Kwokralup Beela to Walpole
Munda Biddi Trail
Start
Kwokralup Beela Hut
Time
2-3 Hours
Finish
Walpole
Date Ridden
6th September 2021
Length
30.7km
Elevation
507m
Traditional Custodians
Minang People
The Ride - With a big day of riding the previous day, which included a fair amount of climbing, this next stretch into Walpole I was treating as a bit of a rest day given the short distance and relative ease of riding in the second half of the section. With check-in not allowed until 3pm at the wonderful Tingle All Over accommodation that I had booked, we had the opportunity to lounge around the campsite in the morning after a bit of a sleep in. In hindsight, I should have made the effort to walk down to the river again but cosplaying a burrito in the hut was more appealing to me in the moment. Eventually we had all of our gear packed and were ready for lift-off at around 9:30am for a leisurely ride into Walpole.
Waiting for us in Walpole was Aron's mum and partner as our travel schedules lined up and would be in town on the same night. This meant arriving before 3pm wasn't a big issue as we could catch up with them and enjoy the hospitality of Walpole for the afternoon. It was forecast to be a warm and sunny day so I wanted to be finished around lunchtime so we could enjoy some relaxation in town while still having time to do chores like washing and shopping. The first half of the day would be the real killer with a medium puppa climb followed by the big puppa climb up North Walpole Road. From there we would be basically riding downhill all the way to sea level as Walpole is located right on the Walpole Inlet (which feeds into the bigger Nornalup Inlet). The map for the area around camp looks a bit silly with the Munda Biddi heading up a road running parallel to the one you came in on the previous day before looping back on itself to head south and then west.
There is a road that cuts out this unnecessary bit so I'm not sure why it isn't utilised as the long way doesn't add much interest (and as far as I can tell the long way isn't better). What we did encounter was some pleasant forest and a few puddles that required riding through. Given it was already getting to be a little bit warm, a cold soak of the shoes wasn't a bad thing. Riding parallel to a small creek, the hairpin bend is where the road provides a crossing point and here I spotted some cool Drosera vines just off the track. From here you have a bit of gentle riding through the forest, which was looking much better in person than the photos thanks to the harsh lighting conditions, eventually reaching the base of the medium puppa climb for the day. The gradients aren't too bad but the last little kicker is the toughest bit. Your reward is the end of one hill and a meetup with North Walpole Road, a lovely paved road that takes you downhill and towards the biggest climb of the day.
The tarmac was a sweet relief and the elevation drop was a nice way to increase the average speed but the looming hill was visible in the background. Given this was the last challenge of the day, it wasn't such a big deal, especially after tackling much worse the previous day, so I concentrated on enjoying the downhill and keeping an ear out for passing traffic. After spending the morning in the forests, the scenery had changed to mostly farmland with a decent amount of shade provided by the trees lining the road. As we hit the bottom of the downhill and started the 140m vertical gain, it was a case of getting into a rhythm to sustain an effort all the way to the top. This of course meant going at a different pace to Aron so I left him to the climb while I forged on. Stopping every now and then to photograph the landscape, this provided a nice opportunity for a breather before I tackled the steepest and most exposed section of the climb. With gradients reaching just over 17% and the sun beating down, this was a moment where I decided to cut my losses and hopped off.
I could see the top of the climb where it looked to flatten out significantly so walking my bike up this part was just part of the Munda Biddi experience (and good practice for the following day). Keeping a watchful eye on me as I walked all 30kg of bike and gear up the road were some nearby sheep so I took some photos as an excuse for another breather. A fun little sign along here is Underhill Road, a reference that fellow LOTR nerds will understand and indeed this area has a bit of The Shire about it (like most rolling farmland scenes). Hopping back on the bike as gradient flattened to acceptable levels, my aim was to get into the forest so I was at least in the shade. Once in the coolness of the forest, I checked the map while waiting for Aron and as it turned out, I wasn't too far away from the Swarbrick Art Loop so decided to press on and wait for my riding partner there. It wasn't long before I was at the empty car park so found a shaded spot on the nearby path and had a bit of a sit and rehydrate. As I was doing this, a small marsupial bounced out of the vegetation and had a long stare at me. Unfortunately my camera wasn't within reach but I enjoyed this chance encounter before it hopped back into the bushes.
Aron joined me not long after and he parked up his bike before we headed into the forest on foot to enjoy the Swarbrick Art Loop. I had last visited here on a family holiday in 2016 and was looking forward to the return. This spot is where protesters fought against the continued logging of the Karri forest through here and it was an important win for conservationists in WA. To remember the effort, there is a short walk trail with public art telling a different story connected back to the forest. The most memorable piece for most people is the giant stainless steel mirror at the start and although a little dirtier than my previous visit, it was still just as nice this time around. I did laugh at one quote on there from Sir James Mitchell, making me think he was bit of a dickhead that I would not have gotten on well with. Having the time to hop off the bikes and wander around was nice as it served as a nice halfway spot to take a breather. With the loop finished, we arrived back at the bikes and headed off for the much easier second half of the day. Heading away from Swarbrick via some lovely single trail, we soon joined a vehicle track as it started going uphill, much to my surprise.
This is only a very short climb before you are barrelling down the vehicle track at a rate of knots as you start the bulk of the main descent. Not stopping to take many photos, I was impressed with the size of some of the trees through here but with some steeper gradients, it wasn't that safe to slam on the brakes when I saw something that caught my eye. Reaching a flatter section, I could relax a bit more, photographing an old reference tree that almost has the numbering system grown over plus a section of regrowth Karri that's about as old as I am. Taking a left at the regrowth forest, you soon reach another farming section and this marks the end of the Karri forest for now. Instead you follow access roads that are lined with mixed Jarrah/Marri trees that introduce you to the drier section of the track coming up. Here is the start of a section leading all the way to the other side of Walpole I am dubbing "The Dominion de Souza" as it's the first of three consecutive maintenance sections that my podcast partner and his wife look after. He had named one of my Bibbulmun Track maintenance sections "The Kingdom of Py" a long time ago so I'm now repaying the favour.
One feature he had told me about was the extreme erosion on the road near the plantations and it was noticeable to say the least. Causing no issue for riders, I took some photos and we continued on our merry way. From this point it is more a gentle descent to Walpole and the landscape had started to open up. I pointed out to Aron that we would be in the hills to the distance tomorrow as we climbed up to Valley of the Giants and to enjoy the gentle riding. With stunted trees mixing in with open plains, this exposed section wasn't the best scenery to be riding through in the warmth but it was pretty to the eye. I loved the Kingia Australis through here and the views of the surrounding hills. Much like the second half of the following day, it had a feeling about it of wilderness stretching out as far as the eye could see. Thankfully the sandy vehicle tracks that occasionally popped up were nice and compact so I focused on spotting wildflowers on the edge of the road. There were a few varieties out including a Grevillea and lots of Purple Flag but we were maybe a month or two out from peak season.
Popping in and out of little forested sections, unfortunately some of them had been recently burnt so didn't appear as lush or aesthetically pleasing as they could have. I remarked to Aron that it felt like we were climbing more than descending but our pace was pretty good as we reached an eroded section running under some small powerlines. While not the best looking area, I think it is designed to keep you off South Western Highway for as long as possible. Eventually though you do have to ride on the highway for a short stretch as you ride into town, crossing over the bridge for the Walpole River. With no cars around, I stopped for some photos of the river before chasing Aron down as he approached Boronia Ridge estate. It's a bit of an odd entry into town, riding past all the holiday homes but it's preferable to riding along the highway and the local artwork in someone's front yard provided a laugh. Joining up with the Bibb, you enter a section of Paperbark swamp that is a really pretty finish to the day as you cross the highway and head towards the Visitor Centre.
Given it was only 12:30pm and we had a couple of hours to kill, we signed the logbook and went to the shops to grab some snacks. Aron's mum had not arrived back into town just yet so we rode down to the inlet for some shade and well earned snacks. Eventually we got the call to join Aron's mum and we made plans for the evening (dinner at the pub). Wanting to get some washing on, we ventured over to Tingle All Over and was greeted by the owner who was overseeing some building works to add in a couple of new rooms. Our room wasn't ready yet but she let us put our bikes in one of the unused dorm rooms so we could get some clothes in the machines and also ourselves in the shower. It wasn't quite the relaxing afternoon I had in mind but the warm temperatures meant we could hang outside well into the late afternoon before heading off to the pub for dinner with Aron's mum and her partner, who kindly treated us.
Final Thoughts - With a short day in the saddle, this was always going to be a tough one mentally as the urge to get into town meant the journey was sometimes not as appreciated as it could have been.
There are a couple of highlights on this day with the Swarbrick Art Loop being the big one and the combination of Karri forest and open plains providing some enjoyable scenery.
With the warm temperatures and exposed nature of some sections, it was a slightly sweaty ride but we finally had a run of good weather.
Walpole hasn't fared well since Covid with staff hard to come by and several cafes closed down because of it. The eating out options are now very limited and what I found to be a really nice town on my visits over the years seemed reduced to a shell of it's former self, catering more to grey nomads travelling through.
Hopefully it recovers in the future as it's one of my favourite towns in the South West and a place I've enjoyed coming through on various trips over the years.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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