1) Walk map - Shows route and waypoint locations

2) Photo from walk  (also see Photo Galleries)

3) 3D map view

4) Google map & Satellite imagery

5) Route profile

6) Walk description

7) Waypoint listing and grid references

Typical wandoo woodland north of upper Darkin River, April 2006.

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         Route profile

66 kms ESE of Perth.   

14 field kms (85% off-track),

(or 16 field kms alternative).

MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

420m (positive elevation change)

(or 500m for alternative longer route).

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 Brookton Hwy from Albany Hwy for 47 kms to Yarra Road on left (first road on left after Christmas Tree well on left).  After 18 kms north up Yarra Road (usually good condition gravel road, but watch for pot-holes) turn right into Darkin Road and then immediately left to park in open area at corner of Darkin and Yarra Roads.

Important access issue:   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 had 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".

North or south (generally less than 1 km) to Darkin Road; then east (max. 5 kms) to Yarra Road, or west then NW (min. 18 kms) via Darkin, Beraking Pool and Reservoir Roads to reach SE end of Lake CY O'Connor (Helena Reservoir).

/Highlights:

The laterite escarpments and stream courses on both sides of the narrow upper Darkin River valley provide interesting, varied terrain and lots of excellent views across and down the valley. This walk is a relatively easy circuit around both sides of a 5 km section along the valley, about 12 kms ENE of Mount Dale. The area lies within State Forest including: Nockine Block (north of the River); Qualen Block (to the south); and Flynn Block (covering part of the alternative longer route, east of Yarra Road).

The walking is mostly through open forest and woodlands, but with some medium slopes, uneven pebbly surfaces, and a few brief patches of possibly scratchy heath or shrubland. The route mostly avoids areas of denser dryandra scrub (parrot bush) which is common on some of the laterite-capped hill tops. The only crossings of the Darkin River course are by road bridges, via Yarra Road at the eastern end starting point, and via Topher Road at the western end.

Like the nearby Upper Darkin Walk, which is immediately to the SE , the route passes through some picturesque, open wandoo woodlands (especially on the south side of the valley). The walk route includes a very short segment overlap of less than 1 km (between waypoints '41' & '45' in the SE) with the Upper Darkin Walk.

The alternative longer route option also visits an additional granite outcrop (at waypoint '7') with a good view to the east, which is also included on the Flynn hills Walk route which is immediately to the ENE.

Controlled burns:  A burn was scheduled for Autumn 2009 in the area south of Darkin River.  This may have impacted on the walk route between waypoints '32' & 'END'.  See DEC's 6-season indicative burn programme. 

A 'regeneration burn' is also likely in the area immediately east of Yarra Road by Autumn 2010, to remove combustibles left from the 2004 wandoo logging operations within the Flynn Block. That burn will affect the initial 2 kms of the alternative, longer walk route. 

Note: The forest in the NW portion of this walk route (from approx. waypt '25' to '31') was burnt in the wildfires of January 2005 (evidently started by arsonist/s) which destroyed 28,000ha of forest canopy between Pickering Brook and Karragullen in the west, Lake C.Y. O'Connor in the north, and as far as this area in the east. The area was  strongly regenerating by June 2007, but as a result of the new growth, walkers may encounter denser patches of 'Prickly Moses' (Acacia pulchella) and 'Net-leaved wattle' (Acacia urophylla) in the future.  

WalkGPS walk map for OziExplorer users:  A downloadable OziExplorer format MAP file (*.map) for this walk area is included on the Maps, Waypoints & Track Files page. The zipped folder also includes the associated 'base' topo map image file, plus other attached waypoints, tracks/routes, etc in OxiExplorer file formats.

WalkGPS reconnaissance history: Click here for a map of past WalkGPS test walks in the walk area, plus the final route. The final route was selected only after several visits to the area which aimed to achieve a walk that would be the most rewarding.

Other:   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 13 kms ESE of the reservoir. 

From the Start point, head northward on Yarra Road, which initially crosses Darkin River then climbs gently uphill. After 300m (at waypoint '3'), veer NW to head off-track initially crossing a stream course close to the road, then climbing gently through open wandoo woodland. (Alternatively, for the longer route option, at waypt '3', you can veer NE off-track Continue upslope via '3A' and into a fairly open dryandra (parrot bush) shrubland/understorey. After 1.5 kms from Yarra Road, reach (at '3B') wandoo woodland on a N-S ridge. Head SW downslope to reach (at 'SLAB') the northern end of a large rock slab on the western flank of the ridge. Traverse the 200m-long slab southward to '16'. Then continue southward (via '17') across the ridge through wandoo woodland and descend through low shrubland and a sheoak thicket to '18'. Continue southward around an east-sloping hillside (via '19') and reach (at 'SLAB2') the top of a small (40m-long) SW-sloping rock slab, with a good view southward across the main Darkin River valley to slopes 1 km away that will be traversed near the end of the walk. Veer SW (to '20') to re-enter forest along the upper slopes of a laterite escarpment. Follow a 'roo trail W-WNW (via '21') around the southward-sloping hillside  through a low shrub understorey. Reach another small outcrop at 'BIGRK' (with nearby view to Mt Dale, 12 kms WSW), and continue approx. NW down the hillside through wandoo woodland. Veer westward at '22' and descend to cross an incised stream course near '23'. Head westward uphill and soon follow (via '25') the top of the south-sloping laterite escarpment through  shrubland/open forest which is strongly regenerating following the 2006 burn. There are some good views south and SW. At '26' veer SW and then westward again at '27'.  At '28' veer SW to return to the top edge of the escarpment at '29'.  From here there are again good views across the valley to the walk route ahead along the laterite slopes on the south side, less than 1 km away. From '29', veer WNW to cross a low spur ridge and pass back into wandoo woodland. At '29A' veer SW and pick a route through descend (via '30') through patches of regenerating 'Prickly Moses' to cross a rocky stream bed and climb gently to reach Topher Road (dirt forestry road) at '31' Turn left to follow Topher Road southward, crossing the Darkin River at '32'. Continue on the road to '33', then head eastward off-track, gently uphill into wandoo woodland. Climb a laterite escarpment and cross a narrow spur ridge before descending quite steeply to cross a stream course (picking a way through local patches of 'Prickly Moses'). Veer SE at '34' to climb to the top of a small laterite butte. Then continue SW to cross a gentle saddle through open woodland and begin climbing quite steeply up a north-sloping laterite escarpment. At '35' veer NE and climb to 'VU', near the top of the escarpment from where there is a good view WNW down the Darkin valley, across the small butte just traversed. Continue eastward (via '36' & '37') through very open woodland, along the mainly bare pebbly surface of the north-sloping escarpment. After '37' veer NE to cross the 'breakaway' at the top of the escarpment onto the flatter terrain above, then head gently downhill.  Veer ESE at '38' and descend to cross a side valley. Continue around a hillside through open woodland via 39'.  At '40' veer due south and climb to a viewing point at '41' (from where you may get a view 1.6 kms across the main valley to the area of the rock slab crossed at 'SLAB2' earlier in the walk). Then descend via '41A' to cross a stream course at '42'. Head NE, picking an easy way through patches of denser shrubland and crossing a small rock slab at about '43' and a deeply incised stream course soon after. Then climb the laterite escarpment to '44' and veer briefly northward to '45', still in wandoo woodland. Continue NE again to cross another deeply incised stream course at '46' and reach a small (50m) rock slab at '47'. Head NNE down the outcrop and then through wandoo woodland. Meet Darkin Road at '47A' and turn right (eastward) and follow the road for 1 km to return the Start point.

Longer walk option (16 kms):  For a slightly more challenging day's walk;  on reaching waypt '3' on Yarra Road, instead of heading NW off-track, head NE uphill and off-track (via '4' & '6') to a small laterite-capped ridge. Head north along the ridge top through wandoo woodland for less than 500m, then descend briefly to reach (at '7') a 150m-long sloping granite slab, offering a good eastward view. Then veer NW to cross a gentle saddle area along the ridge and descend via '8' to cross Yarra Road at '9'. Head westward gently uphill and veer SW (at '10') after crossing a small gully. Climb quite steeply uphill to '11', then WSW along slope before crossing the same stream gully near '12'. Then gently climb to a small rock slab at 'RK3'. Continue WSW gently uphill to cross a small spur ridge at '13'.  Then veer SSW, initially gently downhill onto a broad ridge which has a cover mainly of open dryandra. At '14' veer southward to soon pass through a patch of wandoo woodland (at '15') before descending to the granite slab (at 'SLAB') to rejoin and follow the 'main' route described above (via '16', '17' etc).