Day 4: Helena to Waalegh
We acknowledge the Nyoongar People as the traditional custodians of the land and waters along the Bibbulmun Track
A spectacular sunrise, with mist drifting up from the valleys. What a sight to wake up to!
Today’s walk in red.
Walk details for the day. Use the Bibbulmun Track Foundation Map 1 The Darling Range
Geoff’s just-boil-water poha breakfast: a mixture of rice flakes, nuts, peas, spices and fried onions. Here’s the recipe.
Edged with wildflowers, the track is once again nearly all easy underfoot...
Hakea trifurcata
Fields of white myrtle (Hypocalymma angustifolium), alive with the hum of native bees.
…Until we descend amongst the granite outcrops. Just wow. The track is rocky here but not at all difficult or too steep.
Chapman’s Spider (Caladenia chapmanii) tucked amongst the granite.
I can identify most orchids to genus level, but every orchid species seen thus far is new. Plant nuts will understand how exciting this is: the walk becomes a treasure hunt! And hours of fun with books later, after the trip and when we reach a town.
A few fungi still hanging on. ID welcomed!
Numerous perfect vignettes like this everywhere you look. Here, yellow Acacia drummondii and blue Cyanicula sericea
It’s surprising how many fungi are hanging on. Of course I know none of them. This hike would be equally wonderful in autumn.
Time for a rest and a snack on the forestry track bridge. We’re not worried about traffic: there hasn’t been a single vehicle since we began hiking.
The wandoo grows on the driest, stoniest hillsides. This section would be punishing in summer. Temperatures so far have been perfect for hiking in the mid teens (15C).
And another fabulous spot for lunch. Boiling the billy for soup and crackers.
Coral Pea, Kennedia coccinea forms spectacular red blankets over shrubs.
The aptly named honeypots (Dryandra lindleyana) growing at ground level, and pollinated by birds and small animals rather than insects.
Thelymitra antennifera, the Scented Sun Orchid, one of the few species that also occurs in South Australia.
An exceptionally muddy echidna pretending he’s not there. If you stay very still, they’ll eventually waddle off. Their eyesight is very poor and sometimes they’ll walk right up to you before reaching your shoe and realising that you’re not a tree!
And at last to Waalegh Hut. It’s situated on a rounded spur knob between two valleys, with views to the east, north and west. You can see someone’s silnylon tent hanging to dry.
DCF tents like our Triplex do have some disadvantages, but we never, ever, have to do this. DCF wipes completely dry with a microfibre cloth so you don’t have to carry a heavy, wet tent. On a hiking forum, someone weighed their unwiped wet Triplex tent and it was 800 grams heavier!
There’s that view from the hut, and a little bench near the edge for an even better vista. It’s glorious. Also to the right some makeshift seating around the firepit. Very congenial!
Plenty of wildflowers around the campsite. Verticordia is in late bud – it will be spectacular in a week but, in the meantime, there’s this White Banjine (Pimelia ciliata).
The campsites are once again excellent, but you’ll need rocks – the granite is at or just below the surface. You can see our sleep system: we strap Neoair Xtralites together, then sleep in individual silk bags under a twin quilt.
It has been another excellent day. Tiring, but good-tired, rather than exhausted-tired. Geoff has plenty of energy, especially now our packs are getting a bit lighter. Sticking to the plan has paid off!
