7th November 2023

Perth sits on a coastal plain and has an escarpment a few miles inland. For many years one of the main businesses was logging, the local wood is incredibly hard and makes good railway sleepers amongst other things – or so I’m told.

Anyway, they had to get the trees off the escarpment and down to the coast. So they built not one, but two, railways! For many reasons the logging business died out and the rail track was removed and now the track beds are walking / cycling / horse riding paths.

Conveniently they both start at the same point and there’s now a trail which joins them at the far end. The southern one also crosses the start of the Munda Biddi but I have done that and don’t currently feel the need to revisit it…..

Fortunately trains aren’t too good at gradients so the navvies chiselled their way through the rock and made a relatively gentle slope. The downside, of course, is that it goes on forever! However, the scenery is nice – peering into the backs of expensive properties and lots of trees – it’s quite enjoyable.

The cross over onto the other railway for the return was a bit confusing, get it wrong and you end up miles out in the wheat belt (and I did that in the other direction last time) but once round the corner it’s all downhill. There’s a spectacular waterfall, or at least I assume it is when there’s water flowing in the winter, and some good views over the coastal plain. And there’s a tunnel! Long enough that a light was helpful but the exit was easy to see. It was also nice and cool – the day was about 29C so it was most welcome.

And I even managed to find my way through some confusing paths back to the car. And back to base for a shower. and a glass of something reviving.

25 miles round trip and 2264 feet of climbing according to my trusty bike computer (1261 according to Strava?!?!). Also 3 1/2 hours.