The shelters on the Bibbulmun Track all have log books in which walkers are requested to register for safety purposes. The information in these provides a fascinating insight into track usage, at least for those doing longer multi-day treks: extrapolating the log book data can be an interesting way of passing the evening for the statistically-addicted. The official figures state that people take 137,000 walks on the track, with three quarters being day-walks and the rest ranging from overnight to eight weeks. The following information, gleaned from entries at Giants and Rame Head shelters over the previous 12 months, gives insights into who and from where these walkers are, as well as what they are doing and when they are on the track.
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There is always someone on the track, but the spring and autumn are the two peak periods. The latter is most popular and I daresay the presence of wildflowers is the big attraction. This said, the track is far from overcrowded; we were there in the spring peak and only met 20 day-walkers and 12 people camping out. We stayed in a shelters on 8 nights and were the sole occupants on 4 of these.
For some reason the log book asks the age of walkers - for some reason most people write it down. It produced a fascinating age profile of track walkers. Apart from the obvious fact that the very young and very old don't walk the track (still there were serious walkers from 8 to 78!), there are big differences between the age distribution of the general population of Australians and those who do long walks that involve camping out.
There were fewer teenagers than expected (walking is not cool?), more than expected in their twenties (the adventurers, including overseas backpackers), and fewer again in their thirties when life just gets too busy with work and family. A curious peak in the late forties might be due to mid-life crises (some buy a motor-bike, some walk the Bibbulmun?), while the senior age groups formed a consistently higher than expected proportion of walkers (leaving the workforce gives you more time to pursue your dreams?).
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As would be expected, most people staying overnight in a shelter were "locals" from Western Australia (72%), while 18% came from the eastern states of Australia and another 10% from overseas. Of the overseas contingent, the New Zealanders headed the list, followed by German, British, American and Canadian walkers, with the odd person from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Israel, Estonia and Singapore. The Bibbulmun is certainly on the international trekking radar. Official statistics suggest that 85% of walkers are from Western Australia, but this would include day-walkers who would be biassed towards the locals.
How long are the walks being done?
Log book entries indicate the start and planned end points of all walkers overnighting at a shelter. This enabled a look at the types of walks being done.
Curiously, of the 256 people who signed the book at Rame Head shelter, the largest group were the end-to-enders. Taking these and the overnighters out, there was a good inverse correlation between the length of the walk and the numbers doing it. However, it should be appreciated that these shorter walks are occurring all over the track, while there is only one group of end-to-enders, so over the entire track there would be many people more doing shorter trips.
Well, so much for statistics - the important thing that they tell us is that, because of the Bibbulmun Track, people are out there enjoying the outdoors and learning about this wonderful part of Australia.
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