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 WNW across rock pool on Geddes Rock to northern ridge of Mt. Cooke (6.5 kms) and distant Mt. Cuthbert (11 kms),

May 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

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

69 kms SE of Perth. 

16.5 field kms (70% off-track).

MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

320m (positive elevation change)

YES

See Google Map for start point on road map.

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

Follow Brookton Highway from Albany Highway for 47 kms, then turn right into Metro Road (first road on right after Christmas Tree well and Yarra Road on left), then drive 14.5 km down Metro Road (gravel road, usually in good condition), then turn right into McCallum Road (good dirt road) and follow McCallum Road (and part Watershed Rd) for 4 kms.  Park at the Start point at the Randall Road turnoff which is marked by a white gate and a CALM 'No Entry' Notice (signifying the boundary of the Die-back Disease Risk/Quarantine area).

Alternative Start point : Depending on personal preference, you can drive up to 2.25 kms further south on Watershed Road to an alternative Start point as far south as waypoint '3'.  The alternative Start point simply means you will have a 2.25 kms on-road walk (or less) at the end of the walk rather than at the start.

Access off Albany Highway? :  Millars Log Road provides potential summer access  into the area (approx. 16 kms) off Albany Highway (turnoff on left just past Sullivan Rock), but entry via this route is through the Die-back Disease Risk (Quarantine) Area and requires a special vehicle access permit from DEC which is difficult to obtain and in any event won't be granted for the wetter months (approx. May-November. i.e. the best walking period).  Also the 'road' is really a bush-track and best suited to 4WD vehicles.

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 "Canning River Catchment Area Drinking Water Source Protection Plan".  

In east, head east back to Watershed Road and then north to Start point. In SW, head south to Millars Log Road (dirt road), and follow eastward to Watershed Road. In northern area of Geddes Rock, head NW to meet Millars Road, then NE to meet Randall road and follow east back to Start point.  

/Highlights:

This walk features a visit to the Geddes Rock monadnock (elevation approx. 450m) located 6.5 kms NE of Mount Cooke (elevation 582m).  There are some excellent views  from Geddes Rock of Mount Cooke and other high points in the Darling Range including distant  Mt. Dale (29 kms to NNW; elevation 546m), and also views of Geddes Rock monadnock itself from other vantage points on granite outcrops to the east.  The forest is mainly jarrah with some marri and occasional patches of  wandoo.  The terrain is mainly gentle.  Expect a few short sections of scratchy heath around the outcrops.

Controlled burns:  A burn is currently scheduled for Autumn 2010 over much of the walk area, but excluding the flanks and summit area of Geddes Rock itself. This will only impact on the walk route between waypoints 'START & '10' and between '19' & 'END'. See DEC's 6-season indicative burn programme.

Jarrahdale 1:50,000 Sheet (Dept. of CALM, 1990);

or Jarrahdale & Yaganing 1:50,000 CALM Operations Graphics series 2003/2004, Sheet 2133-3 & 2133-2.

"Canning River Catchment Area Drinking Water Source Protection Plan" (Report # 77, Water Resource Protection Series) by Department of Water (DoW), June 2007. - See pdf version (5MB). Page 32 is of particular relevance. 

Note: DoW's recommended protection strategy in Report # 77 intended to prohibit recreational off-track bushwalking opportunities within the entire 730 sq km catchment area, far beyond the proposed 58 sq km Reservoir Protection Zone, and including this walk area which is located over 30km SE of the Canning Reservoir. The DoW recommended strategy was also to "increase surveillance" in the Geddes Rock and other remote, traditional off-track walk areas.

Follow Watershed Road south for 2.25 kms (via waypoints '1A' and '2') to '3', then leave the road to veer approx. SW and off-track for 200m through the forest to the edge of a granite outcrop (at approx. '4'). Head WSW across the outcrop (views to Geddes Rock) and at '5'  veer northward along the outcrop to '5A' which provides an easy way around the rock ledge along the lower edge of the outcrop. Then veer SW through shrubland to soon cross a small stream gully and soon enter forest.  At '6' veer west and after about 250m cross a stream gully.  Continue west (via '6A'), in mainly very open forest, crossing a stream course after almost 1 km and then reaching a road junction (at '7').  Follow the dirt road which heads gently uphill initially toward the SW.  Continue on the road (via '8' and '9') climbing more steeply to cross a ridge and then descend to reach a T-junction (at '10'). Turn left to follow a road south for about 250m, then veer approx. SW to climb gently uphill and off-track to reach a ridge from where the southern granite slopes of Geddes Rock come into view (at about '12'). Descend a short steepish slope to reach the outcrop and head westward up the granite slope to '13' near the top of the outcrop and the edge of the forested summit ridge. Then veer NW to follow the upper edge of the outcrop to '13A' gaining good views across the Darling Range, including to distant Mount Dale (546m), 29 kms NNW  (The actual summit area of Geddes Rock, elevation approx. 450m, is less than 100m off the route at this point, but is forested and offers less views.)   Then veer more westward to climb gently through partly forested and rocky terrain across and along the Geddes Rock ridge for 500m to '14' where there are views through wandoo trees and shrubs to Mount Cooke (582m) about 6.5 kms to the SW.  Veer northward for about 100m (to '14A') and then NW for about 500m, staying close to the rocky and forested ridge.  Then emerge onto an extensive granite outcrop at the northern end of the ridge (at about '15'). There are nearby excellent open views across the Darling Range, and especially good views to Mount Cooke and the more distant (11 kms) Mount Cuthbert (elevation approx. 500m).  Pools of water collect on the rock in the wetter months and wedge-tailed eagles often soar overhead (I have counted up to 11 at one time, grouping to investigate the potential passing prey. -Eagles are afraid of humans, but have been known to attack and kill animals as large as adult kangaroos! See also 'Fact Sheet'). Head northward down the outcrop and into a narrow belt of light forest and heath to '16'.  Then veer NW  to descend again onto outcrop (at about '17').  Then veer approx. SW-ward to cross a band of heath on the ridge and reach (at '17A') another extensive area of granite outcrop on the west flank of Geddes Rock, again with good views to Mt Cooke etc.  Head north along the outcrop for a short distance (to '17B') and then veer eastward to head down the steepening northeastern granite slope through patches of shrubs (Calothamnus sp.) for about 200m. Then veer north for a short distance to near the foot of the granite slope (at '18A') where a small stream flows over the granite then disappears into a gully beneath the forest. Then veer NE to re-enter the forest and cross  a stream gully after about 600m and soon after cross an old dirt road (at '19'). Continue NE, initially climbing quite steeply through a local wandoo woodland to cross a narrow ridge. Continue NE (via '20') and meet a dirt road (just before '21') and follow it northward  up a steep hillside to near the crest.  At '21A' veer SE and off-track to cross a granite outcrop which provides good views back to Geddes Rock, less than 2 kms SW. Continue SE back into open jarrah forest.  At '22' veer NE and after about 750m re-cross a dirt road (crossed at '7' earlier).  Then veer due east and very soon cross a stream course and after about 500m another stream course.  Continue due east for a further 700m (to '23') then veer ESE to follow a stream course through heath to a low outcrop at '23A'. Then continue east and gently uphill to reach open patchy shrubland near the lower edge of a granite outcrop (at '24'). Then veer approx. north through shrubland to reach the outcrop and continue (via '24A', '24B' and '25') to gently climb across the slope of the outcrop and through occasional patches of shrubland, gaining views back to the summit ridges of Geddes Rock and Mount Cooke (though the lower slopes are concealed by the intervening ridge).  Reach the uphill  limit of the outcrop at  about '26', then veer NE to very soon meet a dirt road. Turn right to follow the road downhill back to the Start point.