New bike, hike, and paddle tours in WA’s Great Southern

A unique new tour in WA’s Great Southern region is offering adventure seekers something resembling a wilderness triathlon – but without the rush to the finish line.

Bikerafting, which combines mountain biking, packrafting, and hiking, is now part of a tour by WOW Wilderness Eco Adventures through the Walpole Wilderness region.

Bikerafting evolved from packrafting, where small inflatable watercraft such as inflatable kayaks are used by adventurers as transport when needed for water crossings during their journey and then deflated and carried with the rest of their pack for overland legs.

For those joining a bikerafting tour through the Walpole Wilderness region, switching between transport modes to suit the terrain enables tour groups to travel further into the region’s towering forests and tranquil inland waterways and gives access to areas you otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to.

WOW Wilderness have single-day and multi-day tours available, with three tours to choose from.

The Pedal and Paddle Adventure begins with mountain biking through the Valley of the Giants, before lunch by the Frankland River and a paddle to Monastery Landing.

The Hike and Paddle Adventure includes a hike on a spectacular section of the world-renowned Bibbulmun Track, deep in the heart of the ancient forest, before switching to packrafts for a paddle on the Franklin.

Or you can combine all of the above on the two-day Walpole Wilderness Weekender. There’s also the option to create your own bikerafting adventure for a small group.

All mountain biking and packrafting gear is included in addition to lunch and snacks.

Participants need to be 16 years of age or over, and a moderate level of fitness is required.