Wander the Wadandi Track and discover a rich history of the land.
Named for the traditional owners of the land, the Wadandi Track meanders through karri and marri eucalypts, farmland and vineyards.
Did you know many of the Margaret River Region’s roads and trails follow traditional Aboriginal pathways? For example, Caves Road, the iconic tourist drive meandering its way beside stunning beaches and outstanding wineries, megalithic caves, and towering karri forest, was once an Aboriginal walking trail.
The traditional custodians of the Margaret River Region, the Wadandi (Saltwater) people, would walk its length, moving between seasons, hunting and camping grounds and water sources, explains Koomal Dreaming owner-operator and local Wadandi custodian, Josh Whiteland.
Meaning brushtail possum, ‘Koomal’ is the traditional name and totem for Josh, chosen for him by his Wadandi elders. He was recently named the winner of the Individual Excellence in Aboriginal Tourism Award at the 2024 WA Tourism Awards.
“The old railway lines and roads that run through here, a lot of them used to be horse and cart roads. Before that, they were single–horse tracks. Before that, they were Aboriginal walking tracks,” says Josh.
Once the settlers arrived, they began to ride their horses along the old tracks because it was the most direct route with water along the way.
The tracks ran from north to south, east to west, along all points of the compass. First Nations families walked them, moving with the seasons. They walked in a single file to minimise the impact on the bush, and also for safety. The men walked up the front, while the women and children walked at the back.
It is apt, then, that the repurposed Wadandi Track, a walking and cycling trail, pays homage to the traditional origins of this path.
It follows those Aboriginal walking paths and a former railway line, built in the 1880s by timber baron, M.C. Davies, to cart timber from forest to jetties at Hamelin and Flinders Bay for export. The Wadandi Track offers a walk or cycle through an integral part of the region’s history, a way to bask in beautiful, clean air and get some exercise. It is also an exhibit of 34 of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and home to a range of rare fauna and flora, including the Margaret River hairy marron, white-bellied frogs, Leeuwin snails, and tuart trees, a range of spider and donkey orchids, wattle, and yellow peas.
Rod Bennett is one man who knows this track too; as a Margaret River local, he’s been running trails around the region for the past 15 years and has used the knowledge he has gleaned to compile an online database, Margaret River Trails, offering insight into all the tracks of the region.
“The track runs south from Cowaramup down to Sebbes Road. Unofficially, it goes through to Vlam Road near Caves Road (approximately 10 km south of Margaret River),” he says.
Rod rates the quality of the track as excellent, and says it can be enjoyed by walkers, riders, and runners. It scores as “a three”, one of the highest rated trails in the region, on his website.
“It is mostly firm dirt or gravel, very flat, and well maintained. Other than puddles in winter it is like running on the road, but without the traffic,” he says.
It is amazing, really. Wineries, farms, karri forests, jarrah forests, bridges over river and creek crossings. There is just interesting scenery everywhere.
There are plans to extend the track to follow the railway line in its entirety, over 100 kilometres from Busselton right down to Augusta, but for now, the 30-kilometre track can be broken into different sections, with each offering different benefits in different seasons.
“A great shady walk in summer is just north of Carters Rd (start at Carters Road and head north for two kilometres to Lears Road). There is a bit of karri forest and everything you need up there. It goes for just a couple of kilometres, and there are five bridges; it passes over Bramley Creek five times,” Rod emphasises.
“For wildflowers, I would head south of Gnarawary Road (start at Gnarawary Road and head south for 4.5 kilometres to Redgate Road). It starts off with farmland, but there is a bit of open grassland, where you tend to get a few nice flowers.
You do see kangaroos along the way, but you’re not guaranteed. It is a bit busy. South of Sebbes Road (an unofficial extension of the track that runs an additional 2.5 kilometres south to Vlam Road), you do tend to see them quite a bit more. It is an extension of the Wadandi Track. I see the most kangaroos down there.”
The whole thing is brilliant for biking. It’s great for people who don’t want anything too fancy, and it is beautifully signposted as well. The best place for walking is south of Walcliffe Road, a little further away from the town.
“I’m really looking forward to the extension from Busselton to Augusta, when we’ll be able to walk, ride, or run all the way, which is very special.”
The Wadandi Track itself is quite flat, as the original Railway train loaded with timber couldn’t climb hills, so the tracks were built on a horizontal grade. Michael Brookes runs Margaret River Mountain Bike Tours and says that the uniform gradient of the track makes it one of the most user-friendly and accessible trails in the region. “The Wadandi Track is relatively straight, easy terrain. International visitors love it, and it’s also very achievable for families to walk or bike,” says Brookes.
Brookes notes that the track is perfectly Western Australian in the scenery it offers. There are stunning karri trees, wildflowers and endemic species like the quenda (a small bandicoot-like animal) and red-tailed black cockatoos. But the track crosses quite diverse territory, with sections passing not only through forest, but agricultural land and vineyards.
For wine lovers, Brookes takes visitors on electric bikes to explore (and taste) some of the region’s wineries that spur off the Wadandi Track. Witchcliffe is a great starting point, as it is located right alongside the track (although not even all locals know that it’s there). You can begin with a wine tasting experience at McHenry Hohnen’s ‘pop up’ cellar door, or the Amato Vino Tasting Bar located next door to Dear Darnell’s.
The Wadandi Track itself offers glimpses of the region’s history. Old sleepers and rail lines can be spotted, and the Men’s Shed in Cowaramup rebuilt the original station house – so evidence of the Railway infrastructure can still be found. With some parts of the track now leased to adjoining landowners, you can also encounter farm animals or locally grown plantations.
