Getting Lost on the Munda Biddi Trail near Dwellingup WA

As Derek was driving me out to my start point on the Munda Biddi Trail near Dwellingup, I was explaining why I had decided on the conservative distance of 15 kilometres for my first ride on the trail.

I had read on the Munda Biddi website about pea gravel and sandy surfaces making the going slow. Also, at the Dwellingup History and Visitor Information Centre, trail riders had written comments in the visitor book about poor signage and getting lost. Considering all of this, I felt that 15 kilometres would be a good distance to start with.

Also, I had chosen the Alcoa conveyor belt as my start point, thinking that Derek would be interested to see it and hear the loud noise that it made. The overland conveyor system carries bauxite, which is mined nearby at Boddington, to Collie 100 kilometres away, for processing into alumina.

I said goodbye to Derek and Kenji the dog and began a steep descent on Scarp Road. After three hundred metres, a Munda Biddi signpost indicated a left turn onto a narrower trail.

Pea Gravel

Soon I was making an intimate acquaintance with the pea gravel and my progress was slow. This is what it looks like:

Of course, pea gravel is very common in the area, not only on the Munda Biddi Trail. Even in our caravan park, Derek and I had been sliding on it a bit as we walked around.

To ride on, it feels like something between ordinary gravel and sand. At times I was skidding so much that it felt better to walk.

The trail continued for three kilometres

and then emerged out of the forest under some high voltage power lines.

The Munda Biddi Trail followed the power lines for a kilometre and then turned into the forest again. Before long, another yellow marker pointed the way onto a narrower trail.

Soon the track became narrower still. The plants on the side of the trail were whipping my legs and arms as I cycled through.

Eventually the trail turned and opened up again and I was feeling more comfortable and able to enjoy the beautiful forest.

The Fork in the Road

It was at about the eight kilometre mark of my ride that I faced a difficult decision. There was a fork in the road where a Munda Biddi yellow marker seemed to indicate that I should go forward, but it was not clear which side of the fork was correct. Consulting my map, I noted that I was not expecting a turn at this point, but the curve to the right was only slight.

Some tree roots on the right side had been painted the Munda Biddi yellow. Thinking that this was to indicate the correct path, I took the fork on the right.

All went well for the next eight hundred metres until I came to this turn in the road.

The Munda Biddi marker pointed to a steep gully on the left. However, the fact that the arrow had been painted over in yellow raised doubts. I was not keen on going down this steep gully, but equally I was not sure whether going back to the previous turnoff was right either.

Regrettably I decided to follow the gully down. That was the last time I saw the Munda Biddi Trail for the next two hours.

The MTB Men from Snowy River

The gully was very steep and dangerous. With gradients of over 25% I was too scared to ride down and scrambled and slid, trying to keep my bike from escaping down the hill ahead of me. At the bottom of the gully I stood facing another fork in the road

when all of a sudden two young men came flying down the gully on their mountain bikes doing an excellent MTB version of the Man from Snowy River. They took the fork to the left, so I decided to follow them.

Eventually I came out onto Scarp Road again. I was very tired from the gully descent and the difficult surfaces. As I was now on the wrong side of Marrinup Brook, it would be nearly impossible to get back on the trail without retracing my steps. I began following Scarp Road towards the main road to Dwellingup.

Railway Service Track

At this point I crossed the Hotham Valley Railway line. Thinking of my experience on the Castlemaine to Maldon Trail, I decided to follow the railway service track into town.

Fortunately it was shady and beautiful and no more difficult than what I had already experienced on the Munda Biddi Trail.

About 300 metres out from Dwellingup, the railway service track joined the Munda Biddi Trail.

I looked wistfully up at the trail I had missed,

but at least I was safely back in town. I had “cycled” 21 kilometres and climbed 435 metres. As you can see from the map below, even after I got lost, my ride was not far from the Munda Biddi Trail. No doubt the real trail is somewhat easier.

A few weeks later I had the opportunity to cycle the Munda Biddi Trail between Torbay and Albany and Greens Pool and Denmark.