BunGeo for Adrenaline Seekers

DAY ONE: PERTH TO THE FERGUSON VALLEY

Depart Perth and drive just over two hours to Wellington National Park and to the Mount Lennard Trails which are ideal for experienced mountain bikers who like singletrack rolling through the bush. The trails include six loop trails ranging from 4km to 11.5km that weave through mature jarrah forest and granite outcrops and offer spectacular views of the lower Collie River Valley. The Grizzley (6.5km), Boylan (6.5km), Butchers (3.2km) and Pallet Track (1.5) trails are rated moderate (blue) and the Wals (2km) and Millbrook (8.3km +3km ride to starting point) trails are difficult (black) for experienced mountain bikers. Allow 1 to 3 hours, depending on ability and how many of the trails you plan to tackle. The ups are consistent but gentle, the down often require a little pedalling to get up to top speed. Compared to modern trails these ones are a little more organic with less machine-made trail and jumps. The one exception is the jump area at the bottom of this network which gives riders a fun place to push themselves with doubles and table tops.

The valley supports unspoiled vegetation, indicative of its cool and damp microclimate, and provides habitat for marron, native marsupials, abundant birdlife and over 300 varieties of colourful wildflowers.

After pedalling up an appetite, drive two minutes to Wild Bull Brewery for lunch and a well-deserved beer. Grab a woodfired pizza, steak, fish and chips, salt and pepper squid or a satisfying burger from the kitchen which is open until 3pm Wednesday to Friday and 4pm on the weekends, and wash it down with one of their craft beers. There’s a big beer garden outside surrounded by trees that’s so pretty it’s also a wedding venue. There’s a kid’s playground and fur babies are welcome too making it a perfect place to spend an afternoon. Check their Facebook page for an update on live music.

From there, drive 10 minutes to your accommodation in the Ferguson Valley.

DAY TWO: MOUNTAIN BIKING OVERLOAD

Wake up, and either have coffee and breakfast at your accommodation or drive about 30 minutes to The Wagon coffee stop. Stock up on sandwiches and an energy-rich sweet slice and then drive 14 minutes to the Arklow Trails. Linking Collie with Harris Dam, the Arklow Trail Network is situated approximately 5km north of Collie on Harris River Road. You will find the trail head at Ray’s Trail car park, on the right hand side, just past the Harris River Estate Winery and there’s over 35km of trails to ride through Jarrah and Marri forest that include fast flowing section, jumps and more technical challenging rides. There’s an information sign about each trail there. The moderate (blue) trails include Ray’s Trail (7km), 220 Trail (6.2km), Dead Cats (2.6km), Bull Ant (4.5km), Far Lap (7.5km) and Morning Glory (2.1km). Allow 1 to 3 hours depending on how much MTB you want to do. Take everything you need including food and snacks as there are no facilities at Arklow Trails.

After a few hours in the saddle, jump in the car and drive 26 minutes to Wellington Dam Wall and Quarry. This is a great spot to eat your lunch if you brought sandwiches. There are plenty of outdoor activities to do from photography, to hiking, hill walking, swimming, bird watching, rock climbing and if you have an abseiling license and your own gear, abseiling. Here is also the unlikely place for incredible work of public art. The world’s largest dam mural covering 8000m2 that depicts local life from yesteryear and features portraits of migrants, Aboriginal children and locals. The best view of mural is from the WaterCorp lookout.

Refuelled and ready to go, it’s time to get back on the bike for the Wagyl Biddi trails. The name Wagyl Biddi comes from two Aboriginal Noongar words – the Wagyl is the serpent that moved across the land in the dreaming creating the rivers, inlets and lakes, and Biddi means ‘path through the forest’. Free and open every day, the Wagyl Biddi trail winds through the jarrah forest on the edge of the Collie River. The network also includes the Dropped Pye Zone, a technical skills area with jumps, rock descents, ladder drops, berms and balance beams. The moderate (blue) trails to tackle include the rocky and densely forested Marri Meander (0.8km), Rocky Horror (1.5km), a single track that balances rocky and flow, and it’s recommended you ride it with Drop Dead Fred (1km) to complete a 2.5km loop. Allocate from one to three hours for your afternoon MTB session.

The day’s action concludes and it’s time to head back to your accommodation in Collie (13 minute drive), Wellington (17 minute drive), or Evedon (19 minute drive) in the Ferguson Valley.

DAY THREE: COLLIE TO PERTH

You have a choice of activities today. Lake Kepwari is a popular water-skiing destination and located 10km south– east of Collie. Or you can continue to explore the trails in Wellington National Park.

Head to the Ferguson Valley for lunch and a cold beer at the Bush Shack Brewery. Before you head back to Perth check out St Aidan Wines just a minute up the road.

An alternative lunch stop is St Aidan Wines which is just one minute from Bush Shack Brewery. The menu tempts with house made pasta, seared West Australian scallops, platters of local cheese, lamb shanks, confit duck and more. There’s also a three-course ‘Trust the Chef’ menu that comes with matching wines – the whole table needs to participate and it’s a good idea to book ahead.

Whether you choose to lunch at a winery or a brewery, visiting both is recommended for a tasting and to buy some takeaways to enjoy at another time.

From there, it’s time to make the return journey back to Perth, a drive of approximately two hours 15 minutes.