Bibbulmun Balingup – Donnelly River Pack & Camp 3 Day Hike

The Bibbulmun (Bib) Track stretches 1003 kms from Kalamunda to Albany and is Western Australia's longest walking trail.

Join us for a 56 km multi-day hiking adventure from Balingup to Donnelly River and be totally immersed in the Southern Forests! Hiking from the Golden Valley Tree Park in Balingup, through the Jarrah forests of Greenbushes, across rolling hills to the Blackwood Valley
then finishing off this 3-day hiking adventure by trekking through the towering Karri trees into Donnelly River Valley.

You will experience parts of the South West of Western Australia that are only accessible on foot on this 4-day adventure off the beaten track in WA!

Itinerary:

Day 1 | (Departing 6:30)

Drive Day & Balingup - Blackwood Campsite (17.4km) 

After driving down to Balingup, we kick off our 3 days on the track by walking through the beautiful Golden Valley Tree Park as we leave the Balingup town center. You'll continue walking through rolling hills, alongside farmlands and down country roads before heading across the old tram line where the trail transitions to forest. After a short ascent, we will reach a lookout point and stop to admire the beautiful vistas and take in the serenity. We will then pass the Mt Jones Dam (a remnant of the Vultan Mine) before hiking through some more jarrah forest until the landscape opens up into beautiful rolling farmland with quaint farmhouses, grazing cows and a juvenile pine plantation in the distance. One last short steep climb between the plantations to the rim of the Blackwood River Valley and you'll reach the Blackwood Campsite. As we enjoy a hearty hot dinner, we'll reminisce day one of our big adventure and watch the sun set at arguably one of the best locations along the Bibbulmun Track.

Day 2 |  

Blackwood Campsite - Gregory Brook Campsite (18.2 km)

Our second day on the track commences with a steep descent down 'Cardiac Hill' into the Blackwood River Valley. After passing the historic Southampton Homestead, we'll enjoy a gentle stroll along the river banks to the Southampton Bridge. This is a beautiful spot to sit and reflect on the journey so far whilst you take a small break before the climbing starts. The climb will be well worth it as the views you'll get from the top are breathtaking! The trail transitions with the introduction of old railway formations with thick lush undergrowth and a flatter gradient, making the rest of today's journey quite gentle. Through the trees, you'll spot Millstream Dam, which supplies water to the town of Bridgetown.

As you near Gregory Brook, the Jarrah/Marri forest becomes much more dense. Just south of Wetherly Road, you'll encounter your first Karri trees—a beautiful majestic eucalypt—along this section of the Bibbulmun. The forest changes again with the typical southern Jarrah forest understory featuring tassel bush, water bush, soap bush and the very pretty tree hovea.Nestled deep in the forest is the Gregory Brook shelter, your home for the evening!

Day 3 | 

Gregory Brook Campsite - Donnelly River Village (22.5km)

Today you'll be completely immersed in the majestic Karri forest from about 3km into your hike. The thick Karri, Marri, and Jarrah forest is absolutely superb and the thick understory with blooming wildflowers is just breathtaking! You will soon reach a spur trail that takes you to Karri Gully, a great spot to stop and take a break. Following the old Willow Bridge formation, the track enters a deep dark forest where you'll cross many gullies on little wooden bridges, giving it a very enchanted feel. 

As we reach Willow Springs (an old mill that is now a picnic site), the scenery gets better and better. You'll feel like you are hiking through an endless maze of gullies, fallen moss covered trees, tall karri trees and colourful undergrowth throughout this section, so we'll take is slow to appreciate it in all its glory! The final stretch into Donnelly River follows a series of 4x4 tracks that provide the perfect opportunity to admire the size of the Karri Forrest. Before you know it, you'll be greeted by friendly emus and kangaroos - signifying you have
completed Day 3 and your Balingup Multi-Day Hiking Experience along the Bibbulmun Track!

After a hot shower, we'll enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal and celebrate our adventure together before sleeping in a comfortable bed at Donnelly River Village. 

Day 4 | (Arrive back in Perth by 2pm)

Check out & drive back to Perth

After 3 days on the Bibbulmun Track and hiking an impressive 58 kms, you will be picked up and can relax as we drive you back to Perth. You will feel empowered and invigorated, with plenty of amazing memories and stories to tell!

Pricing

Hike Experience Package: $895pp

Hike Experience + Overnight Equipment Kit Hire: $995pp

Experience Includes:

3 x days of guided hiking

2 x nights camping at Bibbulmun Track shelters

1 x night accommodation at Donnelly River Village

OTBT Overnight Hiking Kit Hire

Transport from Perth to Balingup

Transport from Donnelly River back to Perth

2 x trail breakfasts

3 x trail lunches

2 x trail dinners 

1 x home-cooked celebration dinner

1 x home-cooked breakfast

Trail snacks for each day

Sea to Summit Premium Aeros pillow - yours to keep!

Information session

Access to all OTBT photographs

50% discount on OTBT Endurance Hikes (training)

Individual Equipment Hire Available:

65ltr backpack

1 person tent

2 person tent (to share with a pal)

Sea to Summit sleeping mat

Stove & Pot set

Or make life easy and hire the full Overnight Hiking Kit which includes the below (pricing as per above):

OTBT Overnight Hiking Kit

Hiking poles

Own tent (or shared if preferred)

Sleeping mat

65lt backpack

Hiking stove with gas

Lightweight pot set

Mug, Bowl, Spoon

Head torch

Water purification tablets

Dry sack for food storage

Dry sack for clean clothes storage

Departing from: 6:30am Cockburn Central Train Station, 'The Siding' pick up area, Junction Boulevard, Cockburn. Please arrive 6:15am ready for a 6:30am departure.

Upon registration, you will be issued with a client information pack which contains a training plan, packing list, copy of itinerary and other useful information.

Fitness Level: A medium level of fitness is required for these hikes. You do not need to have overnight hiking experience, however it is advantageous to have done at least one overnight hiker before embarking on a multi-day journey. We will guide you through the packing and preparation and even assist you with some training suggestions. During the hike, we will be going at a pace where we will enjoy the journey as well as the destination.

Off The Beaten Track WA provide a trained and experienced Lead Guide for their hikes, carry two-way communication devices, a personal location beacon and is a fully licensed, insured and accredited tourism business aiming to provide hiking experiences with a twist!

To view other Off The Beaten Track WA events and tours please click here!