Text and photosMark Pybus

Iconic view of Flinders Peninsula

Often regarded as one of the best day hikes in Western Australia, the Bald Head Walk Trail 13-kilometre return journey sees you scale the limestone and granite ridge of the Flinders Peninsula all the way to the headland of King George Sound.

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Looking back along the Flinders Peninsula

Located in Torndirrup National Park, a short 20-minute drive from the centre of Albany on the South Coast of WA, this recently upgraded trail provides sweeping views over the Southern Ocean, a vibrant wildflower display from July to November, and a good workout for the legs to boot.

Starting near the Historic Whaling Station, where whaling operations continued right up until the late 1970s, the upgraded trailhead caters for the increased popularity of this walk in the last few years (at the time of writing, works are still continuing on the roads and car park, due for completion at the end of 2024). Starting immediately with a climb, something you’ll get used to on this trail, you will enter the shade of the Peppermint Trees, as you rise up to the granite dome of Isthmus Hill. Providing excellent views looking down at Salmons Holes Beach, and back towards Vancouver Peninsula and the centre of Albany, this is just a taste of what to expect from the Bald Head Walk Trail.

Stepping onto the upgraded boardwalk, part of erosion control measures completed in 2023, you round the contours of Isthmus Hill and are presented with the iconic view of Flinders Peninsula, stretching all the way towards the finish at Bald Head. With King George Sound to your left, and the Southern Ocean to your right, you aren’t short on magnificent coastal views. Descend down towards the lowest point on the trail, accompanied by the chorus of birds’ song, as they flit between the coastal heath and the colourful Banksias found along this section. At the bottom of the hill, you’ll find a side trail leading down to a beach on the Southern Ocean side, which offers a greater appreciation of the wildness of the Torndirrup National Park coastline.

Starting to climb, the job has been made easier by the trail upgrades, with the eroded channels replaced with stairs. With two new lookouts installed on the southern side, look back at the exposed granite of Isthmus Hill

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Cut-leaf Banksia

as its bare lower flank drops into the ocean. The further you rise, the better the views get, with a series of peppermint groves providing a brief respite from the sun. Through these little pockets of vegetation, keep an eye out in spring for all kinds of different wildflowers and orchids, with over 100 different species found along the peninsula. Some of the more prevalent varieties include Pink Fairies, Cowslip Orchids, Cut-leaf Banksia and Granny Bonnets.

Continuing along the ridge, a series of small climbs dot the trail, with spectacular 360-degree views from each of them. The route takes you closer to the King George Sound edge of the peninsula, with Breaksea and Michaelmas Islands visible in the centre of the entrance to the sound. On the exposed sections, keep an eye out for snakes and lizards in the warmer months, as they love sunning themselves on this northern part of

the trail. Looking across the water, the distant hill is Mount Gardner, part of botanically rich Gull Rock National Park, that is worth checking out if you have the time while visiting Albany.

Pink Fairies

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Reaching the first of many granite platforms, this starts to feel a world away from where you started. Reaching the highest point of the trail at 224m ASL, you exit the peppermint thickets and are presented with a mini-moonscape, as you start to descend through a blown-out section of limestone. The trail deposits you onto a giant rocky slab littered with large boulders, where you follow a path through the biggest of them, before linking up a series of cairns that guide you along a rocky platform extending out towards the horizon. If you cop some of the wild weather that the South Coast is famous for, you’ll have to work hard not to be blown off your feet through here, eventually reaching the protection of some coastal heath.

Popping out onto the edge of a steep hill, you can see the finishing point at Bald Head in the distance. Descend the new staircase,

noting the extreme erosion that hikers used to contend with before the recent upgrades. At the bottom, Bald Head now looks a bit more imposing, as you look up at it from

Trail going past a large boulder

King George Sound side of the trail

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this viewpoint and follow the cairns for the last stretch. One final climb awaits, as you walk past the impressive coastal heath that survives some pretty rough and windswept conditions. At the top of the climb you’ve reached the turnaround point, marked with a large cairn.

This is an ideal spot for a break, where you can watch for migrating whales that follow the South Coast between May and October each year, or explore the granite dome close to the cairn. To the south, you can see Peak Head in the distance, another great trail in Torndirrup, along with a small island in the waters below that is constantly being pounded by the waves. Staring over the Southern Ocean, there is nothing between you and Antarctica, some 3,500 kilometres to the south. When you’re ready, head back the way you came, keeping an eye out for anything you may have missed on the way out.

Bald Head is one of my favourite hikes in Western Australia, and every time I return there’s something new and exciting to the experience. My recommendation would be to visit between July and November on a calm day if possible, and start after midday, so you aren’t staring into the sun for the journey out to Bald Head. Enjoy.