Munda Biddi Trail (WA) - Walpole to Booner Mundak

 

Day 23 of the Munda Biddi Trail, this section takes cyclists from Walpole to Booner Mundak. Leaving town along the Coalmine Beach Heritage Trail and offering views of the Nornalup Inlet, the trail heads along the Frankland River to Monastery Landing and Sappers Bridge before rising up to the Valley of the Giants and the Tree Top Walk. Heading downhill, the trail enters more open plains towards Booner Mundak. A highly spectacular day of the trail

Distance: 52.38 km (one way)

Gradient: Mostly moderate climbs and descents with some gentle sections, particularly towards the end

Quality of Path: Mix of vehicle tracks, single track and roads

Quality of Signage: Mostly well signed at all trail junctions

Experience Required: Mountain Biking experience recommended

Time: 5-6 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: 8th July, 2020 (Walpole to Valley of the Giants) and 9th July, 2020 (Valley of the Giants to Booner Mundak)

Entry Fee: No
Getting There: Trailhead is located outside of the Walpole Visitor Centre on the north side of South Western Highway. No direct access to Booner Mundak. Access points are located at Rate Rd, Valley of the Giants Rd and the Valley of the Giants car park area

With Northcliffe to Walpole completed camping overnight at the huts, Alissa and I drove back to her parent's place in Denmark to use as a base for my next few days of riding. The plan had been to complete all of the track from Walpole to Denmark, however with the work to seal the roads in William Bay National Park taking a lot longer than initially anticipated I would have to be satisfied with doing as much as I could. For the first day of this second phase of the trip, Alissa and her brother Ben would drop me off at Walpole while they went out to Fernhook Falls, and meet up with me at the Valley of the Giants for us to do the Tree Top Walk together. 

From the Walpole Visitor Centre, the Munda Biddi travels along the Coalmine Beach Heritage Trail. Alissa, Ben and I had walked sections of the this trail way back in December 2015 however both trails interestingly  have sections of the heritage trail that they both use and other sections where only one uses the trail. 

A feature of the trail is how hard and compacted the pea gravel is, and in fact at the time of my cycle I passed a couple of DBCA rangers regrading the trail. Back in 2015, Alissa and I found this stretch of track particularly fatiguing as it was the last few kilometres of our first multi-day hike in three years and it really felt like every step was a sledgehammer to the foot. 

Where the Bibbulmun heads right through the middle of Coalmine Beach Caravan Park, the Munda Biddi leaves the Heritage Trail at Coalmine Beach Rd to skirt around the perimeter of the park. This is quite understandable given it is probably not very inviting to have bikes speeding through the park and also because the heritage trail becomes a narrower walk trail as it continues along the Nornalup Inlet. 

While following the road and running parallel to the walk trail, it nevertheless provides easy access for cyclists to visit the lookout points along the trail which provide good views of the inlet. As a hiker, I always thought the Munda Biddi was much more of a mirror of the Bibbulmun Track, however where the two trails really differ is that the Munda Biddi does not have the same stark change to coastal scenery in its last third, and in fact other than William Bay, skirting the Nornalup and Wilson Inlets and the harbour views coming to Albany, there is little to no engagement with WA's rugged southern coastline. 

Leaving Coalmine Beach Rd as it crosses South Coast Hwy, the Munda Biddi follows a stretch of single track that initially enter some plains before heading into the Karri and Tingle forest of Walpole-Nornalup National Park. 

As the single track enters the forest, I was saddened to see that it had been blackened in a recent prescribed burn. I know this section of Karri forest quite well from the Bibb and driving to the Giant Tingle, and it always looks so much better when not charred in this manner. At least with Karri shedding their bark so readily the scorching will not be permanent, and in fact you can see from the photos above the trees were already shrugging off the burnt bark to reveal an almost golden new layer beneath. 

While burnt, the zig-zagging course of the single track was very enjoyable. Reaching Hilltop Rd, the Munda Biddi crosses the road and follows a lower management track. This track is less nice to ride than the single track but does feature some enjoyable scenery, including an initial section through a mix of Karri and Tingle forest that made up for a few moderate climbs. The Munda Biddi also crosses the Bibbulmun Track through this section, with the Bibbulmun heading uphill to take a higher route that passes the Giant Tingle. 

This stretch of track goes on for about five kilometres, alternating between forested sections and more open, sandy patches before it crosses Gully Rd as it intersects the trail and the start of Monastery Rd. This intersection can be easily recognised by the large boom gate that closes off Monastery Rd in the wetter months as it can be too muddy and dangerous to drive along. Cylists who don't mind a steep ascent and the risk of going against the flow of car traffic can visit the Giant Tingle tree which is 1.5 kilometres up the road off the trail. Having visited the Giant Tingle many times in the past (most recently as part of the Lower Frankland Circuit in 2018), I decided to just keep going but for those using the Munda Biddi as a tour of the South West the diversion is well worth it. 

Continuing onto Monastery Rd, the Munda Biddi descends steeply as it heads towards the Frankland River. At the time of my ride, the road had been closed off to car traffic thanks to unsafe road conditions and while it meant not having to worry about cars it did mean I too had to be careful of the road conditions. 

Last time I was in the area, Alissa and I walked this section of the Munda Biddi as part of the Lower Frankland Circuit and being September at the time it was a lot less wet and muddy. Being on a bike was a lot more fun as I could basically careen down the hill at full speed, however the muddiness and occasionally poor grip did make me a bit uneasy. I hadn't had a crash on the Munda Biddi since leaving the pea gravel behind, however if there ever was a place with a higher probability of a crash in the lower half of Munda Biddi I reckon Monastery Rd in wet conditions would be it. 

Something I knew from walking this section was that the Munda Biddi follows a section of single track just before reaching the Frankland River. This section of track seems to be here to avoid making cyclists go uphill only to go downhill again, and for that I was very grateful.

The single track through here is very nice as it winds its way through Karri forest. At the time I walked this with Alissa in 2018 a very large tree had fallen across the track. In my write up, I wrote that 'I could not help but think about how much worse this sort of this would be for a cyclist who would have to carry the bike over the tree', and of course by this stage of my sectional End to End I knew first hand all about carrying bikes over fallen trees!

After some minor glimpses of the Frankland River through the trees, the Munda Biddi rejoins Monastery Rd as it descends once again and then heads north up along the Frankland. 

Along this stretch of track, cyclists get to really appreciate the beauty of the Frankland River. For those who took the side trip to the Frankland from Kwokralup Beela, the river's width and tranquility at this point might be a bit of a surprise. I love this river; it is probably one of my favourite rivers in the South West and I was glad to be back experiencing it.

Something interesting about this area is that there are quite a number of Kingia growing along the Frankland. While not quite as mature and profuse as they are between Lake Brockman and Yarri just north of Collie, these were something of a nice reprise at this point of the Munda Biddi journey. 

The riding from here to Monastery Landing is mildly undulating but quite easy, and it was a landmark I was most excited to be visiting again. 

Located at a bend in the river, Monastery Landing features a small day use picnic area and a jetty and I decided to stop over here for a quick snack break. When I was last here, the water had been so glassily still that it really looked like a mirror reflecting the forest perfectly, however with a light drizzle the ripples of droplets had their own charm. 

As I was taking photos I realised two kayakers were heading towards the jetty. I had seen them earlier as I was cycling along the road but hadn't known which way they were heading. I asked if they didn't mind me taking a photo of them approaching the jetty and then helped them park up as they came ashore, and took a photo for them. They had kayaked in from South Coast Hwy, with this being their halfway point before rejoining their families at the bridge. This is a kayak trip I've wanted to do for a very long time, and after hearing how lovely and relatively easy it was from these two guys it made me all the more keen to give it a go in the near future. 

Saying goodbye to the two kayakers, I continued on my way along Monastery Rd, which features a short but incredibly steep section just after Monastery Landing. I could see why the road was closed off to vehicular access; from here to the crossing of the Frankland River at Sappers Bridge, the road was so muddy I would be covered with splatters of mud - and indeed, at the time of writing my camera still has a few specks from this day some three months later!

Rejoining the Bibbulmun Track for part of the way, the 3.3 kilometres from Monastery Landing to Sappers Bridge was some of the best, most fun riding of the entire day, with lovely Karri forest, views of the river and mud flying up constantly at me as I sped down the hills. This is a perfect example of the exhilaration factor that cycling brings as an overlay to a trail experience that is just no there on foot. 

Near where the Bibbulmun and Munda Biddi part ways, a four wheel drive came around the corner and I moved to one side to let them past. I muttered 'good luck' to myself as they drove past given how treacherously muddy the roads were in places, and within 5-10 minutes I was not surprised to see them doubling back to overtake me back towards Sappers Bridge. 

When Alissa and I did this section of the Bibbulmun Track as part of our sectional End to End of that trail, Sappers Bridge had been an older wooden structure that had become unsafe for use by cars or four wheel drives, but by the time we did the Lower Frankland Circuit it had been replaced by the sturdier but less attractive looking concrete and girders bridge that exists today. While I lament the passing of the old bridge, I'm glad that I at least got to cross it twice - once during my first Bibbulmun Track hike in 2003 and again in 2015. 

The view upstream from the bridge is definitely worth stopping for, particularly if doing the Munda Biddi or Bibbulmun Track in Winter or Spring. By Summer, the river levels are much lower, with the rocks of the  rapids all exposed above the water.

After appreciating the views of the rapids in action, I continued along the Munda Biddi as it turn onto the hilariously named Brainy Cut Off. The Bibbulmun also travels along Brainy Cut Off so the name was not a surprise, but knowing how much ascending I had to do between here and the Valley of the Giants I thought I might feel like I had my brain cut off for wanting to cycling this section by the time I for to the end. 

To be honest, Brainy Cut Off was mostly not that bad, and with the Karri and Tingles getting taller and more impressive as I continued along I was really loving the scenery along the trail. I began to think to myself 'maybe this won't be so bad after all'. 

I should have kept some skepticism as the really enemy of the cyclist was Boxhall Rd. Turning onto it was a steep surprise, and I noted my displeasure when taking the photo. 

Reaching the top of Boxhall Rd's first climb, I thought the worst of it was over until I looked up and saw a second, even steeper climb ahead! This was easily the worst climb of the entire day and I didn't make it all the way up without have to get up and push the last bit of it. 

The trail levels out as it turns onto Twin Creek Rd, and while still filled with undulations it started to feel a lot more like a home stretch heading towards the Valley of the Giants than the constant battle that Boxhall Rd had been. 

For the most part, Twin Creek Rd is a corridor framed by a forest dominated by Tingles, however it enters a pocket of sandier plains just before turning off onto Howe Rd

From Howe Rd, the Munda Biddi crosses Valley of the Giants Rd for the last push up towards the Tree Top Walk. Turning onto the access road to the Valley of the Giants car park, the Munda Biddi turns off along a gated vehicle track. I really appreciated that DBCA had put up a sign that showed that the Tree Top Walk was another 600 metres uphill. While it was probably there for the majority of people travelling to the Tree Top Walk by car, it is helpful for cyclists to know how many extra metres or kilometres it will be to undertake a side trip. 

Alissa and Ben were waiting for me at the car park, and I just had to get Alissa to photograph how muddle splattered I'd become.

I was grateful that Alissa and convinced me to put my pack cover on the backpack as it took the brunt of the mud splatters from the rear tyre. I was even more grateful that I had packed a change of clothes as the mud splatter on my butt made it look like I'd soiled myself!

The last time Alissa, Ben and I were here together on the Bibbulmun we had decided not to do the Tree Top Walk as we wanted to press on towards Walpole, but with it now being many years between visits we decided to go check it out again - especially since I realised I'd never actually written it up for The Long Way's Better!

Last time I was here would have been before Alissa and I had walked over in the eastern states, Tasmania and New Zealand and while not a 'hike' the scenery along the Tree Top Walk definitely still holds up. The immense size of the Tingles are simply awe-inspiring, and I encourage anyone doing a tour of the South West for the first time to include this as a must do experience. 

In a lot of ways, it is an excellent companion piece to the Gloucester Tree in Pemberton while offering quite a different experience of the forest canopy. While the Karris of Gloucester National Park are also found in the Tingle forest, there is something charmingly ancient looking about the often burled, buttressed and multi-limbed Tingles that make them a special part of the Southern Forests. 

While the Tree Top Walk is the main draw of the Valley of the Giants, it is just as worthwhile to check out the Ancient Empire Walk, which is a 450 metre loop that allows visitors to appreciate the forest floor up close. 

Alongside the Grandma Tingle and the Fallen Tingle, there is also a tree dubbed the King Tingle. For those who have been keeping count, this is the fifth king tree along or near the Munda Biddi, coming after the earlier trees I've dubbed 'the Four Kings' - the King Jarrah of Lane Poole, the King Karri of Donnelly River Village, the King Jarrah of Manjimup and the King Karri of Quinninup.

Of course, one of the most iconic features of the Tingles are their signature buttressed bases which can be so large people used to park cars in one of them! For those who don't take the side trip up to the Giant Tingle, the Ancient Empire offers smaller examples to get that classic happy snap inside a Tingle. Just as we were leaving, I ran into the kayakers I'd met earlier who were either just starting or finishing their own Valley of the Giants experience. 

Given that Walpole to Booner Mundak is a longish day with a lot of climbing and I wanted to not rush through the Valley of the Giants, I'd decided to break up the trail there and pick up the rest of the track to Booner Mundak and beyond the next day. While it had been a bit drizzly and wet the previous day, the morning was a bit of a torrential downpour as we approached the drop off point, though it thankfully mellowed out when I started the day's ride. 

Following the old vehicle track, the Munda Biddi passes by quite a number of impressive looking Tingles with buttressed hollows. For those who don't have the time or money for the Valley of the Giants these trees offer a decent enough consolation prize. 

Something I had not expected to on this day of riding was a section of boardwalked walk trail just off to the right of the vehicle track. I'd never heard of any walks through this area other than the Bibbulmun, and this was not a part of the Bibbulmun Track. Taking care as I walked along the slippery boardwalk (which was nevertheless in good condition if it was an old abandoned trail), the trail heads through some overgrown reeds to then head across a mossy granite outcrop. 

Taking care not to step on the granite for fear of a chastisement from my Real Trail Talk podcast co-host Mark Pybus (for whom trampling on moss is something of a pet hate), I reached the above vantage point and was completely blown away by how spectacular the view was. With the rain putting everything in soft focus and with the sky taking on a slightly purple glow, this was a truly magical hidden highlight of the day and something I'd love to learn more about. Is this an old trail, and if so what happened to it?

After the granite outcrop, there is some fairly serious descending as the Munda Biddi flies downhill away from the Valley of the Giants (which, if the elevation indicates anything, is something of a misnomer). The descending here was so fast and the ground so slippery I was even more concerned about crashing than I had been along Monastery Rd, however I was once again lucky to be able to not have my fun curtailed by an unfortunate accident. 

Levelling out as it reaches the flats below, the Munda Biddi leaves the Tingle forest behind for good as it enters some of the flat plains that will dominate the rest of the day's cycling to Booner Mundak.

Before crossing Valley of the Giants Rd, the trail passes by a small pocket of farmland with the main highlight being the curious alpacas. I really wanted an alpaca as a kid, and seeing them always puts a smile on my face. 

Crossing over Valley of the Giants Rd, the day's riding takes a significant drop in quality as it head for 15 kilometres through a fairly boring landscape of often sandy tracks, stunted Jarrah forest and open plains. 

The last two photos were taken 15 minutes apart, but could be used interchangeably; it was all much the same, and such a stark drop in wow factor after everything I'd experienced over the day so far. To make matters worse, it was just straight, continuous road riding that was in some ways even less impressive that the unimpressive stretch along Dean and Nelson Rds on the day from Northcliffe to Yirra Kartta. Even worse, the monotony had a whiff of the Bibbulmun Track's Marron Rd about it, but at the very least the speed of a bike meant it went by a lot faster than if I was on foot.

While the road riding route is very unimaginative, at least some effort has gone into making cyclist-only bridges along the road, and one hopes that work will go into making a cyclist only trail through parts to improve the quality of the riding experience too. 

At least the last section of this sandy trail riding had some views of hills in the distance as this at least gave me something to look towards as a point of interest. 

Just shy of an hour and a half after crossing Valley of the Giants Rd, I was relieved to have escaped the horrors of Middle Rd as I turned onto some single track that led towards Booner Mundak hut.

Booner Mundak hut is probably one of the less immediately impressive hut locations on the Munda Biddi since Nala Mia, especially given the granite dome of Yirra Kartta and the close proximity to the river at Kwokralup Beela. Sitting down to have a snack and to check my map, I did notice something quite impressive about the hut's location - the birdsong was probably the most impressive of the entire track. What it lacked in visual grandeur was certainly made up for in this regard, and I also can imagine the wildflower display being quite spectacular in the Springtime. I would definitely consider coming back to stay here overnight to enjoy the peaceful birdsong over a more extended stay. 

While marred by the less than stellar final fifteen kilometres to the hut, Walpole to Booner Mundak is filled with so many highlights that it makes up for it. Considering that the day offers lovely views of the Nornalup Inlet, heads through Karri and Tingle forest, features the fun ride along the Frankland River and Monastery Landing, has a side trip to the Tree Top and Ancient Empire Walks at the Valley of the Giants, has an additional secret walk to that granite outcrop and has the fun fast descent through the forest on the other side, this would have to be right up there as one of the most spectacular days of the entire Munda Biddi, and I would happily day ride quite a lot of it again.