2024 Bibbulmun Track Hiker Survey
Spanning 1,000 km, the Bibbulmun Track is one of Australia’s premier long-distance hiking trails. The Bibbulmun Track Hiker Survey serves as a valuable, up-to-date resource to help hikers plan their trips, whether for a short day hike or a full end-to-end journey. This survey is powered by the hiking community, relying on participants to share their insights and experiences. In 2024, we received 74 responses.
Contents
The survey covers a broad range of topics. As such, the results have been divided into the following sections:
- Hiker demographics & motivation
- Hiking statistics
- Resupply
- Hiker health
- Common fears & advice for future hikers
If there’s something missing from the survey, please let us know so we can improve it for next year.
Lastly, as with any survey, certain limitations should be kept in mind when interpreting the results:
- The accuracy of the results depends on the reliability of the information provided.
- The data may be skewed based on the demographics of those who chose to participate (as shown below).
Age
Gender
Hiker Demographics
Where Are Hikers From?
Why Do People Choose to hike on the Bibbulmun Track?
How Do People Have Time to Hike on the Bibbulmun Track?
Hiker's Expectations Prior to their Hike
“A fairly ‘easy’ Thru hike”
“I was excited to hike one of the most premium trails in Australia.”
“Well maintained, good people, beautiful scenery.”
“It is relatively flat and easy to navigate.”
“I was expecting more washed out/inundated sections as I hiked in winter. I didn’t expect it to be always so well cleared and maintained, this was a real surprise in the remote sections and very appreciated!”
“Good huts, water tanks, established trail, maintained track, flowers, old growth forests.”
“I have done a couple of sections before so knew vaguely what to expect. I was impressed with the size and standard of the shelters in the section I walked (Albany to Denmark) in particular!”
“Easier than some other hikes I have done (eg NZ Great Walks, South Coast Track Tasmania, off track hikes in Qld). Because we were hiking in winter I expected it to be cold and very wet – wasn’t too bad in the end.”
Some More Quick Facts
Pre-Hike Training
Supplements
Most popular Planning Resources
- The Bibbulmun Track Website (used by 99% of hikers)
- The Bibbulmun Track Facebook Group Page (used by 58% of hikers)
- YouTube videos (used by 44% of hikers)
Hiking Statistics
End-To-End (E2E) Hikers
Which Direction Do E2E Hikers Walk?
Why Do Hikers Walk Southbound?
Why Do Hikers Walk Northbound?
How Long Does An E2E Take?
Hikers completing an E2E took an average of 52 days, covering approximately 19.2 km per day (including rest days).
The average E2E hiker took 5 rest days (zeros) on their hike.
How Much Does an E2E Cost?
What Is the Total Cost of Hiking the Bibbulmun Track?
What Is the on Trail Cost of Hiking the Bibbulmun Track?
The average cost per month on trail is $500, which works out to be $16.67 per day or $0.87 per kilometre!
Which Sections Do E2E Hikers Enjoy the Most? Which Is The Hardest?
Hikers favourite section of trail was Walpole to Denmark (27%), while Kalamunda to Dwellingup was rated as the most challenging section (48%).
Favourite Section
Most Challenging Section
Why Do E2E Hikers Quit?
68% of hikers finished their E2E.
For those who don’t finish their E2E, 33% stopped due to injury.
Section hikers
The average section hiker completed 300 km along the Bibbulmun Track at any one time.
The most popular distance to hike was 70-80km, completed by 14.2% of hikers.
Favourite animals that hikers saw during their hike.
Echidna
Black cockatoos
Kangaroos
Birds
Emus
Favourite wildflowers that hikers spot during their hike.
“All of them, it was spring.”
“Oak leafed banksia, some grevillea.”
“Pink Fairy Orchid, Spider and a purple pokey looking one found on the coast!”
“Leopard Sun Orchids, Scented Sun Orchids and Karri Spider Orchids.”
“Yellow Spider Orchids, Blue Lady Orchids, Kangaroo Paws, Oak Leafed Grevillea.”
What Factors Negatively Impact Experience?
Certain aspects of hiking can sometimes make trips less enjoyable. We asked hikers to rate the following factors on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the most negative) based on how much they impacted their experience.
Resupply
Resupply Strategy
“I mailed a box to towns that didn’t have food I could eat, or, my partner would meet me.”
“I would send some hard to get things like electrolytes and protein powder to most towns.”
“Mail more food to small towns as some shops have very little choice.”
Resupply Locations
Where Do Hikers Who Post Food Send Their Food Parcels To?
How Do Hikers Rate Each Town for Their Resupply Options?
Dwellingup (7.7/10)
Collie (9.4/10)
Balingup (6.7/10)
Donnelly River (8.3/10)
Pemberton (5.0/10)
Northcliffe (5.9/10)
Walpole (7.6/10)
Denmark (8.6/10)
Top 5 Favourite Eateries on Track
- Naughty Noodle in Northcliffe
- Denmark bakery
- Pemberton bakery
- Mr Fosters Cafe in Balingup
- The Crown Hotel Collie
Other Food Parcel Facts
Most popular breakfasts:
Oats
- With fruit and nuts
- With peanut butter
- With honey
- Wraps
- With Nutella
- With butter, vegemite and cheese
- With cheese and salami
- With peanut butter
- Muesli bars
- Cereal
- Milk powder with cornflakes
Most popular lunches:
- Dehydrated meals
- Two minute noodles
Cheese, crackers and tuna
Most popular dinners:
- Dehydrated meals
- Pasta
- With cheese and salami
- Continental pre-made
- Two minute noodles
How Did People Store Their Food at Night in Shelters?
The shelters along the Bibbulmun Track can attract mice and other rodents, which may try to rummage through your pack for food at night!
Note: Plastic tubs are generally only available at shelters where rodent activity is a bigger issue.
How Do Hikers Store Their Food at Night?
Hiker Health
Injury
On average, injured hikers took an additional 3.5 days of rest due to their injury.
On average, hikers estimate their injury cost them an additional ~$285.
Top 5 Injuries on Trail
Knee pain
Plantar Fasciitis
Sprained ankle
Shoulder pain
ITB pain
Actions Hikers Took to Alleviate Their Injury
92% of hikers carried an emergency kit
Illness
Water Treatment
How Often Did Hikers Treat Their Water?
Top 3 Water Treatment methods
Water purification tablets (used by 66% of hikers)
Water filter (used by 48% of hikers)
Boiling water (used by 15% of hikers)
Ticks
E2E hikers got an average of 2.6 ticks during their trek.
Worst 3 Sections for Ticks
Top 3 Items Carried to Remove Ticks
Normal tweezers (32% of hikers)
Nothing (29% of hikers)
Tick tweezers (19% of hikers)
Female Hygiene
How Did Female Hikers Manage Their Period on Trail?
Common Fears & Advice For Future Hikers
Common Fears
Top 5 Fears Pre Hike
Snakes (44%)
Getting injured (38%)
Bugs (e.g. ticks, spiders) (27%)
Rodents in shelters (25%)
Getting lost (23%)
Top 5 Fears Post Hike
Extreme heat (40%)
Snakes (31%)
Getting injured (27%)
Bugs (e.g. ticks, spiders) (23%)
Rodents in shelters (17%)
“Not really fears, more like concerns.“
“Not fears just wary as I don’t want ticks to embed nor rodents eating into my gear.“
“I still get worried about getting injured when hiking solo but have strategies in place around that. I had never considered rodents before I started but have read lots since about managing rodents so am on the lookout at certain huts.”
Top 5 Things Hikers Would Do Differently Next Time
Train more
Slow down
Change start date
Walk with a friend
Final Comments
“By far one of the best experiences of my life. I am so grateful for the Bibb!”
“It was so incredible and I would highly recommend it for anyone just thinking about it!“
“Just get out there and walk it, the Bibbulmun is one of the best walks in the world.”
“It was perfect and I will finish it. It was more than what I expected in such a wonderful way. The people on the track were amazing. The scenery was incredible. The Bibb has a way of getting into your soul and you can’t escape, not that you want to try. Love it.”
“I loved it! Even despite not completing my E2E due to skipping sections due to injury, but I still stayed out there, just stayed longer in towns like Donnelly River Village, Walpole & Peaceful Bay“
“I love this track and feel so incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to walk it.”
“So fabulous, I just wanted to keep walking!”
From Tom and Maddie
It is incredible that the Bibbulmun Track and its fantastic facilities are still FREE for us to enjoy! This is possible thanks to the Foundation which coordinates the efforts of over 350 volunteers who gave over 30,000 hours to maintain the Track last year.
Help support the work of the Foundation by becoming a member https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/get-involved/become-a-member/ and/or making a tax deductible donation here: https://www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au/get-involved/ways-to-give/make-a-donation/.
100% of all funds in this account are used for Track projects – and your support will ensure the Bibbubulm Track continues to be a great experience for the walkers who follow in your footstep!
