Off-road cycle touring in Western Australia
September 14th 2006 18:31
All the off-road cycle paths in WA are worth doing despite the occasional bone rattling. My two favourites are the Munda Biddi Trail and the rail trail through the John Forrest National Park. Either could be incorporated into a cycle tourer's itinerary into or out of Perth for a bit of a bush whack.
Railway Reserves Heritage Rail Trail, John Forrest National Park, 28kms
I did this trail on both a shopping bike and an 18-year-old road bike. You could combine a section of this trail with the Munda Biddi, which intersects it from the South in Mundaring, or with a cycle tour heading to or from Norseman via York. The best way to get information on this path is to pick up a free map from one of Perth's bike shops or go to http://www.railtrails.org.au/states/trails.php3?action=trail&trail=49
Starting from Midland, the trail gently rises through the John Forrest National Park. There are beautiful views over the valley to your left plus waterfalls. This section is predominantly sharp bluestone but eventually it morphs into a nice fine sandy gravel. En Route Parkerville has the best cheesecake and great iced coffees in a nice garden setting.
Munda Biddi Trail, Mundaring to Collie
Munda Biddi is Nyoongar for "path through the forest" and eventually this path through the forest will run 900kms from Mundaring to Albany. For the moment it is possible to do about a week's worth of off-road cycling between Mundaring and Collie.
On this trail, our luggage arrangement pays off. We strap our backpacks to our backracks with a couple of bungee cords rather than using lowrider panniers. It may not be ideal in all circumstances but it suits us as we can then head off bushwalking when we're sick of cycling. It is also great on the narrower sections of off-road paths when dodging between boulders and logs.
I've done the Munda Biddi on an 18-year-old road bike and on a tourer. I took it very gently and slowly in the harder sections. The track has a variety of surfaces from deep orange pea gravel to good compact gravel to sand to tree roots. Be prepared to go a lot slower than you would on tarmac.
There are fantastic free shelters on the way. They are in secluded bush settings away from car access points. They each have four large sleeping platforms, a pit toilet with a view, a couple of tables, a bike rack and a hook for bike repairs. They also have tanks but they can't be relied on for water as it doesn't rain all that often in WA.
I love sleeping under the starry skies in the fresh Aussie air. There is nothing that contents me more than cycling along the shady bush tracks of the Munda Biddi with its eucalypts and prehistoric looking grass trees.
For information about the Munda Biddi Trail go to: http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/
Munda Biddi trail to Bidjar Ngoulin Camp
Railway Reserves Heritage Rail Trail, John Forrest National Park, 28kms
I did this trail on both a shopping bike and an 18-year-old road bike. You could combine a section of this trail with the Munda Biddi, which intersects it from the South in Mundaring, or with a cycle tour heading to or from Norseman via York. The best way to get information on this path is to pick up a free map from one of Perth's bike shops or go to http://www.railtrails.org.au/states/trails.php3?action=trail&trail=49
Starting from Midland, the trail gently rises through the John Forrest National Park. There are beautiful views over the valley to your left plus waterfalls. This section is predominantly sharp bluestone but eventually it morphs into a nice fine sandy gravel. En Route Parkerville has the best cheesecake and great iced coffees in a nice garden setting.
Munda Biddi Trail, Mundaring to Collie
Munda Biddi is Nyoongar for "path through the forest" and eventually this path through the forest will run 900kms from Mundaring to Albany. For the moment it is possible to do about a week's worth of off-road cycling between Mundaring and Collie.
On this trail, our luggage arrangement pays off. We strap our backpacks to our backracks with a couple of bungee cords rather than using lowrider panniers. It may not be ideal in all circumstances but it suits us as we can then head off bushwalking when we're sick of cycling. It is also great on the narrower sections of off-road paths when dodging between boulders and logs.
I've done the Munda Biddi on an 18-year-old road bike and on a tourer. I took it very gently and slowly in the harder sections. The track has a variety of surfaces from deep orange pea gravel to good compact gravel to sand to tree roots. Be prepared to go a lot slower than you would on tarmac.
There are fantastic free shelters on the way. They are in secluded bush settings away from car access points. They each have four large sleeping platforms, a pit toilet with a view, a couple of tables, a bike rack and a hook for bike repairs. They also have tanks but they can't be relied on for water as it doesn't rain all that often in WA.
Camping @ Bidjar Ngoulin, Munda Biddi Trail
I love sleeping under the starry skies in the fresh Aussie air. There is nothing that contents me more than cycling along the shady bush tracks of the Munda Biddi with its eucalypts and prehistoric looking grass trees.
For information about the Munda Biddi Trail go to: http://www.mundabiddi.org.au/
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