Mount Cooke to Nerang
Bibbulmun Track
Start
Mount Cooke
Time
3-5 Hours
Finish
Nerang
Date Hiked
27th July 2019
Length
13.4km
Campsite Style
Deep South
Elevation
317m
Traditional Custodians
Wiilman People
The Hike - Continuing on from one of my favourite sections on the track, the hike between the Mount Cooke Campsite and Nerang is no less spectacular. Mount Cooke is a popular day hike in the Perth Hills and holds the distinction of being the highest point of the Darling Scarp with an elevation of 582m at the summit. Having been destroyed by fire in 2003, the old campsite at Mount Cooke was in a much better location on the edge of a small valley but the new one is just as nice and has plenty of space to wander around. I've always enjoyed a stop in at this campsite because as a day walker it is a nice place to rest before tackling the climb up to the summit and beyond.
From the campsite you head out along the wide trail towards the looming presence of Mount Cooke that is just there letting you know that some tough cardio will be ahead, even more so if you're carrying a big pack. The trail is very nice single track and in winter and spring this patch comes alive with wildflowers and sundews. Although I have visited this area plenty of times, the walk from the south side of Mount Cooke to Nerang was a section I'd not done for my sectional end to end. With this in mind I planned a lovely overnight trip from Sullivan Rock to North Bannister to tick off this section and also to get out to enjoy some hiking. With perfect weather conditions greeting me on a late July weekend, I enjoyed my walk from Sullivan Rock to the Mount Cooke Campsite (see the last post for details). After a short break I was ready to begin the ascent up Mt Cooke, which funnily enough is not the single biggest elevation change from bottom to top on the track despite looking like a pretty big gain, that honour goes to Mount Hallowell (about 240m instead of 230m for Mount Cooke). With the wildflowers out in bloom and a bit of light cloud around, I was blessed with some ideal photographic conditions for my voyage to Nerang. After crossing the bridge over the creek that runs nearby the campsite, I was greeted with the fragrant smell of Karri Hazel that is just heavenly on any hike.
I located the source pretty quickly and it turns out I wasn't the only one enjoying the aroma as there were plenty of bees buzzing about. I managed to get a pretty cool photo of one still buzzing around and about to land on the Karri Hazel, luckily showing the details of its face and body. As you walk along the vehicle track there is plenty to see and admire with breaks in the tree cover providing occasional glimpses of the slopes of Mount Cooke. Exposed granite can be seen through the carpet of vegetation and this stretch always brings out the excitement in me as I know what great views are coming. Of course to get up there requires a bit of ascending but with so many stops to photograph flowers and different viewpoints, there is no need to rush. Some darker rocks (potentially laterite) form the basis for some steps as the trail has a couple of switchbacks to help get you up the hill. This is also the last place for a short while where there is a break in the forest and the very short flat section provides some nice views looking back down the valley towards Sullivan Rock and Mount Vincent.
Saying goodbye to the views for now, you reach a forested section that is full of grass trees and more wildflowers where you can put your head down and tackle some of the elevation gain. A nice feature as you're reaching a more open section is the pink granite that I really took notice of on my first visit because of the different colouring to most other granite around this area. It also means that you are close to the first of a few platforms that provide some nice views across the landscape, perfect for taking a short break. The first of these is a small open area where you'll get a taste of the views to the north and east but the better stopping point is right off track on a granite platform. Looking back at the sweeping vista to the north and west, the iconic trio of Mount Vincent, Cuthbert and Randall are standing proudly in the distance. This is a really cool spot to sit and take it all in, especially on a lovely day and if you're feeling energetic, a great spot to come and watch the sunset if you're staying at Mount Cooke. Moving on from there you head back into the forest where you'll come across a plethora of round granite boulders that have rolled down the slopes over the millennia and now form interesting features among the trees.
Reaching another exposed area of granite, this one extends all the way up the hill and is covered in a soggy carpet of moss and rocks. The trail goes to the left so you don't damage the moss and as you climb up, the views back become better and better. There is a final resting point near the top where I took one of my first iconic photos of me standing on an oblong shaped rock with the blue sky behind me (see my day hike Mount Cooke post for that one). From here it's small jaunt through the forest to the official summit, which is nothing more than a rock cairn, small summit sign and no views at all. It's a bit of a lacklustre moment but luckily the fun doesn't stop there as the ridge line of Mount Cooke is a wonderful place to explore and there are plenty of views later on. I noticed on my last visit that someone has built another summit cairn on top of some large boulders nearby and I suppose they are correct that this is indeed the highest point (even if they ignored Leave No Trace principles to do it).
If you're heading off to explore the ridge line or looking to continue south on your adventures, the trail can be a bit tricky to locate again. It's to the left of the main summit cairn and once you find it then it's very easy to follow all the way along the ridge line. With a healthy tree covering it doesn't feel like your at the highest point of the Darling Scarp but after passing over a small granite platform you are presented with an open expanse looking south that feels much like you'd expect. I love seeing the different patterns in the granite caused by the forces of time, pressure and water and there is a cool section to the right where the granite looks to have dragon scales thanks to a lot of cracking in the rock face. This open section is the beginning of a really fun section of the day where you dodge granite boulders, weave in and out of interesting formations and get some amazing views. Unfortunately one of those views is of the bauxite scaring to the south west that is now becoming more visible as the cancer of bauxite mining spreads throughout the Darling Range. I mentioned it in my last post and I'll mention it here again, it's a topic that is rarely discussed but is one of the biggest causes of habitat loss in Perth and will only continue to spread. My hope is they never cross Albany Highway but mining is god in Western Australia and heaven forbid we do anything to stop jobs and growth ahead of protecting the environment.
On my visit the area looked like Mordor as the dark clouds in the background along with the smoke rising from their operations provided a suitably grim feeling. Forgetting the greed and destruction of bauxite mining, my attention shifted towards enjoying the hike and that meant spotting yet more wildflowers and climbing up and down the rocky steps. Everyone that I've taken here has been amazed at the scenery and it's quite enjoyable exploring the ridge line, especially in spring with all the colour. The views to the east and west are pretty spectacular, more so to the east where you'll get more of the endless forest feeling that I love about Mount Cuthbert. After a bit of up and down you come across one of my favourite spots in the Perth Hills, a sloping granite platform with some expansive views looking east. It was here I stopped to turn around on my first visit and where I always enjoy taking a break, no matter what the weather is like. If it's sunny then I love to lie down and soak in the warmth of the sun and then just stare out at the horizon, soaking in the sights, sounds and stillness of this magic spot.
From here you can look back at the ridge line and poking off to the right is the tiny hill of Mount Dale way off into the distance. As I was taking photos of it, a couple I met at the Mount Cooke Campsite came up the path and were talking about the Mount Cooke Cave. The woman was staring at a piece of paper she had printed out and was saying that they must have missed it and should turn back. I overheard and informed them that it was close and to keep going over the hill and look for the two boulders. Knowing they were headed there I went back to my lunch and enjoying soaking in the views and sunshine. After enough time had passed I continued on my journey and off to the famous Mount Cooke Cave. It's easy to find if you already know where it is but for first timers it can be difficult. I spent a few trips trying to find it but always in bad weather or by not remembering the track notes well enough so I never went far enough along the ridge. The key to finding the cave is to watch for the section where the views to the south open up and you start heading downhill. At the top of the hill there, look east and you'll see two boulders, one small (on the left) and one big (on the right).
The cave is located between them and will require a bit of light shuffling to get down there. Look for the log book near the entrance and please don't be an idiot and graffiti the cave, no one cares about what you have to write there, leave those comments for the log book where people might care more. Once you've enjoyed the cave and had a bit of a poke around. it's time to move on and that means descending down the southern slopes of Mount Cooke. With expansive views ahead of you towards North Bannister and further into the distance with Boonering Hill and Mount Wells, this is a really cool spot to visualise your next few days on the track. Once you hit the granite slopes things can become tricky, especially in wet conditions. There are waugyls bolted to the granite to guide your way plus plenty of cairns so be mindful as you move through and please don't step on the moss. Watch out for the really slippery granite that is usually black and shiny as it can quite easily cause you to be flat on your back. A cool feature here that I noticed was a tree growing in a bit of the granite where soil had collected that made it look like a little bonsai eucalyptus.
From the bonsai tree you then enter the forested section of the slopes and some really thick regrowth Jarrah forest. I really enjoy walking this section as the quality of the forest is outstanding and it makes you feel immersed in the soft greys of the Jarrah. Add in a few boulders of different colours, a smattering of wildflowers and you have the recipe for a lovely stretch of walking. It also helps that it's all downhill and the rest of the day is as flat as a pancake all the way to Nerang. Reaching the open spaces of where the track meets the power lines you unfortunately have to walk along this wide and undulating vehicle track for about 700m before continuing east again along Cooke Rd. What it does give you is some slightly elevated views of the flat plains to the east and it always gives me the sense of possibility when I'm staring out into the distance. Turning left onto Cooke Rd, this vehicle track will be home for the next 8km as you meander through the forest towards Nerang. Based off the burn notices each year, this area seems to be a favourite of DBCA's to burn and driving along Albany Hwy you wouldn't be wrong in thinking the whole forest is like that. So when I arrived at a section that had recently been through a prescribed burn my heart sank, thinking the walk to Nerang would be nothing but burnt forest.
To my surprise and delight it only lasted a short distance and soon I was walking among the lovely green and grey of the Jarrah forest. With nothing to do but enjoy the final couple of hours into Nerang I slowed up my pace and really soaked in the experience of being out in nature. Observing the various wildflowers, subtle changes in the make-up of the forest floor, spotting the winter fungi growing on the track and just having a really good time in general. Sometimes in life we forget to slow down and take in our surroundings and as I get older, I'm finding myself doing this a lot more. The purpose of these trips for me is not to pound out the kilometres as quickly as I can (it used to be in my younger days) but to settle in a natural rhythm and not be too worried about time or kilometres. Standing still to watch a bird flutter about, admiring the patterns of the bark on the trees or just having a sit in the middle of the track and taking some deep breaths, this is what I enjoy more than anything else about hiking.
That's not to say I didn't need to get to camp before it started getting dark so there were times when I would be getting a move on when the scenery wasn't as good or there wasn't as much to observe. As the afternoon grew later and the clouds rolled in, the lighting was getting softer and warmer. Mornings and late afternoons are my favourite times to walk as the lighting is normally much better and the experience is made more enjoyable. I spotted a few wildflowers I hadn't seen on the day yet as I drew closer to camp and in the golden light I was appreciating the yellow flowers of the Parrot Bush a lot more than I usually do. When you reach the first signs of the creek you know you're close to camp and after coming across the boulders and Wandoo scene near camp, I knew I had reached home for the night. Being late in the day I wasn't surprised to find the campsite occupied with a father and son setup on the tables under the shelter. Jim and Ollie were doing the same Sullivan Rock to North Bannister hike that I was but had started at a much more reasonable hour. Ollie was only 11 so it was nice to see his dad taking him out so young and introducing him to a very rewarding pastime so early in life.
Nerang Campsite itself is a really nice place to be, nestled in the Jarrah and Wandoo forest and containing a design feature that is found nowhere else on the trail. The round wooden columns at the front of the shelter were installed by the Parks and Wildlife officer who was overseeing the construction of the shelter at the time and just thought they looked better. The always popular Steve Sertis that we've had on the podcast is the volunteer for this section and relayed that information when we were talking about the new Helena Campsite. Another unusual feature of the campsite are the coloured chairs that are of great use if you don't find wooden benches and logs very comfortable. Just as night was starting to take shape we were joined by a group of four young guys who had come from the Gringer Creek direction. I was in bed fairly early to enjoy some wine and a movie and the young guys stayed up to play cards and talk before retiring at a decent hour to their tents. Another section of the track ticked off and another great day on the Bibbulmun.
Final Thoughts - Winter in Perth if you get the right day is a really fantastic time to hike. A sunny day with the hint of cloud combined with no winds is the idea of perfection for me so it was good timing that I did this hike in those exact conditions.
This day is obviously dominated by the climb up and down of Mount Cooke and it really is one of those special places in Perth that amazes all that visit. What I really enjoy about Mount Cooke is the length of the ridge line and the fun you can have walking through the boulders, spotting new wildflowers and views as you go.
The granite platform I always stop at is a place I can be anywhere and imagine being there, instantly making me feel calm and relaxed.
While Mount Cooke is the big showpiece here, the forest leading to Nerang is a good indicator of what to expect over the next few days and is really underrated. With only one track to follow you can switch off and just enjoy the walking through what is some really nice Jarrah forest.
Another lovely day on the Bibbulmun and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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