North Ledge-South Ledge (Mundaring Weir) Walk

Walk description
Location :	40 kms E of Perth (road distance).
Length :	13.5 (-15.5) field kms (0-10% off-track)
Degree of difficulty :	EASY (- MEDIUM) (What does this mean?)
Amount of uphill walking :	400m (positive elevation change)
GPS-preferred :	NO, but useful for the short (1.2 km) off-track section of the walk.
Access :	See Google Map for start point on road map. (Use zoom ladder for detail. Select 'Hybrid' to add satellite imagery.) 1) Via Mundaring village: Follow Great Eastern Hwy to Mundaring, then turn right into Nichol Street and follow Mundaring Weir signs. Approx. 7 kms down Mundaring Weir Rd turn left into Allen Rd at the round-about and follow for less than 1 km, then turn right into the carpark at the Perth Hills National Parks Centre (the Start Point). 2) Via Kalamunda: Great Eastern Hwy (and Bypass) and Kalamunda Rd to Kalamunda township, then follow Mundaring Weir Rd past the Weir and turn right into Allen Rd at the round-about and follow to the carpark as above.
Escape route/s :	Various dirt roads and trails including North Ledge Rd, Pipe Rd, Bibbulmun Track, South Ledge Rd, etc (see map).
Main features /Highlights:	This walk lies within a part of the Darling Range Regional Park system. It is a mainly on-track circuit around the very scenic Helena River Valley and across the historic Mundaring Weir. Most of the route lies within the new (2004)'Mundaring National Park'. It follows parts of well established walk trails, including the Bibbulmun Track, O’Connor Trail, and Munda Biddi Bike Trail. It crosses the Weir wall and also visits other viewing points along the way, including the North Ledge and Golden View (South Ledge) lookouts, which provide superb views up the valley and across Mundaring Weir to Lake C.Y. O'Connor (formerly ‘Helena Reservoir’). In late winter-early spring small waterfalls and cascades flow in some of the side gullies. Carnaby’s Cockatoos, an endangered bird species endemic to W.A. can often be seen and heard along the trail near the Perth Hills National Parks Centre. Several marsupial species have been re-introduced to the area by CALM, including the numbat and quenda (southern brown bandicoot). Aside from very pleasant bushwalking, the route allows for an alternative short diversion to visit the No. 1 Pump Station ( 'C.Y. O’Connor Museum’) below the Weir to absorb some of the fascinating history surrounding the development of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme which included the world’s longest freshwater pipeline (560 kms). The route also passes by the historic Mundaring Weir Hotel which provides a good opportunity for a refreshment stop near the end of the walk. If preferred, the short (1.2 km) off-track section of the walk route in the west can be avoided by staying on the Munda Biddi Trail until it meets the Bibbulmun Track. That on-track option lengthens the total walk by about 2 kms. For overnighters: For those keen to camp overnight in the area: The Hewett's Hill Campsite (which includes a 3-sided shelter) on the Bibbulmun Track is located just over 1 km westward of the point (at 'TRN') where this walk route meets the Bibbulmun Track (or only 300-600m west of where the Option 2 and Option 3 routes meet the Track). Controlled burns: See DEC's 6-season indicative burn programme. Burns were / are currently scheduled for the areas downstream of Mundaring Weir: i) Spring 2007 - In the area north of Helena River. This will affect the walk route between waypoints '5' & '15'. ii) Spring 2008 - In the area south of the River. This will affect the walk route between waypoints '16' & '33'.
Additional maps :	Mundaring 1:50,000 Sheet (Dept. of CALM, 1990); or Mundaring & Chidlow 1:50,000 CALM Operations Graphics series 2003/2004, Sheet 2134-3 & 2134-2; or Mundaring 1:25,000 2134-III, SE sheet (Dept. of Lands & Survey, 1983; Series R811) -available on DVD. Bibbulmun Track Maps: Map 1 Darling Range (1:75,000) and Darling Range Day Walk Map Pack (CALM/DEC). Munda Biddi Bike Trail maps (CALM/DEC).
Other background references :	Information is available for several trails in the area including: -Bibbulmun Track, -Kattamordo Heritage Trail, -O'Connor Trail, -Weir Walk, -Munda Biddi Bike Trail -Mundaring Loop Bike Trail, and -Kep Track. Some useful sources are: *"Swan Valley and Perth Hills Trails Discovery Guide", Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council ('EMRC'). 2005. -This is an excellent compilation of 41 mainly short on-track walks in Shires of Kalamunda and Mundaring and City of Swan. For booklet ph. EMRC on 94242226. Also see complimentary "perthtrails" website (launched October 2005) with downloadable maps and notes. Sections of the following trails in the ERMC Guide are included within the route described here (but in the reverse direction in part): Dell to South Ledge Walk:8km (pp.41-42), O'Connor Trail: 5.3km (pp.58-59), Weir Walk: 1.9km (pp.60-61), Mundaring Loop Bike Trail* (p.54 & 57). The O'Connor Trail and Weir Walk can be combined into a single 'figure-of-eight' walk of 7.2km. The ERMC Guide also includes brief summaries (including additional information sources) for : Bibbulmun Track (p.7 & 9), and Munda Biddi Bike Trail (pp.7-8). "A Guide to the Bibbulmun Track, Northern Half, Kalamunda to Donnelly River Village" by Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM) 2002, 2nd ed. *"Heritage Trail - Kattamordo".* 1998; a pamphlet by the Heritage Council. - Provides an excellent 22 page overview of the interesting history along this 27 km trail. The trail name Kattamordo replaced the Council's earlier, incorrect spelling of the trail name as Kattamorda which is still often used. See WalkGPS Google Map showing start and end points of the Trail plus a few approx. waypoints. Other information: Brief summary of the history of Mundaring Weir and current facilities (Water Corporation). A brief history of the Mundaring Weir Hotel. Summary of the current 'Golden Pipeline' project (The National Trust). Carnaby's Black-Cockatoo Recovery Project (2002-2012). For other general information brochures also check at: DEC's Mundaring District Office: Open 8am-5pm Monday to Friday, ph. 08 92959100. No. 1 Pump Station (C.Y. O'Connor Museum): Open 10am-4pm Wednesday to Sunday and public holidays (except Christmas Day, Good Friday and month of February; ph. 08 93216018). DEC's Naturebase site also provides a very brief description of the Mundaring National Park. "Mundaring National Park - Park Guide" by DEC (undated pdf; 377KB). Perth Hills National Parks Centre (formerly 'The Hills Forest Discovery Centre'), on Allen Road, off Mundaring Weir Road: ph. 08 92952244.
Route notes :	From the Start point at the Perth Hills National Parks Centre carpark, cross Allen Road and veer left at waypoint ‘2’ to follow a dirt road downhill, veering northward at ‘2A’, to reach the rear of CALM’s District Office at ‘CALM2’. Pass the office building and cross to the NW side of Mundaring Weir Rd to meet the Munda Biddi Bike Trail (and O’Connor Trail). Turn right to follow Mundaring Weir Rd for only about 100m to reach (at ‘PARK’) a dirt road entry to Fred Jacoby Park on the left. Follow the road for a short distance, then continue downhill (via ‘3’) across the grassed area to cross the small stream gully (Bending Gully) which runs through the Park. Climb the slope on the other side of the stream, initially crossing a dirt road then a grassed slope to soon reach (at ‘BDGE’) a footbridge which crosses the Goldfields Pipeline. Continue westward on a dirt road through Devenish Pine Plantation. After about 400m (near ‘5’), this dirt road merges with North Ledge Rd. Continue westward around the hillside on North Ledge Rd which soon soon enters jarrah forest (near ‘6’). The dirt road starts climbing and crosses an old N-S track (at ‘7’. That track runs southward downhill past the YHA Hostel to meet Mundaring Weir Rd). The road continues to climb to about ‘8’, then flattens. At ‘9’ follow the loop road on the left which leads to the North Ledge Lookout (at ‘LKOUT’) which is at the top edge of the 'breakaway' slope, with nice stands of wandoo and an excellent view SE-ward to Lake CY O’Connor. From the Lookout continue around the loop road (and past public toilet) to rejoin North Ledge Rd (at '10'). Turn left to follow North Ledge Rd across its highest point. The road soon becomes very rutted (after '11') as it leads steeply down into Bourkes Gully. (See alternative off-track route Option 1 below if you prefer to avoid this section). If the stream is in flow along the Gully, it is worth taking a very short (few metres) diversion off to the left (from 'FALLS') through the shrubs to view the nearby small falls which you will hear from the road. The road then begins rising steeply out of the Gully, but after only 100m reaches an old junction (at '11A'). A dirt road which previously formed the left branch of this junction has recently been dug up to block all traffic (including 4WD) and to restore vegetation to stop deep erosion from water runoff. Follow this former dirt road to head southward and downhill, soon recrossing Bourkes Gully again (at '12') Option 1 (from '11' to '12'): If you prefer a short section of off-track walking instead of walking on the partly steep and rutted road, you can avoid this road section as follows: Veer left at '11', to head off-track and approx. due west to pick a route across a partly heath-covered outcrop and across a small cascade in Bourkes Gully to meet the N-S dirt road at '12'). From '12', continue southward on the dirt road (via '13'). The road descends into the Helena River valley and meets Pipe Rd (and the Munda Biddi Bike Trail) at '13A'. (The road follows the water pipelines which run down the valley between Mundaring Weir and the Lower Helena Pipehead Dam.) Turn right and follow Pipe Rd and the Munda Biddi Trail for 1.6 kms (via '14', '14A') to '15' where the Munda Biddi Trail branches off to the left (westward) to leave Pipe Rd. Follow the Munda Biddi Trail, which initially crosses the Helena River at a very shallow ford. Less than 100m past the River crossing (at '16'), when the Trail starts to head uphill, veer sharp left to head southward, off-track through the forest and across heathland up a picturesque side valley (or see Option 2 below). After about 200m, veer slightly eastward to meet a stream and then follow it southward along its west bank, passing a small waterfall which flows across a dark-coloured dolerite 'dyke'. At '17' cross the stream to head SE-ward (or see Option 3 below), quite steeply uphill (via '18') through mixed wandoo and jarrah forest. Continue around the edge of a small but steepish granite slab and veer eastward (to '19' which is approximately the halfway point on the walk.), then SE-ward through patches of heath and across granite outcrops, gaining some very nice views across Helena valley. Meet the Bibbulmun Track at 'TRN'. Option 2 (from '16' to 'TRN'): If you prefer to avoid this short (1.2 km) off-track section of the walk route, simply continue uphill on the Munda Biddi Trail at '16', and stay on the Trail when it veers SSE and crosses a ridge and gully to eventually meet the Bibbulmun Track (only about 300m east of Hewett's Hill Campsite). Follow the Bibbulmun Track, initially SE-ward. Just after the Track crosses a stream at '40B', the Munda Biddi Trail diverges southward. Stay on the Bibbulmun Track, heading NE to 'TRN'. This on-track option lengthens the total walk by about 2 kms. *Option 3 (from '17' to 'TRN'): If the stream is flowing well at ‘17’ (or to bypass the steepest section of the route between ‘17’ and ’18’) you may prefer to continue southward (staying mainly on the west bank), to follow the stream course gently up the narrow valley. Veer SSE after about 600m to follow the left fork of the stream. Follow the granite outcrops on the west bank and meet the Bibbulmun Track after a further 300m (at about ‘40B’; only about 600m east of Hewett's Hill Campsite). Then turn left to follow the Track initially uphill and NE to rejoin the route at ‘TRN’. This optional diversion misses some views, but passes several more small waterfalls where the stream crosses granite outcrops.This option lengthens the total walk by about 1 km. From 'TRN', follow the Bibbulmun Track SE-ward (via '21' to '25') around the southern 'lip' of the Helena valley, again gaining good views across the valley and to Mundaring Weir. This section crosses the Kattamordo Heritage Trail at '23A' and a stream at '24'. The Track passes close (after '25') to the South Ledge Rd and picnic area (with nearby toilets) and then veers north through stands of wandoo to the Golden View (South Ledge) Lookout . The Lookout ('GOLDVU') offers a great view up the Helena valley to the historic No. 1 Pump Station (CY O'Connor Museum) with its impressive 41.5m chimney (dating to 1902) and to Mundaring Weir, only 800m from the Lookout 'as the crow flies'. Continue on the Bibbulmun Track (via '26'-'33') through mixed jarrah and marri forest. After '31' the track veers northward and descends to meet Mundaring Weir Rd (at 'BIBBTR'). Cross the road and turn left to reach the small carpark and toilets (at '34') at the south end of the Weir wall. Cross the wall (or see Option* 4 below) to the north end (at 'ENDAM') then turn left to continue on the Bibbulmun Track (via '35') initially along an old railway formation. Option 4 (from '34' to '35'): This is a short diversion to visit the No. 1 Pump Station ('C.Y. O’Connor Museum’) below the Weir wall. From'34', descend past the toilets and through a carpark, then down steps and along concrete path to cross a footbridge ('FTBDGE') over the overflow stream (Helena River). Turn left to visit the nearby Pump Station ('MUSM'). From there head toward the Weir wall, up the steps, then toward the Weir wall again. Turn left to follow a 'Weir Walk' trail direction marker onto a zigzag railway formation which curves around the hillside to merge with the Bibbulmun Track (at about '35'). After '35', pass granite outcrops on the right and soon climb some steps in the granite. Follow the pipeline then cross a metal bridge to the NW side and continue along the pipeline to Mundaring Weir Hotel ('HOTEL'). Cross Hall Rd and pass the Mundaring Weir Gallery on the left to follow the trail (Bibbulmun Track & O'Connor Trail) along the old railway formation and next to the Goldfields pipeline. Cross Weir Village Rd, and at '36' follow the trail up the hill to a track junction at '37' and continue on the trail (partly a vehicle track) and then descend to a lookout platform (at approx. 'LKOUTN') with good views over the Weir and back to Golden View Lookout across the Helena valley. Continue on the trail through lovely jarrah forest (which again partly follows old vehicle tracks). Soon after '39' cross a small ridge to reach the rear area of the Perth Hills National Parks Centre. Follow a path through the Centre to return to the Start point at the carpark.

Waypoint listing

Right click here and then "Save Target/Link As..." if you wish to download the Waypoints in a (zipped) plain text file (in Garmin PCX5 format, WGS84 datum, and decimal Degrees) suitable for import to GPS Mapping Software or for direct serial upload to a GPS unit (after unzipping and loading into a freeware program such as 'g7towin'). For OziExplorer users (after first loading and calibrating a map): To open the saved, unzipped file, select the "Garmin" menu button on the OziExplorer toolbar, then "Select PCX5 support", then "Get waypoints from GRM file".

If you require another format you will need to convert the downloaded file using GPS Visualiser (online) or freeware such as GPSBabel or g7towin.

The waypoints in the alternative listing below are given as UTM coordinates with datum to match the Walk map.

Route list :

Projection : UTM Datum : Australian Geodetic 1966 Zone : 50

Waypt name Easting Northing Comments

START 422053 6464260 Perth Hills National Parks Centre carpark, off Allen Rd.

2 422106 6464329 On dirt road.

2A 421954 6464506 On dirt road.

CALM2 421941 6464692 CALM District Office

PARK 421995 6464795 Secondary entry to Fred Jacoby Park off Mundaring Weir Rd.

3 421757 6464834 Near small stream(Bending Gully)in Fred Jacoby Park.

BDGE 421637 6464814 Footbridge over Goldfields Water Supply pipeline.

5 421288 6464838 Near track junction with North Ledge Rd.

6 421117 6464735 On North Ledge Rd(dirt road).

7 420834 6464743 On North Ledge Rd.

8 420577 6464825 On North Ledge Rd.

9 420451 6464693 On North Ledge Rd.

LKOUT 420430 6464516 North Ledge Lookout.

10 420381 6464661 On North Ledge Rd.

11 420143 6464826 On North Ledge Rd.

FALLS 419901 6464997 On North Ledge Rd, near falls in Bourkes Gully.

11A 419800 6465007 On North Ledge Rd.

12 419814 6464856 On dirt track.

13 419804 6464527 On dirt track.

13A 419674 6464464 On Munda Biddi Trail/Pipe Rd.

14 418608 6464871 On Munda Biddi Trail/Pipe Rd.

14A 418336 6464824 On Munda Biddi Trail/Pipe Rd.

15 418218 6464969 On Munda Biddi Trail/Pipe Rd.

16 418040 6464960 On Munda Biddi Trail.

17 418029 6464558 Off-track, near stream.

18 418174 6464415 Off-track, on steep hillside

19 418409 6464377 Off-track, on rock outcrop.

TRN 418593 6464123 On Bibbulmun Track.

21 418746 6464064 On Bibbulmun Track.

22 419067 6463524 On Bibbulmun Track.

23 419368 6463470 On Bibbulmun Track.

23A 419448 6463360 Bibbulmun Track crosses Kattamordo Trail.

24 419731 6463147 On Bibbulmun Track.

25 420088 6463295 On Bibbulmun Track.

GOLDVU 420185 6463544 Near Golden View Lookout.

26 420232 6463515 On Bibbulmun Track.

27 420285 6463363 On Bibbulmun Track.

28 420492 6463218 On Bibbulmun Track.

31 420948 6463226 On Bibbulmun Track.

32 421026 6463364 On Bibbulmun Track.

33 420966 6463560 On Bibbulmun Track.

BIBBTR 421027 6463631 Bibbulmun Track crosses Mundaring Weir Rd.

34 420944 6463737 Near south end of Mundaring Weir dam wall.

ENDAM 420946 6464015 At north end of Mundaring Weir dam wall.

35 420912 6464187 On Bibbulmun Track.

HOTEL 421142 6464426 On Bibbulmun Track, near Mundaring Weir Hotel.

36 421564 6464595 On Bibbulmun Track, near Mundaring Weir Rd.

37 421485 6464457 On Bibbulmun Track/O’Connor Trail.

LKOUTN 421590 6464075 Near lookout on Bibbulmun Track/O’Connor Trail.

39 421803 6464072 On Bibbulmun Track/O’Connor Trail.

END 422053 6464260 Back at Start point.

Additional waypoints on map:

FLS2 419858 6464852 Near small cascades in Bourkes Gully.

40 417730 6464697 On dirt track in west near Munda Biddi Trail

40A 417755 6464162 On Munda Biddi Trail in west.

40B 418093 6463702 On Bibbulmun Track and Munda Biddi Trail.

FTBDGE 420799 6463943 Footbridge across 'overflow stream'(Helena River)below dam wall.

MUSM 420731 6463977 No. 1 Pump Station (C.Y. O’Connor Museum)

JACOBY 421773 6464642 Fred Jacoby Park main entrance.

RDEX 421265 6464626 North Ledge Rd. meets Mundaring Weir Rd.

KAT2 422012 6464818 Kattamordo Trail crosses Mundaring Weir Rd.

PLRD 420443 6464081 Pipe Rd meets Mundaring Weir Rd.

KATTRL 420382 6463851 Kattamordo Trial meets Mundaring Weir Rd.

50 420148 6464063 On Kattamordo Trail, close to Helena River.

60 420222 6462809 South Ledge Rd meets Mundaring Weir Rd.

Satellite Imagery
Click here for Google Maps image of the walk area. -Use zoom bar for road details.	For Google Earth and Google Earth Plus users
	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).