Everything you need to hit the trail! Seasons • 4WDriving Equipment • Cooking • Kayaks SUMMER 2008 • Backpacks • Fishing • Refrigeration & Coolers Greetings ISSUE#49 • Books, Maps & DVD’s • Gas Refills • Sleeping Bags RRP $6.00 • Camping Tables & Cupboards • Gazebos • Swags • Caravanning Equipment • Generators • Tents • Clothing for Summer & Winter • GPS Systems • Watersports s l e t t e u l m u n T • Bags • Headlamps • Portable Showers & Toilets N e w r f o r r i e n d s B i b b r a c k • Bait • Hiking Boots • Pumps t h e f o f t h e • Batteries • Hobie Kayaks & • Stretchers • Boating Accessories • Sunglasses • Compasses • Kayak Carts • Tackle & Tackle Boxes • Containers • Knives • Towels • Diving & Snorkelling Equipment • Lanterns • Fishing – Fly/Mosquitos The 10th Anniversary Finale • Fins • Lights • Reels • Masks • Masks • Rods • Footwear • Mats & Blow Up Beds • Tools • Hats • Nets • Torches Bibbulmun Track Foundation members receive 10% OFF* all recommended retail prices on Ranger Outdoors’ huge range of quality gear. 14 stores locally owned and operated located around Western Australia • www.rangeroutdoors.com.au Proudly Proud Sponsor BALCATTA Cnr Wanneroo Rd & Amelia Street 9344 7343 MANDURAH 65 Reserve Drive 9583 4800 Western Australian of the Bibbulmun Owned and Operated Track Foundation BENTLEY 1163 Albany Hwy (Cnr Bedford Street) 9356 5177 MIDLAND Midland Central (Cnr Clayton & Lloyd St) 9274 4044 OPEN ALL WEEKEND BUSSELTON Home Depot Strelly Street 9754 8500 MORLEY 129 Russell Street (Opp. Galleria Bus Station) 9375 5000 SUMMER TRADING HOURS: CANNING VALE 190 Bannister Rd (Cnr Willeri Drive) 9455 5875 O’cONNOR 307 Stock Road (Cnr Sainsbury Road) 9331 8880 End-to-enders greeted with walking sticks Peter Hewett and original track conceiver, The End-to-enders gather at the Northern Terminus Mon-Wed, Fri-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm COCKBURN 87 Armadale Rd (South Central) 9417 4644 OSBORNE PARK 44 Hutton St (Freeway off ramp) 9444 9633 Thursday 8.30am-8.30pm JOONDALUP 45 Joondalup Gate 75 Joondalup Drive 9301 1622 PORT KENNEDY Unit 5/1 Sunlight Drive 9524 6350 Geoff Schafer meet for the first time since they in Kalamunda one last time and Sunday 10am-5pm KELMSCOTT 2936-2942 Albany Highway 9495 4444 GERALDTON Homemaker Centre, 208 NW Coastal Hwy 9965 3766 made the first end-to-end walk in 1979 * Offers excludes refrigeration, camper trailers, GPS systems, generators and kayaks Some formalities were required, though, but The historic occasion was made all the more With grateful thanks to our sponsors: were dealt with as quickly as possible so our End- special as this was the first time that Peter Hewett to-Enders could rush off that much-anticipated and Geoff Schafer had met, since the first walk on Premier warm shower and catch-up with their friends the original alignment of the Track in 1979. Peter Diamond and family; not to mention watching the Channel Hewett, from the then Forestry Department, was Nine News at 6 o’clock! heavily involved in collaborating with Geoff to realise his dream of creating a world-class The Environment Minister, David Templeman bushwalking track in Western Australia. MLA, Minister for Sport and Recreation John Kobelke MLA, and the Minister for Corrective Services, Margaret Quirk, MLA also attended Gold and acknowledged the importance of the Track as an iconic tourism and recreation resource for Western Australia, before the revelry continued with some old party favourites provided by the They made it! After almost 60 days, nine community band, One Foot in the Groove. Silver events and endless indescribable experiences, the A special mention must be given to James Trail, Bibbulmun Track 10th Anniversary End-to-Enders CEO and the Shire of Kalamunda who has took their final steps into Kalamunda. presented the Foundation with a commemorative bell. This will be kept at the Kalamunda Visitor And what a reception they had! Hundreds Centre so that from now on, each person who Bronze of well-wishers were waiting at the Northern completes an end-to-end may ring the bell to Terminus to welcome and congratulate the signify their incredible achievement. group on their amazing journey and celebrate this milestone event for the Track. Lead guide of the walk and events manager for the Foundation, Steve Sertis, was overwhelmed A cacophony of drums provided a resounding by the occasion. THE BIBBULMUN TRACK OFFICE LOCATION: beat for the group to march to as they walked the final 100m between Spring Road and the “After 60 days and many community events, you FOUNDATION 1st Floor, Mountain Designs Adventure Building, Northern Terminus, and through a special ‘guard would think that I’d be prepared for the big finale; PO Box 7605, Cloisters Square 862 Hay Street Perth of honour’, aptly substituted by walking poles but it was truly an emotional moment seeing PERTH Western Australia 6850 OFFICE HOURS: for the traditional swords, kindly supplied by the hundreds of people gathered to greet us. We’ve Walk leader Steve Sertis symbolically rings the Telephone: (08) 9481 0551 OR 9321 0649 Monday to Friday 9am – 4pm sectional walkers and the local Scouts. certainly come a long way these past ten years.” new Kalamunda end-to-end bell Facsimile: (08) 9481 0546 Editor: Linda Daniels Email: [email protected] Sub Editor: Jim Baker Website: www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au Design and artwork by Adcorp Printed on environmentally-friendly paper Telephone: (08) 9210 9500 1 Bibbulmun Walk 2008 BY STEVE SERTIS - WALK LEADER How do you summarise a 60-day end-to-end walk on the Bibbulmun Track? It is almost impossible. So instead I have tried to capture the experience with a few salient points. Anyone who has done an end-to-end, or indeed anyone who has even walked a short section of the Bibbulmun Track will relate to most of these…. • The very first steps out from Albany: bagpipes, drums and parade • A full moon at night • Waist deep water crossings Clean underwear - hoorah!! Campfire rituals Improvised shelter - Giants! • Majestic whales • Multiple surprise afternoon teas, biscuits and cakes mainly by volunteers • Breathtaking views Breathtaking views • Gear breakdowns and remote orders for new equipment • Seven days of walking/wading through water • Heart warming, sock drying campfires • A procession of sectional walkers joining and leaving us • Countless school students and enthusiastic community welcomes • A second full moon and the halfway party at Donnelly River Village • Increasing hours of daylight • Amazing orchids and colourful wildflowers • No daily newspapers, emails and sometimes no news • What Olympic Games? Half Way mark Roo Stew courtesy of Collie Service Clubs One of many Chinese Laundries Walkers welcomed in the towns along the way • What election campaigns? • Morning bird song and wake up calls • Challenging hills • Smelly toilets – even smellier walkers • Icy mornings, frosts, hail and tent collapsing storms • Penetrating sunshine and dripping forests • Boots tied together with dental floss • Our final night • Fanfare and finale at Kalamunda • And a full moon once more. Colin takes it easy! Splish Splash I was walking the Track! Last night on the Track - party time at Hewett’s Improvised shoe repair - Dental floss! One Foot in the Groove got the party rocking at Donnelly River Village! Genevieve’s Last night party Stocking up on Supplies Sunshine at last! Somewhere over the rainbow there’s a shelter! 2 3 Thank you! Thank you! FROM MY 10th Anniversary Desk Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!Thankyou’sThank you! Thank you! There is obviously a long list of thank you’s for • Andrew Scott for the surprise cake and • Neil Wilson and Bob Dainton from the Welcome to the final edition of the Bibbulmun News for 2008. such a massive event as the 10th Anniversary and goodies at Blackwood campsite and washing Boddington Gold Mine who took us into A sincere thank you to the following walkers our clothes before we got to Balingup. Boddington to vote, shop, put on a free lunch It has been a very special year for the Track and a very busy one for the Foundation as we coordinated many people have already been thanked at the and attended ten regional events during Bibbulmun Walk 2008. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet who have generously made donations to the for the walkers and took us on a tour of the community events, at Albany and also at Kalamunda. • Dave Lathwell from DEC Blackwood who some of our regional members and volunteers and to thank all those who have been involved over the Foundation. gold mine. However, as walk leader, I would like to thank the gave us a campsite presentation. past decade. • Gwen and Chris Plunkett for the surprise Jan Gay people who contributed in a different way, but in a • Wendy Pittick and her crew from Bunbury The colourful finale at Kalamunda was a fitting end to the celebrations and more than one of the chocolate drop north of Donnelly River Village Jim and Mavis Freeman who gave us a surprise and delicious afternoon walkers had a tear in their eye as they walked through the archway of walking sticks to be greeted by way which made Bibbulmun Walk ’08 so very special (with Carol Jowett), delivering our North tea at Grimwade Campsite. the cheering crowd. Michael Carter for the walkers. Bannister food drop and afternoon tea at The event was made all the more special by the attendance of Geoff Schafer and Peter Hewett, two David Wrigley • Collie Service Clubs for the great party in Gringer Creek and morning tea at the Perth men who were instrumental in the original Track being built in the 70’s. Both men were delighted to the shearing shed. Hills National Parks Centre, and decorating see that their vision for a Perth to Albany Track had not only inspired many West Australians to try Lorraine Price • Mary and Stuart Gray: food drops, walker Hewett’s Hill campsite for our last night.