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 north through wandoo trees across Darkin River valley, July 2002.

[Click on photo for larger version]

More photos.

Click here

for Google Maps image

of the walk area.

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

65 kms SE of Perth,  along Brookton Hwy to Yarra Road on left,  then further 16.1 kms up Yarra Road (good condition dirt road).

17 field kms (98% off-track)

MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

YES

See Google Map for start point on road map.

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

Park 16.1 kms up Yarra Road at white boom gate blocking CALM forestry track on left hand side.

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".

Reach Yarra Road and then south to Brookton Highway (or alternatively north (approx 30kms) to Great Southern Highway.

/Highlights:

This walk is mostly through picturesque, open wandoo woodlands immediately south of the upper Darkin River and 12-16km east of Mount Dale. It lies mainly within the new 44,000 ha Wandoo National Park.  The terrain is varied with some easy walking over reasonably gentle terrain, but also a few steeper slopes across laterite breakaways and stream gullies. There are some pleasant views from the outcrops across the Darkin valley and toward Mount Dale. Expect a few short sections of scratchy heath around granite outcrops.

For a shorter walk in this general area, try the nearby Flynn Hills Walk,  immediately to the NE, which offers some similar easy walking, but is only 13.5 kms versus 17kms for this route.

Controlled burns:  A burn is currently scheduled for Spring 2008 in the area west of Darkin River.  This will impact on the walk route between waypoints '21' & '37'.  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).

"Wandoo National Park - Park Guide" by DEC (undated pdf; 248KB).

"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 the entire 1470 sq km catchment area, far beyond the proposed 60 sq km Reservoir  Protection Zone, and including this walk area which is over 15km ESE of the reservoir. 

Head initially SSW down forestry track, then veer SSE off-track at waypt '1' to climb gentle slope to hill-top views at approx. waypt '2'. Veer approx. eastward along the ridge through wandoo woodland and after waypt '3' descend to cross Yarra Road at waypt '5' and reach broad, very lightly wooded valley. Follow the valley from waypt '6' to '8', then veer  NE to cross water course. Walk uphill, crossing an old forestry track (Lightning Road) at waypt '9'. Pass through a short section of  dryandra scrub on a low, broad ridge, then reach another ridge at waypt '10'. Walk north along the ridge to waypt '11' then descend  across partly open, rocky ground, to waypt '12'.  Ascend again, partly through a thicket of casuarina (sheoak)to reach a granite outcrop at 'GDROK'.  Climb to the ridge to the SW into wandoo woodlands again and then veer WNW, recrossing Lightning Road and across a gentle valley through open marri-jarrah forest, before ascending to waypt '16' at the northern edge of a laterite-capped ridge, with good northward views through the wandoo tress and across the Darkin valley. Descend to a large granite outcrop at 'GDVURK' with open views across the valley (and a good place for a lunch break). Descend the outcrop to waypt '17' then veer west and cross a broad gully at waypt '18', followed by a steepish ascent up a laterite-capped breakaway to a narrow boulder-strewn plateau at waypt '19', with large wandoo trees. Descend from the 'plateau' at waypt '20' and walk along-slope to cross Yarra Road again at waypt '21'.

Then initially continue along the northern escarpment of the laterite plateau to cross a ridge at approx. waypt '22' and descend quite steeply through some heath and scrub and across rocky ground to cross a stream gully at waypt '24'. Climb to a ridge at waypt '25' then descend partly through heath and some rocky ground to cross two stream gullies  (waypoints 'GULLY' and '27'). Climb to a small outcrop at '28' then turn southward. Reach another very small rock outcrop at 'SMLRK' with views eastward across the small valley. After reaching waypt' 31', descend eastward to cross the stream gully at waypt '32'. Then climb northward, partly through heath to reach waypt '33' Then veer  east again to reach a small outcrop with good views of Mount Dale 14kms to the west. Walk approximately along slope to reach another small outcrop at '35'. Cross a dryandra-covered ridge at waypt '36' and descend initially mainly through fairly open dryandra scrub and then marri-jarrah forest to reach Yarra Road at waypt. '37'. Follow Yarra Road southward for about 250m to get back to the Start point.