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3) 3D map view

4) Satellite imagery

5) Route profile

6) Walk description

7) Waypoint listing and grid references

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The Julimar 'Anthill', a small laterite butte

west of Julimar Brook, May 2004.

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More photos.

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        Route profile

84 kms NE of Perth (road distance).

14.5 field kms (90% off-track).

MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

340m (positive elevation change)

YES

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 Roe Hwy, then along Great Northern Highway to  about 6.5 kms past Bullsbrook, then turn right into Wandena Rd, then right again to follow Muchea East Rd. Then continue on Chittering Rd and turn right to follow Julimar Rd (good sealed road) for about 12.5 kms. Pass Plunkett Rd on right and after about 1.2 kms reach minor Heine Rd dirt road turn-off on left.  Turn into Heine Rd, then immediately left again to park at the Start point in a cleared area close to the corner with Julimar Rd.

To Heine Road (dirt road) in west (then south to Julimar Rd), or east to N-S dirt road (e.g. to waypoint '50', then south to W-E fenceline, then west to cross Julimar Brook, the  south along farmland perimeter road to Julimar Rd), or in central area, follow Julimar Brook valley south to the farmland perimeter road.

Main features

/Highlights:

This walk is within the Julimar Conservation Park, a 28,000 hectare 'island' of forest surrounded by farmland, located about 10 kms NE of Avon Valley National Park and east of Bindoon township. Almost half the park was farmed early last century, but the farms were mainly abandoned in the Depression of the 1930s and later became State forest. The area was then logged for timber until about 1970. The Park is now an important reserve for native fauna conservation. Animals re-introduced to Julimar by CALM (now DEC) under the Western Shield programme since 1992 include the chuditch (western quoll), quenda (southern brown bandicoot), woylies (bettongs), and tammar wallaby. 

Despite the Park's history, there are still extensive well-established, picturesque wandoo woodlands (often with balgas as an understorey) in the valleys and on the slopes around Julimar Brook, and mixed jarrah-wandoo forest (and dryandra) on the surrounding laterite plateaus. (But see Update below.)

The walk route crosses Julimar Brook (twice) and a few other side gullies, and also skirts the upper slopes around the edges of the bordering laterite plateaus, mainly avoiding the highest ground where, prior to the Jan. 2007 fire, there were frequent thickets of prickly dryandra. The slopes along the route are generally not steep (except locally at a few gully crossings) but they are often pebbly (beware sprained ankles!).  There are  some views of surrounding forest from the slopes above Julimar Brook, including from "The Crag". The small laterite-capped butte (here called the "Julimar Anthill"), almost hidden by the surrounding forest (until the fires of early 2007), appears as a pleasantly surprising visual anomaly as you approach. 

The forest is mainly very open and allows for easy walking.  There are some very short sections of scratchy heath but animal tracks usually provide easy paths through.

Impact of 2007 bushfires:

The walk summary on this page was prepared prior to the wildfires of late January 2007 in this area (started by lightning strikes).  It is likely be at least 3 years (possibly around spring 2010) before the walking experience on this route will again be enjoyable for most walkers:

The fires had a devastating impact on the forest across almost the entire walk route - though thankfully for the Western Shield programme only around 15% of the total Park area was affected.  Many of the larger mature wandoos have lost their crowns (or been lost altogether) and the previous varied understorey/groundcover vegetation has been temporarily destroyed leaving a monotonous bare pebbly surface, broken only by the ever-resilient balgas and zamia palms. Coming into spring 2007 the trunks of the wandoo trees have already shed their burnt bark (last autumn) and are putting out vigorous new shoots. New vegetation is also just starting to emerge from the bare forest floor (among the first being the orchids) but the forest scenery remains very stark and very open (with visibility up to about 1 km through the wandoo trunks).

If you are keen to see a forest during the amazing process of recovery and renewal after a wild bushfire, this is certainly  the walk for you, but most walkers keen on 'wanders in wandoo woodlands' will meanwhile prefer the alternative walks in the Wandoo National Park and elsewhere. (Go to 'Search page' and/or 'Bushwalks' to search for other wandoo walks on WalkGPS.)

Additional maps :

Chittering & Dewars Pool 1:50,000 CALM Operations Graphics series 2003/2004, Sheet 2135-3 & 2135-2;

or Julimar 1:50,000, National Map Ref. 2135-II, 2135-III, Pt. 2134-I, Pt. 2134-IV (CALM, 1986).

Other background references :

"Julimar Conservation Park"  leaflet by CALM (undated). This includes a brief 'overview' of the park including a summary of the flora and fauna.

"Julimar: turning full circle"  article in Landscope magazine (CALM), Winter 2006. 

"Forests on Foot (40 walks in W.A.)" by Meney & Brown, 1985, pp.107-109 (Wescolour Press, Fremantle). Describes a 16 km circuit which follows Julimar Brook north to Cooks Rd and then about 10 kms of dirt roads.  Includes good descriptions of the vegetation.

Head north along Heine Road from the Start point, initially crossing a stream gully and then climbing to a dryandra-covered laterite plateau. After about  1.2 kms the road starts to descend through open woodland. Veer NE off-track at waypoint '2' to cross a gully and  soon cross a larger incised stream course (at '3'). Continue NE gently uphill and along slope, initially through low shrubland close to the stream and then through more open forest. Veer NNE at '4' and cross a gully before climbing through more shrubland (following animal tracks where possible) to reach a small granite outcrop (at 'ROKVU') with a view south.  Head almost north uphill into very open wandoo woodland and then into mixed wandoo-jarrah woodland on the edge of the laterite plateau (at '5').  Continue to follow the edge of the plateau  (via '6') and then descend along a small ridge, northward to  '7' and then NE to soon reach a small laterite outcrop among the wandoo trees (at 'LATRK'). This is a very pleasant spot for an early rest stop.  Continue approx. NE to cross the nearby stream gully (at '8') and then head approx. ENE down the ridge, passing through a short patch of dryandra shrubland, then back into open woodland. Soon cross a stream gully, and then  another at '9'. Then veer NE to  climb a ridge (via '9-A') to reach the forested hill top at '10'.  There are limited views from here SE across Julimar valley toward the route followed later in the walk. Then veer east for less than 100m to  cross a small saddle to reach the small laterite-capped butte (the "Julimar Anthill").  Then head NE downhill to cross a side gully (at '11') and then the incised stream course of Julimar Brook (at '12') which is flanked by quite a narrow but fairly dense belt of shrubs. Continue NE, now uphill, to reach a very small granite outcrop on a gentle ridge (at 'RK'), then veer east to cross a dirt road (at 'RD'). Then continue NE on the ridge to '13', then veer ESE to climb to a local plateau. Cross this through fairly open dryandra and jarrah to '14', then veer south to cross a gully and then through another short section of dryandra on the ridge at '15'. Then follow the pebbly slope approx. SE around the edge of the plateau, through mainly open woodland, also passing some patches of a prickly Hakea sp. (probably undulata) around stream gullies.  (Keep fairly high up the slope to avoid having to cross the gullies downslope where they become more deeply incised and more difficult to cross.) Veer SW at '16', near the head of a gully, to continue along the slope. (This is approximately the halfway point on the walk.) Cross a road at 'RD2'and continue SW to '17', and then SE to '18',  skirting around the edge of the dryandra shrubland which covers the higher ground.  At '18' veer east to cross a side gully, then veer SE at '19' to cross a larger gully. At '20' veer south to follow the east edge of a side gully for about 100m to a low granite wall which crosses the gully (at  'FALLS'). This wall probably results in a small waterfall after good winter rains.   (If at this point in the walk if you would prefer all on-track walking from here on,  you can head east from the 'FALLS' for about 500m to the dirt road at waypt. '50', then south to '51', then west via '52' and '53', and finally south to '54' to reach Julimar Road about 750m east of the Start point.)

To continue with the off-track route, cross the gully via the top of the 'wall' and head west along the north-sloping hillside. At '20A' veer SW to continue along slope to another gully crossing (at 'CSG'). Then veer NW, cross a road (at 'RD4') and cross a gully at '20B'. Then veer east to cross a very gentle ridge and then a gully at '21'.  Veer NW along the slope to the crest of a ridge (at ''RKLAT') at the northern end of a laterite plateau.  This is a good spot for a rest and has a view NW through the trees back across the Julimar valley and across part of the route already walked. Then veer approx. SW to follow the slope (via '23') below the edge of the laterite plateau, gaining more views across the valley. Veer west at '24' to continue along the slope, cross a ridge at '25', then veer SW again and gently downslope for less than 100m to reach a small rocky promontory (the 'CRAG'). This offers excellent sweeping views across the Julimar valley.  Then follow the slope of the hillside approx. SE.  At '25-A', veer SW and soon begin a fairly gentle descent (initially through some heath and low shrubland) to cross Julimar Brook at '26'. Continue approx. SW to cross a gentle ridge (at '27') and then a side gully.  At '28' head approx. SSW upslope, cross the eastern edge of the laterite plateau, then descend to cross the gully near the Start point. At '29' veer west, then turn left at '30' on Heine Road to get back to the Start point, less than 100m along the road.