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[Amy Lauterbach]

After our fine walk this summer on the Haute Route Pyrenees we’re now trying to choose our next trip. One possibility is a 5-10 week trip in Australia, and I’m hoping that some of the Australian BPLers might help with advice (Drunkenblade, Empacitator, Roger, others?)

We enjoy coastal paths, trails that move through various types of terrain and habitats, and alpine walking. Jim really likes to complete a described route from one end to the other. Good bird watching along the way is a definite plus. We are happy to hike reasonable distances between re-supply points, but don’t mind passing through places where food and/or meals can be obtained. We would need to be able to get to and from the trail starting and ending points by public transportation. We do not want to cache supplies along a route prior to starting a walk. Technical challenge and remoteness are not negatives, but we would not be carrying technical rock or ice climbing equipment. Oh yeah, we are quite averse to concentrations of mosquitoes or biting flies.

Ideally we’d find a described walking route that is 500 to 1000 kilometers long (along the lines of the Haute Route Pyrenees or the UK’s Southwest Coast Path). We have read about the Bibbulmun Track but we don’t have a good feel for whether it would be a good experience as an end-to-end long distance walk. Is the scenery and mix of habitats rich and diverse enough to stay interesting for multiple weeks? Is it possible to take the Bibbulmun hike without caching food and/or water?

Are there other long distance walking trips in Australia that are worth pursuing? Or might we be better off to take a cycling trip instead, perhaps including the Munda Biddi Trail? We do lots of wilderness hiking in the Sierra Nevada and Utah, and we’ve taken 7 hikes of 3-7 weeks in the UK, France and Spain. We have a good feeling for the hiking options in Europe and the US, but we feel ignorant about the possibilities in Australia.

We prefer the idea of one long walk or one long bicycle trip, but might entertain assembling a trip that combines a shorter walk (300-500 km) with some birding and bicycling (assuming we could find a place to store our bikes while hiking).

We really appreciate any help and suggestions!

Thanks,
Amy L & Jim Y
Palo Alto, California

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