Munda Biddi Trail (WA) - Bidjar Ngoulin to Lake Brockman

Day 7 of the Munda Biddi Trail, this section takes cyclists from Bidjar Ngoulin hut to the shores of Lake Brockman. Heading uphill from the hut and through the Nanga Rd tunnel, most of the day is spent through areas burnt in the  Waroona Fires and scarred by Alcoa's mining operations. With largely downhill gradients and a strong finish at Lake Brockman/Logue Brook Dam as saving graces, this is nevertheless the worst day of the Munda Biddi

Distance: 34.85 km (one way)

Gradient: Some undulating areas with some moderate climbs, though with extended descents and sections of flat track

Quality of Path: Mix of vehicle tracks with some single track

Quality of Signage: Generally well signed at almost all trail junctions, though poorly marked along Zig Zag Rd

Experience Required: Mountain Biking experience recommended

Time: 3-4 Hours

Steps: None, this is a bike trail

Best Time to Visit: All Year; but the South West of WA is always best from August-October
Date(s) Completed: 16th May, 2020 (Bidjar Ngoulin to Nanga Rd Tunnel), 1st June, 2020 (Nanga Rd Tunnel to Lake Brockman)
Entry Fee: No

Getting There: No direct access to Bidjar Ngoulin. Car access points can be located at Nanga Rd and Lake Brockman. Note that roads have been heavily modified by the mining operations so take care travelling between pick up points.

After checking out the campsite at Bidjar Ngoulin, a couple of other riders showed up at the hut. The two guys were staying overnight given that the COVID-19 restrictions had been lifted for overnight camping (although regional travel bans being lifted was still a couple of days away). It was interesting hearing about their own experiences jumping between the Bibbulmun Track and Munda Biddi, and our shared observations of how the adrenaline aspect of cycling can make the more boring sections more enjoyable. I didn't realise it at the time, but this conversation would be extremely prescient given the scenery I would encounter from Bidjar Ngoulin to Lake Brockman.

Leaving the hut behind and on the main trail, the Munda Biddi continues on the North Junction/King Jarrah Form. This stretch of the trail was sadly within the Waroona Fire zone, and while four years have past it will take many more years to return to its former glory. Some people really enjoy the 'green jumper' look of epicormic bud growth, but to me it is a rather unattractive and messy look that is no where near as nice as pristine forest.

Apparently the original alignment of the Munda Biddi used to continue along the King Jarrah Form for a bit longer, however it is now within Alcoa's mining operations and has necessitated a permanent reroute.

Just before passing a bridge, the track passes some kind of electrical power panel. It made me wonder if this was a gauging station or some kind of surveillance device, however it must have been destroyed by the fire given the somewhat melted nature of the panel.

Part of the untidiness of post-fire Jarrah forest comes from the dense understory that forms due to the lack of a canopy. The creek that the trail crosses was entirely choked with dense scrub, and I was thankful that I at least didn't have to push through it to get to the other side of the bridge.

The next stretch of the trail was a mix of steep uphill cycling and getting off and pushing through some of the more rutted sections. It really is such a shame that the forest here was so severely burnt by the bushfire; if it was anything like what is closer to Dwellingup, this would have at least been good quality Jarrah forest, but instead the scenery only made the slog all the more unenjoyable.

At least I was only loaded with my top tube bag and a half-filled seat pack, as this would have been even less fun with my full bikepacking setup.

While it felt like a lot longer, the ascent thankfully only lasted about 15 minutes before levelling out for some easy going riding, which unfortunately was through more burnt Jarrah forest. From here, the trail continues along some well formed single track that runs parallel to Nanga Rd.

One of the day's main features a small tunnel that the Munda Biddi travels through. This tunnel passes though an elevated mining truck road, and interestingly features a bicycle lane in what is otherwise a one way road.

This is a tunnel Alissa and I have driven through many times while doing the Bibbulmun Track, as Nanga Rd joins onto the Driver Rd access point between Murray and Dookanelly campsites. This was also my pickup point for the daty, with Alissa waiting for me on the other side of the tunnel as I completed my day ride from Dwellingup. The reopening of regional boundaries saw me skip ahead to my first overnight at Jinung Beigabup over the next weekend, with Alissa dropping me back off on the other side of the tunnel two weeks later to complete the rest of the day to Lake Brockman.

This was the weekend after Perth had its once-in-a-decade mega storm, and I was expecting to see fallen trees along the way. Only 1mm of rain was forecast for the area on my day of riding, and it was nice and sunny when I first arrived. All the rain from the week was still very much evident however, and within the first kilometres the dense understory on the slightly overgrown trail meant my legs, socks and shoes were absolutely drenched. I was very glad to be wearing my rainproof and windproof shell.

While overgrown and very much burnt, I was actually enjoying getting drenched as I sped along the fast single track, and then the Munda Biddi briefly joined Nanga Rd itself. I have no idea why it joins the road at this stage given it immediately links onto a side vehicle track shortly after, and to make matters worse the road section is also across the way from the day's first major visible sign of the impact of bauxite mining to the forests of the Lane Poole area. The mining-related forest clearing that can be seen from Mts Cuthbert, Vincent and Cooke are an eyesore compared to what was once a really beautiful view, however the impact on the Bibbulmun Track is insignificant compared to what can be encountered on the Munda Biddi. While a panoramic photograph, this photo does not quite capture the extent of the clearing which stretched on to the left of the photograph and into the distance. Given my bicycle is made from aluminium, it would be hypocritical to be completely against any mining of bauxite; we're all complicit in this and at the end of the day I'm much less opposed to it than coal mining. However when you combine it with the impacts of mega bushfires and logging on the already severely compromised Jarrah forests of the South West, the combined threats to the Jarrah forest are catastrophic. 

Leaving the mining-scarred clearing, I continued along Munda Biddi as it followed an old vehicle track. While I don't particularly love burnt Jarrah forest given the tree's rough bark remains blackened and scarred for years and years after a fire, it was at least an improvement on cleared forest and the gentle gradients made for easy and enjoyable riding.

Along this stretch I encountered the first tree that would have fallen over during the week's storms. Luckily it was not particularly so was not too much of a challenge to climb over with my bike, and I was again thankful for not having my full bikepacking setup.

When you look at the map, the Munda Biddi currently does a weird circuitous loop east before returning to a more southerly direction. This is due to a recent realignment off Nanga Rd, which was likely both to the unpleasantness of cycling along a road with a lot of four wheel drive traffic and due to Alcoa's future mining expansion plans.

The next stretch of the Munda Biddi goes right through Alcoa's mining area, following gated vehicle tracks that intersect the more significant hauling roads.

Initially, this provided some fun and fast cycling even if the scenery was not particularly special. The trail here is mostly downhill and straightforward so it was nice to pedal infrequently as gravity did most of the work.

It wasn't all downhill however, as there were some short sharp section of uphill cycling that was thankfully made easier by the rain having compacted down all the pea gravel.

While mostly on vehicle tracks, there were some stretches that looked like Alcoa had maybe sent out some of their staff to cut some single track through their mining lease.

This was the least they could do really when you see just how intense their operations are. I knew from DBCA's alerts that there was a lot of activity going on through this area, but I was staggered by the massive, seemingly four lane wide roads that they are cutting through the forest. While I understand they are built for haul trucks, the size of the clearing is hideous and makes for rather dispiriting cycling. It is so bad it makes Marron Rd - the nadir of the Bibbulmun Track and my sworn hiking nemesis - look like Cradle Mountain by comparison.

While more ugly than Marron Rd, at least the cycling made it more fun than that Bibbulmun Track trudge. Neverthless this was far from the 'world-class, nature-based, off-road cycling experience' that the Munda Biddi is marketed as, and I was really hoping the worst of it was behind me.

Because mining impacts and severe bushfire scarring wasn't enough for the day, the track also crosses a powerline road, although I was saddened to discover it wasn't the Powerline Rd famous for being seen along the Bibbulmun Track at both Brookton and Albany Highways. I needn't have been too disheartened however, as I would be cycling along the one true Powerline Rd in one of the upcoming sections.

Most of the time, the Munda Biddi turns onto a broader road when it needs to cross a river or creek of some kind and then quickly returns to a narrower vehicle or single track section shortly thereafter. As such, I was confused when I turned onto the broad Zig Zag Rd. There was a severe lack of markers at the junction, and yet it seemed like I had to continue onwards along the road for some distance. I ended up pulling over to check the map and confirmed that I was indeed meant to travel on Zig Zag Rd for some distance. Later I would realise that someone had the bright idea to paint the white reflector poles yellow to denote 'this is the Munda Biddi!' but it was such an opaque gesture given that it just looked like a white reflector that had been yellowed by the Sun!

More confusion ensued as I turned a corner and descended to a culvert crossing over a gully. The road had clearly been cut wider and deeper recently, but someone didn't think to take down a Munda Biddi-related sign on the track high above or allow easy access to it. I tried climbing up the bank but it was so steep and soft I realised this couldn't possibly be right. I would later realise this was the side trip to the Willowdale Arboretum which is currently closed due to fire damage.

Passing a clearing still smouldering from wood burning, the trail heads uphill along Zig Zag Rd while passing a lot of construction vehicles parked along the road. At this point I worked out that the yellow posts were painted and not just naturally jaundiced, so I followed them uphill through a continually repulsive corridor of burnt, disfigured trees and freshly bulldozed road.

Nearing the top of a hill, the appearance of an actual Munda Biddi marker was a comforting sign. At this point the Munda Biddi leaves the worst of the mining road construction, although it offers one final view of the new road network that is still being made.

Just when I thought I was done with Alcoa's contribution to the day's scenery, crossing over one final two lane wide road served as a finale to this unpleasant chapter of the Munda Biddi.

Needless to say, I was extremely pleased when the Munda Biddi veered off the road and once again followed a narrow trail rather than the broad roads I'd been on since joining Zig Zag Rd. It was still entirely through severely burnt forest, but by this stage Stockholm Syndrome had set in and I was willing to accept only having to deal with severely burnt forest as a generous, merciful gift.

With all the navigational confusion due to the mining impacts, I had forgotten that the Munda Biddi was running concurrently with the Waterous Trail, which it had since the North Junction Form in the previous section. Cyclists on the Waterous Trail would have been even more confused as I hadn't seen a Waterous marker for a very long time. Not long after turning onto the narrow trail, the Waterous Trail said farewell to the Munda Biddi as it made its way back west along the loop.

While the scenery was far from premium, the riding was at least enjoyable. The generally downhill trend meant I was able to put away the kilometres fairly speedily - a vast improvement from the slow and unexciting riding on Zig Zag Rd.

I was stopped in my tracks by some interesting signs along this stretch of the trail. Looking like bicycle chainrings or a circular saw blade, it really had me wondering what this old sign was. My guess was there was some kind of telephone line or gas pipeline directly beneath, but it also made me wonder if it was a marker for an old trail that may have been cannibalised to form the current Munda Biddi.

The trail transitioned to a section of sandy soil. With the recent rain, the sand was fairly firm under tyre so was at least fairly untaxing. Along this sandy section, I had my third emu encounter (after my first near Jarrahdale and then again in the section I'd skipped ahead to near Denmark). Even though I ride with my camera at the ready, these emus are just too fast to photograph. Although I tried to push to catch up, they two emus had darted off the trail by the time I'd caught up to them.

As the trail returns to firmer ground, the Munda Biddi descends another fast and fun section of vehicle track before it reaches the edge of a farm.

Given the monotony of the scenery over the day, it was really lovely just to see something different, especially since the farmland featured the chimney remnants of what must have been an old homestead that has long since disappeared.

The stretch along the farm doesn't last long however, and before long I was once again descending along fast downhill vehicle track with some rocky laterite sections.

While travelling at the speed of bike means you're generally focusing on the big picture rather than the finer details, it was nice to know that the pops of colour from wildflowers were still clearly visible along the trail. Seeing wildflowers this early in the year (1st June) was a real treat that made me hopeful for a good spring wildflower season to come.

Even more 'stunning' was the trashed car dumped right in the middle of a fast section of trail. While lacking the incredible shotgun holes and shells of the car wreck near Kinsella Rd between Carinyah and Wungong huts, it featured some seriously hardcore bogan graffiti painted all over the car.

Unlike many other cars dumped in bushland, this seemed like a fairly recent creation, with the seats and many of the trimmings still intact and in relatively good condition. It is thus something of a unique example of this popular local style of unsolicited public sculpture, and a highlight of this otherwise repetitive day on the Munda Biddi. 

After the car the trail crosses a creek, with the Munda Biddi follows more vehicle tracks and heads along a road briefly before heading up the other side. A large tree had fallen across the ascent however this was clearly an older tree fall as a diversion was in place around it. 

Watching videos online, I knew that the track would be crossing a large granite slab at some point of the day, and in some ways it marks the home stretch of the day's riding. 

After crossing the granite slab, the trail heads up hill, and passes more of the granite as it skirts the edge of a private property with views across the valley beyond. 

From the granite slab it does appear like the trail will continue uphill, however the steepness of the climb is quite a surprise and really put the climbing gear of my bike to the test. Thankfully the climb is not overly long, and became a fairly steep descent along the fence line of the private property. 

Along the descent, the track passes by some more granite formations that provided a bit of interest in the otherwise severely burnt forest. Near the bottom of the descent, the trail veers to the left to avoid going full speed into a splashdown puddle, and I was grateful for the trail designers for this consideration. 

The trail drops down into Brockman campsite on the shores of Lake Brockman. Being right on the Munda Biddi, this is a good option for people who are looking for a cheap place to stay the night and to not do any extra kilometres off the main track, however its popularity with car campers may make it less than ideal if you prefer to go to sleep when the Sun goes down and get up early to face the day.

At this point I was a bit confused; Alissa and I had agreed to meet at Lake Brockman, but I hadn't realised that there were multiple camping areas along the dam. After realising Alissa wasn't here, I checked my map and realised that the main dam wall was further along the road. There is dam wall near Brockman campsite but the Munda Biddi instead follows on the road below, a strange choice given it doesn't look like it would cause any harm to the dam for bikes to travel over it. From there, the trail is mostly downhill to the main dam wall and spillway. 

This is Logue Brook Dam, the weir that has created Lake Brockman. The Munda Biddi follows the road as it goes right over the dam wall. Given the area is a popular hub for water-based recreational activities, this road can be quite busy and cyclists should take care when travelling through this section. 

Lake Brockman is quite well known for its beautiful blue waters, and while the grey skies meant it was not quite as vibrant as it can be, the blue hue was nevertheless visible. At the other end of the dam wall, I expected to find Alissa waiting for me, however I realised that she'd driven to the Lake Brockman Tourist Park. It was only another 1.6 kilometres down the road but it felt like a much greater distance given I was ready to finish for the day, the main entrance is right at the other end of the park and it is mostly uphill from the dam itself. Alissa and I took this as a lesson to be more clear in the future when it comes to identifying the pick up points.

For cyclists who are taking their chances by doing the Munda Biddi without a tent or who want to splash out for something a bit nicer, Lake Brockman Tourist Park looks like a nicer place to stay than Brockman campsite as it has some nice cabin options and a cafe for some hot food and cold drinks. More importantly, trees in the park were of the non-burnt variety, and really lifted my spirits after so much uninspiring scenery. 

After such an excellent day from Dwellingup to Bidjar Ngoulin, this day to Lake Brockman was a real disappointment given the dual impacts of severe bushfire damage and the massive visible scarring of Alcoa's mining operations. Obviously, there is very little that can be done about the bushfire damage given the sheer scale and destructive power of the Waroona Fires, but it is disappointing that the mining operations have been undertaken with almost no consideration to the rider's experience which is basically bleak, untidy and uninspiring almost from start to finish.

To be fair to Alcoa, I don't necessarily oppose the bauxite mining entirety. As I commented earlier, it is a bit hypocritical to call for a ban on aluminium while riding an aluminium bicycle, and I'm much less opposed to it than I am coal mining. The big issue I have is the extreme scale of the expansion with no consideration for other land uses, and how the roadworks and mining operations are such a grim, visible scar and yet the Munda Biddi route has been left as-is, as if we are meant to just accept that this is entirely fair and reasonable while Alcoa get to put their logo on Munda Biddi marker poles declaring their proud support for the trail. Given this is one of DBCA's Long Trails and heavily promoted as a 'world class' Top Trail by Trails WA, I really wish DBCA and Alcoa worked together ahead of this massive all-engulfing mining expansion, and either created a low visual impact corridor where cyclists don't have to ride for a significant portion of the day through such hideous scenery, or made a radical realignment of the trail through areas where the mining and bushfire impacts are less of an issue. In the aftermath of this trip, I would learn that Alcoa's plans for expansion are so seemingly insatiable that they plan on almost encircling all of Dwellingup and even taking up some of the really nice sections of the Munda Biddi near Balmoral. It appears it will only get worse, with more of the beautiful and rare mature Jarrah lost for another generation or two. 

Given the low quality of the scenery, Bidjar Ngoulin to Lake Brockman was easily worse looking than the Bibbulmun Track's Marron Rd day. However, the one saving grace for this section is that being on a bicycle meant the kilometres can be put away faster, and the adrenaline aspect of the downhill sections meant it was nevertheless more fun than the never ending boredom of Marron Rd's 9 kilometres. All in all, this is probably a contender for the worst day of the Munda Biddi, and it really got me crossing my fingers that this was the exception and not the rule for the rest of the trail to come.