We rounded out the school holidays last weekend attending the Pedals and Pastures Open Day at the Bindoon Mountain Bike Park. Aside from running a gauntlet of emotions from seriously impressed to horrified watching cyclists tackle the terrain, I took the opportunity, together with Tamieka and my 11-year-old to explore the park from a hiker’s perspective.
The Chinkabee Trail is the one for walkers. It is a dual use trail, cyclists ride in a clockwise direction, while walkers are free to use the trail in both directions, giving way to cyclists. It is classified as a Class 2 walk trail, with a hardened surface, gentle incline, and clear signage. We didn’t encounter a lot of cyclists on our expedition, I’d say this is because Chinkabee Trail is a beginner trail for mountain bikers, and those adrenaline junkies were off exploring the rest of the park! Keep an ear out for the dinging of bells, or the call ‘rider coming.’
The incline is enough to get your heart pumping, but still able to hold a conversation, gradually taking you to over 200 metres in elevation. The paths are wide and the surface firm – I was without my trusty hiking poles, and there were only a couple of spots on the decent where I – or my specifically my knees – missed them.
We walked just under 5 kilometres in 90 minutes, walking at an easy pace and stopping to interview riders and take photos along the way (time on the move was about 50 minutes). There is a long drop toilet at the top, which was appreciated, as there’s a lack of dense foliage to sneak off for a bush wee! There is currently no potable water on site, so make sure you take some with you – guidelines range from 500ml for a walk this length in cool weather, up to a litre when hot.
The Chinkabee trail is a thoroughly pleasant walk, from the immediate beauty of the bush that surrounds the track, to views further out, which encompass rolling green hills, citrus trees, and glimpses of Lake Chittering, I cannot think of a better medium to showcase just how picturesque Bindoon is. Explore information about all the trails at Trails WA here
