the 16.5km northern section has a long way to go.
Get out there and experience it!
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