Marri Trail
Crooked Brook Forest
Directions - To reach Crooked Brook Forest from the centre of Boyanup, head east along Boyanup-Picton Road until you reach Dillon Road. Turn right and at Twomey Road, turn left then an immediate right at Crooked Brook Road. Follow this all the way to Boyanup-Ferguson Road where you'll see signs for Crooked Brook Forest. I started at the main car park, that is a short drive down Boyanup-Ferguson Road.
The Hike - Crooked Brook Forest is a place that I had first visited in June 2016, and while I enjoyed the hike, I don't think I fully appreciated how special this location is, especially in the spring time. Having made my return in 2021 as I rode through on the Munda Biddi Trail, the volume and variety of wildflowers in late August prompted me to consider a return during the wildflower spectacle months of September or October, and really capture the magic of this bit of Western Australia.
Fast forward to a whirlwind road trip in the South West to cover trails for my new guidebook (click here to order your copy), and the 9.5km Marri Trail in Crooked Brook Forest was my last stop before heading home. Having covered a lot of trails in four days, I was looking forward to meandering around the forest here and just seeing how many different types of wildflowers and orchids I could see. With plenty of great finds already in the books (or camera memory card), this was going to be the cherry on top if I found something super cool, like a different kind of Spider Orchid or other unique orchid. Driving from my last stop in Balingup to shoot the Golden Valley Tree Park with new spring foliage, I grabbed some lunch in Boyanup before driving out to start this hike. Last time I started closer to Crooked Brook Road, at the first car park you come across but this time I decided the main car park would be more fitting.
Given there is a proper trail head here, more parking and a series of information boards, it only seemed logical to correct previous Mark and the decision he made in 2016. Being mid afternoon on a Monday, I wasn't expecting to see too many people but it was still school holidays, so you never know. The car park was almost full, which is a good sign as it meant plenty of people were enjoying a glorious day out in nature. Gathering my gear, reapplying sunscreen and making sure I had a spare camera battery, I eventually meandered past the playground and towards the first information gazebo. There are several walk trails in Crooked Brook Forest, with the shorter Wildflower Walk, Jarrah Walk and Forest Walk all located around this main car park. The longer Marri Trail is what I was here to do and would incorporate some of these trails but also provide a fuller experience through the surrounding forests.
Deciding to head in a clockwise direction, I headed back towards the car park and crossed Boyanup-Ferguson Road to orient myself at the red wooden sign, located a little way into the forest. Take a right at this sign to follow both the Marri Trail and the eastern side of the Wildflower Walk, as this is the walkers only trail, along with being the nice route. Initially heading up a small hill, the wildflower finds were coming thick and fast, backing up the decision to name the shorter walk the Wildflower Walk. As I'm writing this post in 2023, I've improved the website a little, so the wildflower names now show as you scroll over the photo (or if you tap on the photo if you're on a mobile device). That being said, when I list the wildflowers here, you can go look in the galleries and match up the name to a photo. Early finds on this first section included Blue Lechenaultia, Creamy Candles, Winged Stackhousia, Milkmaids, Purple Enamel Orchids, Cowslip Orchids and many more.
Rising up a small hill, the single trail was lined with bright colours, a settled undergrowth and plenty of mature trees, although I suspect that this area like so much of the South West has been logged at some point. Although not uncommon, I was pleased to spot a Jug Orchid, as their green and white colouring sometimes blends in really well to the undergrowth and takes a good eye to spot. I'd like to think that after many years of hiking and wildflower photography that my eye is pretty good, and this being the last walk of the trip, it was working pretty well at this stage. The terrain levels out eventually and you come across a wooden lookout on the edge of the hill. Facing north, on a clear day you can see all the way to Bunbury and the tower building that is a feature of downtown Funbury. After taking a few photos, I continued on and made my way downhill, walking slowly so I didn't miss any new wildflowers. Finds through here include a Hairy Jugflower, Catkin Grevillea, Snakebush, Wooly-flowered Grevillea and Yellow Flags.
This was one of the more enjoyable stretches of walking, as the path just meandered through the lovely forest in a way that felt like you weren't rally going anywhere (but in a good way). Eventually you do reach somewhere, the intersection with the Munda Biddi Trail, and where the Marri Trail leaves the Wildflower Walk to branch off on its own adventure. Before that point, I was lucky enough to spot a White Spider Orchid nestled behind a Grass Tree, and with limited lighting I was able to get an okay photo. Buoyed by my first fun find, I continued on and off towards an area that contained some exposed sections that were perhaps used for gravel mining back in the day. They never lasted very long and the exposed feel provided something different, along with new wildflower finds. After doing a little half loop, I enjoyed the last of the forest before being spat out onto a sandy vehicle track that I remembered from my first visit. While the wide shots from this section weren't particularly appealing from a visual standpoint, the change of soils meant different wildflowers.
I imagine that outside of the wildflower season, this would be one of the more taxing and uninteresting parts of the hike but with a relatively mild day and plenty to see, I was loving it. The sheer number of Cowslip and Purple Enamel Orchids lining the trail made them seem like a weed but this was just prime season for them to be out in these numbers. Along with plenty of orchids, I found some Rhodanthe citrina (no common name but the small yellow daisies), Wiry Wattle and some Red Ink Sundews that were on their last legs. The sandy walking doesn't last too long and soon you return to the familiar orange gravel that you started the hike on. Starting the longest climb of the route, this is where the Pineapple Bush is most prevalent, one of my favourite plants in WA. A unique looking plant, similar to the Grass Tree, they aren't closely related oddly enough. This was the first place I remember seeing them and they've held a special place in my heart ever since.
The climb isn't particularly taxing as the gradient is pretty gentle and the surrounding forest is really nice to look at. Still on the old vehicle track, there are some lovely mature trees that were saved from previous logging. Some of the best forest scenes are along this stretch, as you walk a fair distance to reach the crossing of Boyanup-Ferguson Road. Watch for traffic as you cross the wide road and continue along some welcome single track. I paused for a bit here to have a drink and remember back to when my father joined Aron and I for this section of the Munda Biddi into Donnybrook, a most enjoyable day of riding among an excellent three week adventure. This stretch of single track was really fun, with lots of wildflowers lining the trail and I was lucky enough to photograph a different type of fly sitting on a Boronia flower. Further on there was blanket of pink and orange peas that looked very similar to ones I'd seen at Mount Martin near Albany, and turned out to be Dillwynia laxiflora (again no common name and a big thanks to hillsflora on iNaturalist for the identification).
The single track ends after a while and you join a series of vehicle tracks that dot this side of the forest. It has a thicker feel to it as the undergrowth is a lot taller than the walk leading up the hill, with Grass Trees and Pineapple Bush being more prominent. New wildflowers started to appear with the bright pinks of some Rosy Rice Flowers providing a splash of colour. At a trail junction I came across a flowering Giant Banksia, that thankfully didn't distract me from taking the right turn. Heading down an extended hill, I was loving the afternoon sun streaming through the canopy and the Jarrah and Marri trees through here were looking stunning. I knew eventually I would reach the border of some farmland but didn't want this section to end. Slowing up to spot as many wildflowers as possible, I was stopped in my tracks by a flash of blue that caught my eye. A clumping of Blue Lady Orchids was just off the trail and I was little bit excited, as I'd only seen one in the wild before, in the Kingdom of Py.
Buzzing after seeing a different kind of orchid, I continued on my merry way and savoured the last of the forest before arriving at the farmland section. With the afternoon getting on, the lighting was really nice as I reached the end of the forest and the fence line walking alongside a paddock. There were definite Shire vibes as I stared out over the green fields towards distant woods and rolling hills. This is the first of two sections of farmland that you come across in this final stretch of walking and I enjoy the variety, even more so that this farm appears to have the appearance of an abundance of trees that other farms in the area lack. The fence line walking only lasts a couple of hundred metres before markers point you back into the forest (it's easy to walk past them so watch out). A return to single track was welcome and I could hear the distant cries of Black Cockatoos. Getting closer, I saw them munching on Marri nuts, fitting given the name of this trail.
Walking downhill, there is an open stretch of land that could do with a bit of rehabilitation (I've enquired with the Friends of Crooked Brook Forest group to see if I could help fund/carry out the rehab, and am waiting on a response). This leads to the second bit of farmland adjacent walking where you join another fence, this time rounding a 90 degree corner until the trail heads back into the forest once again. This is the last really enjoyable bit of walking until you reach the end, with some stunning mature trees and plenty of Grass Trees making the trail feel special. Once you exit the forest onto a wide vehicle track that borders a scrappy pine plantation, it becomes more a "get to the chopper" style of hike. Unfortunately this section lasts about 700m and you just have to deal with it, which I did by looking right the whole time and into the forest. Eventually you reach the Billabong section of Crooked Brook and the final leg of the trail that is shared with the Forest Path. A paved trail that runs around a little lake, unfortunately the sun had dipped behind the clouds and it wasn't looking as flash in the photos as my first visit here. Reaching the gazebo, the hike was over and so was my road trip.
Final Thoughts – Now the website is getting on in years (along with me), certain pages from the early days are not quite up to standard.
I'd like to think I'm a bit wiser and know when certain areas are at their best, so it's been fun to return to trails I've previously done and properly showcase them in a new light.
The Marri Trail has always been a bit of a dark horse in the South West trails landscape, with it not really popping up too much on various forums and listicles.
While I don't expect that to change, it's nice to have these quieter spots to hike, especially when the wildflowers are this good and the forest as nice as it is. Over the course of the hike I spotted well over 50 different varieties and I'm sure I missed a dozen or so more.
While this trail comes alive in spring, the forest at other times of the year makes up for lack of colour, so there is plenty to enjoy.
Get out there and experience it!
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