1) Walk map - Shows route and waypoint locations

2) Photo from walk  (also see Photo Galleries)

3) 3D map view

4) Satellite imagery

5) Route profile

6) Walk description

7) Waypoint listing and grid references

[Click on map for full page version]

View of forest and outcrop near Sapper Rd,

 northern Avon Valley National Park,

May 2004.

[Click on photo for larger version]

More photos.

Click here

for Google Maps image

of the walk area. -Use zoom bar

for road details.

Step 1: Left Click here

For fly-in to waypoints and route on image of the walk area.

Or Right Click to

 "Save Target/Link As..."  kml file.

Step 2: Left Click here

For fly-in to 3D view

 of the walk area.

Or Right Click to

 "Save Target/Link As..."  kml file.

Hint: For enhanced 3D effect, set 'Elevation Exaggeration'

in Google Earth to "3" (via 'Tools' menu, 'Options' & 'View' tab).

      Route profile

87 kms NE of Perth (road distance). 

15.5 field kms (55% off-track).

MEDIUM - HARD  (What does this mean?)

See Google Map for start point on road map.

(Use zoom ladder for detail. Select 'Hybrid' to add satellite imagery.)

Great Eastern Hwy and bypass, then north on Roe Hwy, then approx. 48 kms NE along Toodyay Rd to signposted turnoff to Avon Valley National Park on left (Morangup Rd), then about 5 kms  to Park entrance road on left. Park entry fee is $9.00 per car. Follow the gravel road for about 8 kms, passing Quarry Rd ('No Entry') on the right, to reach a fork in the road soon after. Take the left fork which is Governors Drive and is signposted "to Bald Hill".  (The right fork which is Forty One Mile Rd,  is signposted "to River", and ends at the Valley Campsite near the Avon River).  Follow Governors Drive for less than  1.5 kms and turn left into the signed Homestead Campsite and park in the camping area. (Public toilet close by). 

Park opening-closing times are 8.00am-5.00pm. Make sure you finish the walk in time to leave the Park by 5.00pm before the entry gate is closed. Take care driving on the narrow and gravelly Park access roads, and watch for kangaroos and emus crossing.      For Park Ranger, ph. 08 95713066.

South of the Avon River:  Via the railway service road (along the north side of  the railway track) either to Forty One Mile Rd (below Valley Campsite) or to Quarry Rd (east of the walk route), then south. 

North of the River (only if river can't be re-crossed):  Via Sapper Rd west to T-junction with Plunkett Rd then north (about 9 kms to Julimar Rd). 

This walk offers a good sampling of the rugged scenery of the Avon Valley National Park on both sides of the Avon River. The River runs southwestward through  this   4400 ha park,  cutting deeply into the granite of the Darling Range  (as it has also done about 20 kms further SW at Walyunga National Park, where it becomes the Swan River). The Avon Valley is now an important area for native fauna conservation. Animals re-introduced to the Park in recent years by CALM/AWC include the tammar wallaby, the black-flanked rock wallaby, the quenda (southern brown bandicoot), and woylies (bettongs).

Western Australia's most famous bushranger "Moondyne Joe" once roamed the slopes of the Avon Valley (between 1855 and 1861) and the pioneering surveyor-explorer, John Forrest (later a Premier of W.A.) and his surveying team in early 1878 placed cairns on several  observation points  near the hill-tops overlooking the valley. This walk captures some sense of that history by including visits to the historic sites at "Joe's Cage" (where Moondyne Joe once captured wild horses and cattle) and at "Cairn DP" (one of the best preserved of the John Forrest cairn sites, with a marked tree nearby) .  

The steep slopes on both sides of the Avon River provide for some reasonably challenging uphill climbs but also some excellent views across and along the main valley from both sides.  The walk also includes two crossings of the River, one at the ford below the Valley Campsite, and the other 1 km upriver from Emu Falls.  -The Falls, which are not on the main walk route, can be visited by an extra 1 km round-trip diversion along the railway service road from near the  crossing point at the ford.

The Park lies at the northern limit of the jarrah forests and includes a transitional mix of wandoo woodland with jarrah and marri trees. The walk route is mainly through reasonably open wandoo-dominated woodlands, with some short sections of thicker shrubland. 

Alternative walk:  Considering the fairly rugged terrain, the full walk is only for the suitably fit. Also, because the River may be unsafe to cross during much of the peak wildflower season, you may prefer to do the separate Avon Valley (South Side) Walk  which doesn't require the river crossings.  That alternative walk also allows flexibility to change your plans if the River just happens to be unseasonally high when you visit.

Two-day visit:  Another good option is to spend a weekend in the Park, arriving Saturday morning and leaving Sunday afternoon. Camp at the Homestead Campsite(for fee of $6.50/night per adult, additional to the park entry fee). Do this walk on Day 1 and then the Avon Valley (South Side) Walk on Day 2.  There is no significant overlap between the two walks, but both start conveniently from the Homestead Campsite.

The Valley Campsite (at waypoint 'VALL')provides an alternative good camping option for this walk.   It is much closer to the River and easily reached via waypoint '33', about 4 kms before the end of the walk route.

Cautions: 

1) River crossings -The Avon River changes character dramatically in winter-mid spring when it can be transformed into a raging torrent, becoming unsafe to cross. (The annual Avon Descent takes place down the Avon and Swan Rivers in August, attracting lots of canoeists and power boaters. -See Walyunga Walk for more details.)  

In late spring, summer, and very early autumn, provided there has not been recent heavy rainfall, the River can usually be crossed easily and safely at the two crossing points on this walk, but be very careful of slippery boulders and do not attempt to cross if the river is still flowing fast in places, even if it appears narrow or quite shallow (including at the ford).

2) Railway crossings -The walk route twice crosses the railway along the south side of the River. Trains pass frequently,  so exercise great caution near the railway. -Walk well away from the lines and cross quickly after ensuring that one of the regular trains is not approaching.

Controlled burns:   See DEC's 6-season indicative burn programme. Burns are currently scheduled for:

i) Spring 2008 - In the area south of the Avon River between South Break and the  River. This will affect the walk route between waypoints 'S4' & 'S35'.

ii) Spring 2009 - In the area north of the River between Sapper Road in the SW and the Park boundary in the NE. This will affect the walk route between waypoints 'RVR' & 'FORD'.

Jumperkine & Toodyay 1:50,000 CALM Operations Graphics series 2003/2004, Sheet 2134-4 & 2134-1;

or Avon Valley 1:50,000, National Map Ref. 2134-4 & -1 (WA Forests Dept., 1983);

or Jumperkine 1:25,000 2134-IV, NE sheet (Dept. of Lands & Survey, 1983; Series R811)- available on DVD -covers western half of walk route only.

"Avon Valley Survey Heritage Trails" - undated trail map provided to me by the Park Ranger (photocopy probably from an out-of-print publication). Some short sections of the "Survey Heritage Trail" network are followed on the route described on this page and you will find red trail markers and also information boards at a few key points (including at the Homestead Campsite entry, at "Joe's Cage", and at "Cairn DP"). Some other sections of the original trail  are across very steep and difficult slopes (not on this route, and not recommended!)where the trail is no longer  maintained and has been overgrown and lost in dense shrubland.

"Avon Valley National Park"  leaflet by CALM (undated). This includes a good 'overview' of the park including a summary of the trails on the western side and flora and fauna. -The leaflet may be available at the booth at the Park entrance.  DEC's site also provides a very brief description of the Park.

"Avon Valley National Park - Park Guide" by DEC (undated pdf; 311KB).

Landscope magazine (CALM), Spring 2004, includes article on CALM/AWC collaborative work to restore wildlife to the Avon Valley.

"Bushranger Country: Avon Valley National Park"  article mainly about Moondyne Joe, by John Hunter, in Landscope magazine (CALM), Vol.14, No.2, Summer 1998-99, pp.10-15. 

Also "Travellers guide to the Parks & Reserves of Western Australia" by Simon Nevill, 2001, p.41 (Simon Nevill Publications)includes a brief summary of the Park). 

For a climber's perspective of the Avon Valley see the Climbers' Association of W.A. website.

Start from the Homestead Campsite, cross Governors Drive and head approx. NNW gently uphill to a ridge,  through light forest and shrubland and across small granite outcrops, and meet an old track after less than 500m (at '1'). Follow the track NW and after 100m meet South Break track (at '2'). Turn right to follow South Break track approx. NE-ward for a total of about 1.7 kms. The track initially descends to cross a stream gully (at '3'), then climbs steeply to reach Forty One Mile Rd (at '4'). After crossing the road, South Break track then turns north (to '5'), then veers NE-ward again, crosses another stream gully, and climbs through wandoo woodland to the crest of a broad ridge. At '6', turn left to head northward off-track, approximately following the ridge (via '7'). The ridge descends to a saddle and then crosses  another small rocky hilltop.  Veer NE at '8', in quite thick undergrowth to reach a small granite slab (at 'ROKVU') which provides a good view NE the Avon Valley.  Then veer NW to cross the rocky crest of the ridge and descend across granite outcrops  for about 300m (to '10'). Near the foot of the outcrops (which are quite steep in places), veer NE to soon meet a dirt road (at 'ROAD'). Follow the road approx. NE to reach the railway embankment.  Cross the embankment  to reach the service road on the north side of the railway (at '12'). Follow the service road east for 200m (to '13') and then turn NW off the road to cross the Avon River (at'RVR').  (If the river is flowing strongly do not attempt any river crossing but shorten the walk by firstly heading westward back along the railway service road to waypoint '34' and then continuing with the remainder of the route south of the River from there. This shortened route totalling about 10 field kms ) also passes Emu Falls (waypt 'EMUFLS').  After crossing the river head approx. northward up the nearby ridge (via '15') which soon narrows and provides a view east up the Avon Valley.  The ridge steepens then becomes gentler and broader. Veer NW at '16' and soon cross some small granite outcrops (e.g. at RK1'). Continue up the ridge to the historic Cairn "DP" (at  waypt 'CRNDP') Stop there to read the infomation notice and to also locate the nearby tree marked by the John Forrest survey team more than 125 years ago.  Then walk a short distance due west through the open wandoo woodland to reach the firebreak road at the Park boundary (with farmland immediately to the north). Follow the firebreak road SW-ward (via '20', '21' and '22'), crossing a few quite deep gullies, to reach a T-junction with Sapper Rd. (Waypt '21' is at approx. the halfway point on the walk.) Turn right to follow Sapper Rd uphill and through a gate (near '23').   Continue west on Sapper Rd which is flanked mainly by thick dryandra shrubland with scattered jarrah trees on the laterite plateau. Turn left at a track (at '24') indicated by a small red Survey Heritage Trail marker and follow the foot-track through quite thick shrubland to soon reach the historic "Joe's Cage" site (at waypt  'CAGE'). Stop to read the information notice and to locate nearby a small part of the original wooden 'cage' structure that was used by bushranger 'Moondyne Joe' in the 1850's to capture wild horses and cattle as they came to drink at nearby springs. (Moondyne Joe lived in the Valley between prison terms served mainly for petty theft and prison escapes. The 'cage' structures measured 20m by 10m.) Head approx. south from "Joe's Cage" for less than 100m (to '26') to bypass thick undergrowth, and then veer ESE to cross the nearby stream gully and climb through quite thick heath/shrubland to soon reach open wandoo-dominated forest on the slopes. Walk along slope for about 250m then slightly downhill, but staying clear of the thicker understorey downslope. At '27' veer NNE and continue along slope and then downhill to reach a stream gully and meet Sapper Rd nearby . again (at '28'). Follow Sapper Rd downhill (via '29' and '30'). There is a public toilet (at 'TLET') near a campsite at the bottom end of Sapper Rd. Cross the river at 'FORD'. After  100m the dirt track up the south bank meets the railway service road (at '33'). (At this point if time and energy allows, it is worth making a 1 km round-trip diversion NE-ward along the railway service road to visit Emu Falls (at 'EMUFLS').  Then follow the service road SW for 500m (to '34'). Then veer south to cross the railway  (to '35') and then follow the south side of the railway past a rocky gully (to '36'). Then head approx. SE off-track and gently uphill. When the shrubland thickens (at '37') veer approx. SW and continue up the steepening slope (to '38').  Then veer SE again and climb a rocky slope before reaching quite open and flatter ground at '39'.  Veer SW again and gently uphill through fairly open forest and scratchy heath. Reach a narrow rocky ridge (at 'VU') with a view to the NW across the Valley. Then head SE approx. along slope through increasingly wandoo-dominated forest (to '41'). Continue SE, climbing up across the laterite breakaway onto the laterite plateau. At '42' veer approx. south to follow the edge of the plateau through mainly open shrubland and low heath.  Descend through woodland to a narrow ridge (at '43'), then veer SE to follow an old track along the ridge to meet South Break track again (at '44'). Turn right to follow the track southward for only about 150m (to '45').  Then veer southward and off-track gently downhill to '46'.  Finally, veer SE to cross Governors Drive after about 200m and get back to the Start point at Homestead Campsite.