Walk Western Australia's Stirling Ranges

Your adventure begins with an early take off from Perth (Boorloo in the language of the local Whadjuk Nyoongar people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Perth is now located), for the drive to the Stirling Ranges, with stops along the way for a delicious homemade morning tea and lunch. Your expert local guide knows all the best spots to enjoy a picnic snack. Kick off your walking adventure with a hike up Mt Hassell in the heart of the Stirling Ranges. In the words of Goldilocks, this mid-size mountain is “not too big, not too small, but just right” for your first walk of the trip which should take two to three hours return. From here, drive to Kendenup Lodge, your comfortable base for the next four nights where you’ll have time to unpack before enjoying a glass of (BYO) wine and dinner with your group.

Offering exceptional views, colourful wildflowers and interesting crags, the walk up Mount Trio (Warrungup) begins with a steep climb that will give your legs a workout before you reach a broad saddle between two peaks. This is a moderately challenging walk but the good news is all the hard work is pretty much done after this. From here, it’s an easy stroll to the north peak where you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of Mt Toolbrunup and the mountains to the south-west. After lunch, join a local wildflower expert for a drive and an entertaining introduction to the flora of the Stirling Ranges, including the region’s famous wildflowers which should be at their most stunning at this time of year.

Enjoy the scenery on the drive to Porongurup National Park, home to the world’s most ancient mountain range and the Minang group of the Nyungar people. Today there are not one but two walks to look forward to – Castle Rock and Nancy’s Peak Circuit. The first walk should take the group a few hours, with time to enjoy the view from the summit or – if you’re feeling adventurous – take a stroll along the suspended walkway around the granite outcrop at Castle Rock’s summit. The Nancy’s Peak Circuit is a slightly longer walk with a higher peak that takes around three hours and offers fabulous views of the Stirling Ranges, the traditional lands of the Goreng and Menang peoples. Known as Koi Kyenunu-ruff in the local language, the ranges were named ‘mist rolling around the mountains’. On a not-so-clear day, the massive granite outcrops and beautiful white karri trees are a highlight in their own right and make for wonderful, moody photographs.

Today it’s time for the most challenging walk of the trip, a trip to the top of the South West’s highest peak, Bluff Knoll (Bular Mial), which towers more than 1,000 metres above sea level. This walk can be challenging at times but there will be plenty of time to rest along the way and the view provides ample distraction from the occasional twinge in your legs. Colourful Mountain Bells and other wildflowers decorate the landscape in season, and the mountain’s slopes are covered with banksias and grass trees, as well as stands of tall eucalypts. On a clear day, there are 360 degree views from the summit and you’ll have plenty of time to relax and enjoy them before the trip down the mountain.

It’s an easy walk today to stretch your legs and finish the trip with a walk around the Western Stirling Ranges’ flatter sections, searching for orchids and wildflowers and reminiscing about the past five days. After a relaxing stroll, settle back and relax on the drive back to Perth, with a stop for lunch along the way. On your arrival in Perth at around 5.30pm, your trip will come to an end.