Join us on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure hiking some of the best sections of the Bibbulmun Track on Western Australia’s rugged and pristine south coast over 6 days with expert guiding, waterfront accommodation and delicious catering!

Our Bibbulmun Track 6-Day "Walpole Wilderness Experience" is a tailor-made, guided itinerary based at Walpole on Western Australia's pristine south coast - a 4.5-hour drive south of Perth. This 6-day, 5-night adventure is set in a vast and wild landscape with tranquil forests, imposing granite peaks, peaceful rivers, wetlands and breathtaking beaches. It is also home to 400-year-old majestic tingle forests, which occur nowhere else in the world! Your adventure includes stunning and wild landscape, physical challenge, new friendships, great accommodation and delicious catering.

If you’ve hiked the Cape to Cape Track with Cape To Cape Explorer Tours and loved what we do, this is the next adventure for you! Our sister operation Bibbulmun Explorer Tours has the same amazing focus on quality adventures for groups.

Plus, you’ll be hiking with our professional, local guides who have extensive knowledge and experience interpreting the natural beauty of the Track. They know and love the amazing flora and fauna of the region; its fascinating indigenous and colonial past; the geology and marine environment; and the local characters who call this rugged corner of the globe home.

Daily hikes range from 10-15km across a variety of terrain. And the experience includes some of Walpole’s most famous attractions. Marvel at the canopy of the tingle forest from a bird’s eye view as you tackle the Valley Of The Giants Tree Top Walk. And hit the estuarine waters with a WOW Wilderness Ecocruise, run by local legend Gary Muir.

DURATION: 6 days / 5 nights package 

DISTANCES: Approx 50km, walking 10-15km per day on 4 hiking days

DIFFICULTY: Moderate 

ACCOMMODATION: You’ll stay in comfortable 4-star accommodation at Coalmine Beach Holiday Park on the calm banks of the Nornalup Inlet, surrounded by five national parks. Sleep in your choice of either an ensuite studio cabin or a luxury glamping tent with queen bed and private ensuite. Please note, when booking your tour, choose from either a cabin or glamping tent under the "Extras" page. You’ll return to the same amazing accommodation each night without the need to pack up and move each day.

FOOD: Enjoy delicious catering including healthy breakfasts, fresh and tasty Track lunches, and comforting dinners including some meals out at the region’s most loved restaurants. And you’ll only need to hike with a day pack, while we sort out daily Track transfers and all the logistics!

LOCATION: The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world’s great long distance walk trails, stretching 1000km from Kalamunda, a suburb in the hills on the outskirts of Perth, to the historic town of Albany on the south coast. It passes through the heart of the scenic south west of Western Australia.

The Track is for walkers only and is signposted with yellow triangular markers symbolising the Waugal, the rainbow serpent of the Aboriginal Dreaming. We’ve hand-picked some of the most spectacular sections to hike based out of Walpole, covering a total of approximately 50km in four days of hiking.

BOOKING DETAILS: The itinerary will remain flexible to ensure you safely and comfortably experience the best of the Bibbulmun – and get everything you wish for from your holiday. We request a 30% deposit to confirm the booking and secure accommodation. Final payment is required 4 weeks before the trip commences. Please note, if COVID-19 travel restrictions or lockdowns affect your trip, flights or ability to participate in a trip that you have booked, you will get free rescheduling to a later date or a full refund. Read more about our terms and conditions here.

WHY HIKE THE BIBBULMUN  WITH US: At Bibbulmun Explorer Tours we pride ourselves on creating the highest quality Bibbulmun Track experience available. We are the Bib specialists!

We support the Track and our community. Our guides and staff invested in the future of the area, are professionally trained and have an intimate knowledge of the region, not to mention a passion for walking.

We deliver personalised and quality service – a fun, healthy holiday with great food, accommodation, company, scenery and a wonderful sense of accomplishment! Your safety and satisfaction is our priority and our attention to detail and love of looking after all the ‘little things’ has led to many repeat customers and glowing reviews. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the natural wonders of the region with you!

Plus, safety is our priority and our fully-trained guides carry first aid and emergency communications equipment should they be needed.

INCLUSIONS:

– 4 x days fully-guided walking, with full emergency support: trained guides carry first aid and communications equipment.

– all vehicle transfers between the Track, local attractions and your accommodation each day.

– 5 x nights accommodation in either a cabin with ensuite or glamping tent with ensuite.

– Catering with a focus on fresh and healthy food, using local produce and exploring the foodie delights of the region.

– 1 x supply box with a great variety of items for fresh and tasty daily breakfasts. Items depend on availability and seasonality, but include our in-house muesli blend; eggs and breakfast items such as mushrooms, spinach and cherry tomatoes; yoghurt, fresh fruit and locally-sourced bread; tea and coffee.

– 4 x lunches, including freshly prepared nutritious rolls or wraps, and track snacks including morning tea each day (lunch on arrival and departure days is not included).

– 5 x evening meals, some at local restaurants and others prepared by our in-house catering company.

– Beach-side wine tasting of local wine and cheese board.

– Entry into the Valley Of The Giants Tree Top Walk and your ticket on the WOW Walpole Ecocruise

– Photos taken throughout the week by your guides will be transferred via Dropbox with a link to the trip photos.

– Bibbulmun Track completion certificate.

– All planning, logistical, administrative and on-ground support, including intimate knowledge of weather patterns and Track conditions.

GETTING THERE AND AWAY:

Driving: Walpole and Coalmine Beach Holiday Park is a 410km drive south-east of Perth, taking approximately 4hr 40mins. If you live in Perth or surrounds, we recommend self-driving to Walpole. Or book a hire car from one of the many operators including Budget, Thrifty, Hertz or Avis located in both Perth City and Perth Airport. Approximate cost is around $300 for 5 days in a basic hire car. If driving from Perth Airport, use Tonkin Hwy/State Route 4 from Brearley Ave and Dunreath Dr and then take State Route 2 and National Route 1 to Coalmine Beach Rd in Walpole.

Public Transport: TransWA operate a train and bus combination to Walpole taking approximately 7 hours (approx. $75 one way or $150 return). Check the Transwa Timetable for the latest times and prices. Saturday departures leave Perth Train Station via train at 9.30am, arriving at Bunbury Passenger Terminal at 11.55am; then depart Bunbury Passenger Terminal via bus at 12pm and arrive at Walpole Visitor Centre at 4.27pm, in time for the welcome barbecue and beginning of your tour. For the return journey at the end of your adventure on a Thursday, you'll depart at 10.18am from Walpole by bus and arrive at Perth Train Station by train at 5.15pm. If you are travelling to or from Perth Airport, there is a free shuttle bus linking the airport and Perth Train Station, or a taxi is also an option.

Please note, if you are arriving in Walpole by bus please advise us in advance so we can pick you up at Walpole Visitor Centre. If you have completed the Cape to Cape Track in Margaret River with us and are going straight on to a Bibbulmun adventure the same day, we can offer a free ride in our shuttle bus to Walpole. If you are flying into or out of Busselton Airport for your Bibbulmun adventure, we can pick you up or drop you off (an airport transfer fee is payable).

HIKING ITINERARY:

Day 1: Arrival Day and group barbecue.

Make your own way to the Walpole region, 410km south of Perth, and check in at Coalmine Beach Holiday Park. Relax and unwind for the afternoon. We recommend becoming familiar with the surrounds and completing the 5km Knoll Drive self-guided walk (or various optional easy self-guided walks accessed from the holiday park) through beautiful karri forest on the banks of the Nornalup Inlet. Just ask the friendly staff at Coalmine Beach Holiday Park or check the map on your printed itinerary for more details. Then, meet at the camp kitchen area at 6pm (near the luxury tents) at 6pm where your guides will introduce themselves, discuss the adventures ahead, and give you the opportunity to introduce yourself to the group while getting to know your fellow walkers. Your guides will cook a delicious barbecue dinner with fresh salads and dessert. And you will receive a hamper packed with all your breakfast and track snack needs for the duration of your experience. 

Day 2: Coalmine Beach-Walpole loop plus river cruise. 10.5km.

Prepare your breakfast from your supplied hamper and hop on our bus for a transfer to John Rate Lookout. Named after a district forester who discovered a new species on tingle tree, the lookout offers great views over Walpole and the coastline you will be hiking. Set out on your first taste of Bibbulmun Track with a 6.5km downhill walk into Walpole township, finishing at the beautiful Nornalup Inlet. Here, we join local legend Gary Muir for a 2-hour WOW Wilderness Ecocruise (you’ll even see your accommodation from the water during the trip). Tuck into a tasty picnic lunch waiting for you on the banks of the inlet after the cruise. In the afternoon, hike on the Bibbulmun Track for 4km along the shores of the inlet, walking into your accommodation. Enjoy a hearty dinner prepared at your accommodation.

Day 3: Tingle forest experience with Tree Top Walk. 10-12km.

Enjoy breakfast from your supply hamper and get ready to experience the magic of the tingle forest! We walk out of our accommodation on the Bibbulmun Track for an exhilarating 7km – it’s mostly uphill but the spectacular views are worth every step. Stop at several look-outs for plenty of Instagram moments. Plunge into the forest, stopping at the Giant Tingle Tree. It’s a towering red tingle tree hollowed out by fire with the widest base of any known eucalyptus tree in the world! Enjoy another delicious lunch under the forest canopy. Then, it’s on to the Valley Of The Giants Tree Top Walk. This world-renowned attraction is a 600m walkway soaring 40m into the tree tops, with more excellent walking trails on the ground meandering among the tingles. On the way home, we stop for an early diner at family-run Nornabar, a beautiful restaurant right on the Franklin River whose Sri Lankan chefs do a mean curry as well as a fabulous selection of Mediterranean and western cuisine.

Day 4: Bush to beach – and a swim. 15km.

After breakfast at Coalmine Beach and a short bus ride back to the Valley Of The Giants, we’re back on the Bibbulmun Track where we left off yesterday. Today’s hike is 15km, walking out of the magical tingle forest (mostly downhill!) to Conspicious Cliff, home to unspoiled beach, limestone cliffs and granite headlands. Enjoy lunch on the Track while taking in the epic coastal scenery, with the option for a swim to cap off the day. Before departing Conspicuous Cliff, enjoy a beach-side wine tasting of local wine and cheese board. Relax back at the accommodation and sit down to a tasty dinner prepared for you.

Day 5: Walking by the seaside – with fish and chips. 15km.

Breakfast and morning transfer back to Conspicious Cliff, where we hike by the seaside on the Bibbulmun Track through a series of gorgeous bays and over stunning granite headlands. Hugging the coast for a total of 15km, we finish at the aptly-named Peaceful Bay. Enjoy lunch on the Track and then tuck into a sunset seafood dinner at the fabulous Peaceful Bay Fish n Chips restaurant.

Day 6: Departure day.

Wake up, enjoy breakfast and check out of your accommodation. Head home or continue your exploration of the south coast. We highly recommend exploring these additional ‘self-guided walks’ on your way home: the Sawbrick Art Loop (500m interactive art loop); the newly installed Mt Frankland viewing platform (1.2km return); Fernhook Falls (1km boardwalk loop along river and waterfalls). Please refer to your printed itinerary for maps and further details. Note: these stops are on the way back to Perth, so if you're heading in that direction the three locations are on your way!