Northcliffe to Yirra Kartta
Munda Biddi Trail
Start
Northcliffe
Time
3-6 Hours
Finish
Yirra Kartta Hut
Date Ridden
4th September 2021
Length
50.5km
Elevation
813m
Traditional Custodians
Minang People
The Ride - With a thoroughly enjoyable town to town section of riding over, stretching way back to Donnybrook, we treated ourselves to a cosy stay at PipinnVale BnB as a last hurrah before two nights roughing it in the wild. Pippa was an excellent host and as I said in my previous post, the food was the best we'd had on the whole trail. Waking up and getting out of the comfy bed was a challenge with the cold temperatures not helping but the allure of a cooked breakfast and Tilley pats was good motivation. Enjoying fresh bread, eggs, beans, mushrooms and coffee, this was everything you'd expect from a country BnB and made leaving much harder. With 50km to ride today to Yirra Kartta, we eventually got going and said goodbye to Pippa just after 9:30am.
With PipinnVale being a short ride out of Northcliffe, it was decided that we would head back into town for some snack supplies for the next two nights and it also meant I could start my Strava at the Visitor Centre. Northcliffe is a small town with no supermarket so the closest thing you'll get is the General Store located within the Petrol Station, although it is very well stocked. With my dehydrated meals already packed, I was looking for something sweet to enjoy for dessert so settled on a couple of blocks of chocolate and a box of BBQ Shapes. With supplies secured, it was already getting quite late in the morning and our regular pace over the last couple of weeks would see us arrive an hour or so before sunset. Given Yirra Kartta was one of the campsites I was looking forward to staying at, I really wanted to get a hurry on. I left Aron to re-pack his bags with extra goodies and set off for the Visitor Centre to officially start the day. As luck would have it, I would spot Steph and Leigh at one of the picnic tables sorting through their drop box. We had met them at Donnelly River as they passed through on the Bibb Track and it was a nice surprise to see them here.
We weren't exactly setting the world on fire with our daily distances so it was about right that we would intersect again. They had stayed the night at Schafer Campsite and confirmed that it was Pack Animal that we saw when we popped in for lunch the previous day. As they sorted out their gear we had a chat about their last few days and the different routes we had taken to get to Northcliffe. Wishing them well for the rest of their journey, Aron and I headed off to find our way out of Northcliffe. While the Bibb Track takes a pretty convoluted path our of town, criss-crossing major roads several times before disappearing into the forest, the Munda Biddi follows Windy Harbour Road for a short section before taking a left and heading off into the farmland. Crossing the old railway tracks, you head along some single track before reaching Boorara Road and a creek crossing that I had to stop at for photos. Leaving Boorara Road, you turn left onto Old Mill Road for some riding through the back lanes of the surrounding farmland. With some large trees bordering the road, this was a pleasant ride up a gentle hill that takes you towards the first forested section of the day.
Entering the forest is nice as it felt nice to be enclosed under the canopy but the feeling doesn't last long as you make a right turn and one side of the vehicle track opens up to more farmland. This is no bad thing with the pretty green hills and small dam providing some idyllic scenes to shoot. The re-emergence of the Karri forest through here was a delight as I wasn't sure what the scenery would be like today given the horrific 2015 fires that devastated the area surrounding Northcliffe. This particular spot seems to have escaped the worst of the burns with no skeleton trees to be found, only lush and beautiful forest. I was happy to see a large clumping of Old Mans Beard growing at the base of a thick Karri trunk and it felt like proper Karri country. On a small pinch climb leading to some of the best forest of the whole day (albeit very brief), I tried to power up and dropped down one too many gears and my entire chain came off. This had been a recurring problem on the trip and required a messy fix every time it happened.
The nice forest didn't last very long as we were greeted with a hardwood plantation off to the right but I spotted something here that made me halt to a stop. An emu was wandering around among the matchsticks and didn't seem to notice me as it hadn't run away in panic. These not so bright birds are fun to watch and as Aron glided up behind me, I pointed into the plantation where it was and spotted another one hanging about. We watched them for a while before continuing on towards our next turn at Jackson Road. This led us along a sandy track that was nice and compact, eventually reaching another section of farmland. It was nice country riding up to now and it never felt like you were slogging through the kilometres given the constant change of terrain. The wildflowers through here were impressive with the swampy Paperbark areas providing some new varieties including a Grevillea. Making another turn, the wooden National Park sign was promising but this was just the fringes of Boorara-Gardner National Park. The sandy road had more of an open plains feel about it and it became an exercise in dodging puddles where we could.
The sandy riding doesn't last long and after crossing Preston Road, you continue along gravel tracks as it winds through some acceptable forest that was filled with wildflowers. Joining Mottram Road, the Karri trees were back and this would mark the start of some sustained farmland riding as we first headed down to Boorara Brook and then up the first of two big puppa hills for the day. Turning onto Boorara Road, we noticed a herd of grass puppies near the edge of the fence that seemed quite intrigued by us. We stopped to have a look as they all rushed over to the fence so I hopped off my bike and climbed up the embankment to get some closer photos. As it turns out, they were interested but not that interested because as I approached the fence, they all backed away. I said hello to a few of them but my accent must have been off as they didn't want to be my friend. Getting back on the bike, we said goodbye and rocketed off down the hill towards Boorara Brook. Having driven along this road getting to the Lane Poole Falls Track and seeing the Munda Biddi markers, I remembered the road having a few hills and we were about to ride up one of the longer ones.
The gradients for the entire hill are super gentle (less than 6%), so I settled into a rhythm, told Aron I would meet him at the top and continued to pedal. The scenery was really nice for the first part with the Karri forest of the national park to my right and the rolling farmland to the left. Stopping every now and then to photograph the scenery, I soon reached a flat part and was quite proud I'd made it up the hill with not too much effort. Rolling past an avocado farm and around a corner, I realised this was only halfway so had to mentally re-engage back to climbing mode. This was made easier by the podcast I was listening to, an interview with Brad Serls who had done the Munda Biddi a couple of times in good time and at this point in the episode he was talking about his experience on the Hunt 1000, a brutal unsupported race through the Australian Alps. It kind of put my little tootle up a gentle hill into perspective and I thought it would be a good idea to invite Brad onto my podcast when we recorded the Northcliffe to Walpole section of the Munda Biddi. At the top of the hill I found some more grass puppies off in the distance but once again they seemed curious and sprinted over next to the fence.
Aron caught up as I was photographing the cows and we prepared to say goodbye to the farmland for the day and enter a world of straight roads and forest for the rest of the day. With some really nice Karri trees welcoming us into Boorara-Gardner National Park once again, the turnoff for the Boorara Tree wasn't too far into the park. This is a spot I had marked down as our lunch stop but the wooden sign pointing you up the hill saying 1km put Aron off venturing to the Boorara Tree. In reality it's only about 400m but it had been a while since my last visit so couldn't remember. In the end we had our break at the wooden sign and it was a pleasant spot to wander around and stretch the legs. Excited to see what the rest of the day had in store plus get to Yirra Kartta in time to explore the campsite and setup for sunset, we jumped back on the bikes and kept travelling. The Karri forest continued to be excellent quality as we descended down to the Canterbury River crossing. If you have the time then definitely head up to the Boorara Tree area as the Lane Poole Falls Track takes you down to a granite waterfall along the Canterbury River.
Our interaction with it today would be this brief crossing and it was the start of many ups and downs over the course of the afternoon. As you can see from the elevation chart at the top of the page, it was either up or it was down, there was very little flat riding from here to the campsite. Apart from one sustained climb though, it was all little hills so the ups were balanced out by the freeriding on the downs. Leaving Boorara Road and the excellent Karri forest, we entered a patch of sandy plains with an overgrown feel to it. One really open spot revealed plenty of Grass Trees this was a pleasant change. Riding towards Dean Road, we arrived at one of the longest sections of continuous road riding on the entire track. A wooden sign telling us this was Shannon National Park brought happy memories to mind as I've always enjoyed my time in this park. With a corridor of tall trees guiding the way, I settled into a rhythm again as the riding became a little monotonous with the thick undergrowth not particularly appealing from an aesthetic point of view. Crossing Deeside Coast Road provided some relief as after this where Dean Road gets renamed Nelson Road, the scenery improves greatly.
I think the previous 5km had been badly affected by the 2015 fires as the thick regrowth suggested it was recovering from a fire. With the canopy reaching over like interlocking hands and the undergrowth having a lot more variety, this stretch of riding was super enjoyable. Spotting more wildflowers as I rode along, there was plenty of time to stop and smell the roses so to speak and I was delighted when I came across a Pink Fairy Orchid nestled in the gravel. Continuing to clock up the kilometres, we came across a small hill before descending down to a river crossing that happened to be the Shannon River. Given there was no character bridge, the crossing was a bit uneventful but reminded me of staying at Dog Pool Campsite a few years ago on the Bibb Track. This marks the start of the second big climb of the day with a ride out of the valley. Unlike the last climb, this one had some steeper gradients with parts reaching 12% but when the effort became too much, I decided to stop and photograph something on the side of the trail. Luckily I was spoilt for choice with moss covered granite hills and plenty of fungi and wildflowers.
Similar to the first big climb, this one was split into two sections and while riding along the small downhill between the two, the rains arrived to put a dampener on the afternoon. While we were riding in late winter and early spring so expected a bit of rain, this was continuing a streak of getting rained on each day from the Yarri Campsite. Hoping it was a brief shower, I soon hit the second part of the climb and just put my head down to get to the top. The wide road provided little protection and as luck would have it, about halfway up the climb it would stop raining. This meant I could get the camera back out and photograph all the little details including some Black Cockatoos hanging around in a dead tree and some more wildflowers including a Pink Boronia. With Aron a bit behind, I reached an intersection that contained a Munda Biddi marker and parked up my bike. The effects of the 2015 fires were quite visible from this spot with a mass of skeletal trees in the distance. Unbeknownst to me at the time but the right turn at this intersection would lead all the way to Dog Pool Campsite on the Bibb but our path would be taking us left and on towards Yirra Kartta.
Aron caught up and we made a turn for the first time in 14km, something that felt a little odd. Riding along Dog Road, we were now out of Shannon National Park and into Shannon State Forest. What's the difference you ask? State Forest in WA simply means a section of forest that is due to be logged or mined and has little to no protection at all. There are a maze of forestry roads through this area and every 20-30 years it is pillaged for diminishing returns, although with the ban on native logging coming into effect in 2024, there is some hope that these areas can recover. Dog Road was fairly uneventful so it was nice to make a couple of turns and ride along what felt like single track but was a reclaimed forestry track. Here the scenery improved greatly with Foxtails, Trigger Plants, Banksia and Cotton Heads brightening up the trail along with some cool patches of granite. Enjoying a bit of a downhill stretch, our progress was halted by a fallen tree but after slogging out the Dean Road section, it was a nice break to be off the bikes, even if we had to lift them over the tree.
Exiting the pseudo single track, we continued along the forestry roads that had a not very pleasant vibe to them. There was debris all over the place and the scrappy and overgrown nature of the undergrowth didn't look particularly appealing to the eye. With my watch showing that the kilometres were reaching the mid 40s for the day, it wouldn't be long until we were at camp. Thankfully the forest improved as we turned onto Bull Road and began the final push into camp. The forest returned to some much more acceptable levels but the rains returned. I think I was already behind Aron at this stage after stopping to photograph the forest and so when I stopped to put on my rain jacket, he got even further ahead. About 2km from camp, the trail takes a sharp right and does this odd loop to get into camp. With the rain now stopped, I was still only stopping occasionally to take photos but there was no sign of Aron. I figured he must have really wanted to get into camp but after negotiating the switchbacks leading up the hill into the hut at great speed, it was a shock to see him already there.
Turns out he had looked at the map on his phone and decided that the loop was silly, so just kept going along Bull Road and entered the campsite via the trail we would use in the morning to exit. We had made it after 50km of riding and I was excited to unpack all my gear and go exploring. The reason for this was the giant granite dome located right next to camp that I knew provided some excellent views of the surrounding landscape. With sides of the hut selected and sleeping gear setup, I suggested we amble up the granite to see what was what. With sunset still a couple of hours away, this would just be one of three walks up to the summit I did that day but it was every bit as good as I was expecting. There was still some rain hanging around on the first trip up, so the skies were a bit muted as we gazed out at what we could see. We had a good wander around, checking out the various nooks and crannies of the granite surface and enjoying a few rainbows.
Deciding to come back for the sunset, we set about heading down to the hut and making up some hot beverages for the evening show. In the meantime I explored the tent sites, photographing all the wildflowers I could find. As sunset approached, we walked up to the summit again, this time I had brought my ultralight hiking chair and my packet of BBQ shapes. With the skies clearing to the west, we were in for a great light show as the sun slowly made its way down to the horizon. With the views now more visible, I looked out for Mount Chance to the south plus Mount Roe and Mount Frankland to the east. Yirra Kartta is the Munda Biddi equivalent to Mount Chance on the Bibb Track with the campsite located at the base of a stunning granite dome. As the afternoon wore on and the colours of the sky continued to evolve, we moved around to different vantage points to take it all in. The rainbows returned once again and I took way too many photos of them as they "landed" in the forest below. Settling into my hiking chair for the meaty part of the sunset, these moments are reward for the effort of doing adventures like this.
With the sun setting behind the hill, the best colours were reserved for this time with the clouds lighting up a beautiful shade of pink. Shuffling back down to the campsite, we enjoyed some games before bed but I had one more trip up the granite dome planned. With a new moon happening around this time, the conditions for photographing the Milky Way would be perfect, provided the clouds blew over. Setting my alarm for midnight, I would at least go up and see what it was like. Armed with only my camera and lantern, I arrived at the summit to find clear skies and the faint line of the Milky Way visible to the naked eye. With no tripod or remote shutter release, I would have to position my camera using the crevices in the granite and hope for the best. In the end the shots were as expected but the core of the Milky Way was really nice in some of the photos. I probably should have come back in another hour to get the core setting over the horizon to the west but with another big day in the saddle tomorrow, I decided rest was more important.
Final Thoughts - After enjoying the comforts of a town every night for the past week, it was refreshing to be out in the wilderness, even if it was only for two nights before reaching Walpole.
Yirra Kartta was another place I had earmarked as a place to really savour and I was happy that the weather wasn't too bad once we arrived. These granite domes are an experience and also significant for the traditional owners so please be respectful while you are up there (along with not stepping on the moss).
The riding is not the most stunning in places along this day with some very long road sections through areas still recovering from the 2015 bushfires but on the whole I found this to be a fun day.
There is a good mix of scenery, some nice sections of forest and one of the best campsites on the entire track. Sitting in my hiking chair watching the sunset with a hot chocolate and some BBQ shapes is a great way to finish a day of riding. Add in some astrophotography and this was yet another amazing memory from the end to end.
Get out there and experience it!!!
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