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]

Laterite-capped hill-top in

wandoo woodland, April 2004.

[Click on photo for larger version]

More photos.

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for Google Maps image

of the walk area. -Use zoom bar

for road details.

Step 1: Left Click here

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Step 2: Left Click here

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 of the walk area.

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

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

        Route profile

64 kms SE of Perth, along Brookton Hwy to Christmas Tree Well picnic area entry road on left (about 700m after Dale Pine Plantation and before Yarra Road).  

12.5 field kms (99% off-track).

EASY - MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

PREFERABLE (to help locate subtle turning points and features).

See Google Map for start point on road map.

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

Follow the entry road to Christmas Tree Well picnic area about 500m off Brookton Highway (signposted on Brookton Highway). Park at the picnic area carpark.

Important access issue (2008):   Walkers need to be aware that this walk area and many others on WalkGPS lie within drinking water catchment areas. In 2007 DoW in effect recommended a prohibition of all traditional off-track bushwalking activities across the entire Perth region catchment areas covering 4500 sq km, far beyond the limits of  existing or proposed Reservoir Protection Zones (see map). By March 2008, in the face of growing community outrage, the DoW has reconsidered its published position, advising that it would now be allowing walkers ‘free-to-roam’ access to the forested water catchment areas outside of the RPZs. The community, including visitors to WalkGPS, need to remain vigilant to ensure that commonsense continues to prevail over regulatory zealotry.  See also Home page: 'Access' and Related access issues on WalkGPS, and link below to "Mundaring Weir Catchment Area Drinking Water Source Protection Plan".

To Brookton Highway and/or Dale West Road (dirt road) in south, and/or via Yarra Road (dirt road) which runs north-south. 

/Highlights:

This walk is a relatively short and  easy ramble mostly through picturesque, open wandoo woodlands, with some shorter sections of jarrah forest. Seventy percent of the route (the area east of Yarra Road) lies within one of the very scarce areas of remnant old growth forest. At present that area is still part of the State Forest and is not included in the nearby Wandoo National Park. It will hopefully be protected into the future by the proposed 3360 ha 'Russell Conservation Park' as flagged under the current Forest Management Plan.   Bauxite mining expansion plans to the SE remain a future threat. 

Christmas Tree Well near the picnic area at the Start point was one of the old watering holes used during the early days of stage coach travel.

The route is over reasonably gentle terrain, with only a few modest slopes around the low, laterite-topped, forested  hills.  Expect a few short sections of low scratchy heath.

For a longer walk, with some good views and more variety in terrain, this walk can be combined with the eastern portion of the Running Brook Walk.

Meney & Brown, 1985 have previously noted of this walk area that "the character and form of the widely spaced virgin wandoo creates a most unique bush atmosphere which is a delight to any bushwalker". There are only limited forest views from the low hillsides, but the beauty of the woodlands combined with the prolific wildflowers in late winter to spring more than compensates for the limited variety in  the terrain. M.&B. also noted that this area lies within "the largest remaining woodland of uncut wandoo in the south west, and is therefore of immense conservation value."  However, the walk area remains part of the State Forest and is not included in the Wandoo National Park.

Forest condition:  During 2005-2006 large patches of jarrah forest on both sides of Yarra Road (and across some other areas of the Darling Plateau) appeared stressed and in poor condition, showing initial reddening of leaves followed by general drying off of the foliage. DEC advised this was probably not due to 'die-back' disease but was most likely caused by a combination of drought conditions, cold weather, and frosts.  The affected areas appear to be recovering. Meanwhile it is probably prudent to avoid walking through such areas when the soil is wet or moist and keep boots free of soil, just in case you could be accelerating the spread of die-back. 

Controlled burns:  The most recent burn in the area was in Spring 2006 in the area west of Yarra Road.  A burn is currently scheduled for Autumn 2009 for the area west of Yarra Road.  This will impact on the walk route between waypoints '3' & '25'. See DEC's 6-season indicative burn programme. 

Kelmscott & Beraking 1:50,000 CALM Operations Graphics series 2003/2004, Sheet 2133-4 & 2133-1;

or Kelmscott 1:50,000 Sheet (WA Forests Dept., 1984).

"Forests on Foot (40 walks in W.A.)" by Meney & Brown, 1985, pp.93-95 (Wescolour Press, Fremantle).  Includes a 9 km walk which follows a partly similar route to this walk, plus good descriptions of the vegetation.

"Forest Management Plan 2004-2013" by Conservation Commission of W.A. - p.72 and Maps 5 & 6 of the Plan identify the area of old growth forest and proposed Russell Conservation Park (Reserve proposal ID^#33).

"Mundaring Weir Catchment Area Drinking Water Source Protection Plan" (Report # 69, Water Resource Protection Series) by Department of Water (DoW), June 2007. - See pdf version (3MB). Pages 41-42 are of particular relevance. 

Note: DoW's recommended protection strategy in Report # 69 intended to prohibit recreational off-track bushwalking opportunities within this entire 1470 sq km catchment area, far beyond the proposed 60 sq km Reservoir  Protection Zone, and including this walk area which is over 30 kms SE of the reservoir. 

Worsley Bauxite mining expansion Environmental Review and Management Programme (ERMP) by Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd, May 2005.  Released May 2005 by the EPA.  Public submissions closed August 2005 and W.A.'s EPA gave final environmental approval of the expansion plan in February 2008. The mining area expansion within the extensive existing lease is likely to eventually impact on the SE portion of this walk area. - See also Related access issues on WalkGPS. 

Head north from the Start point for about 150m on a sandy track to waypt '1', then veer NE off-track though light forest and low heath, soon climbing gently uphill to reach a small granite tor at 'SMLRK' after about 500m.  Continue NE across very gentle terrain and through mainly jarrah forest and descend gradually to cross a broad, open valley floor to reach Yarra Road (at '3') after 1.3 kms.  Then head approx. east for about 250m to reach a small, low granite outcrop (at 'RK2').  Veer approx. SE around the hillside for about 300m (via waypoints '5' and'6') and then head approx. east and gently downhill for almost 1 km, entering wandoo woodlands before reaching the broad, open valley floor. At '7' veer NE along the valley floor and cross a small stream course (at '8') after about 250m, then head north down the valley for another 250m (to '9').  Then veer NNE to head uphill to reach (after about 300m) more open wandoo woodlands on a ridge. Continue NNE to cross a small saddle and reach a small but prominent dome-shaped hill ('ANTHIL'), which  is almost unvegetated except for a few tall powderbark trees (M.& B. 1985 aptly noted that this hill resembles a "giant anthill").  Descend the 'anthill' in a ESE direction and in less than 200m reach another a small hill top, this time with a local capping of laterite rock (at '11').  From here head approx. SSE  for about 800m, initially crossing a broad gentle saddle through open woodland and then ascending gradually, partly through young, thin dryandra to cross the flanks of a laterite plateau to the laterite breakaway at the SW edge (at '12').  Head a short distance (100m) along the edge of the plateau to '13' where the scattered fallen logs and limited views SW across the valley make this a pleasant place for a rest stop, close to the halfway point on the walk.  Then descend approx. SW down the slope below the breakaway for about 100m (to '14') and then veer SE along slope and through open forest for about 300m (to '15'). Then head due south for approx. 1.6 kms, initially descending to the very open stream valley floor, then climbing slowly through open woodland (via '16') back toward the more rocky slopes below the eastern laterite plateau,   crossing small granite outcrops, including a small promontory at 'RK4' and finally descending through mixed forest and shrubland to reach a small,  low granite outcrop surrounded by sheoaks.  Then head a short distance (approx. 50m) SW to cross a stream course (at '19') and then veer approx. NW, through open woodland to cross (after 500m) another stream where it runs across granite bedrock (at 'RKYCSG').  Continue approx. NW, now uphill (on the SE flank of the 'main hill' in the area), to reach a small rocky outcrop (at '21').  Then veer approx. westward for about 1 km to follow the slope through mixed forest  (via '22' and '23'). At '23' head NW and soon begin descending gradually to reach the very open valley floor after 500m (at approx. '24').  Then head WNW to re-cross Yarra Road  after 400m. Continue WNW another 400m (to '26') climbing gently back into mixed forest.  Then veer approx. WSW and follow the gentle slope of the hillside for about 750m (to '27'), then a further 250m westward to '28'. Then veer SW to soon meet (at '29') the short track back to the Start point at the picnic area.