Flow Mountain Bike acknowledges the Traditional Owners, the Bindjareb and Wilman, who are the people of the larger Noongar Nation and the original custodians of Dwellingup and the surrounding areas. We recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
For the final destination of our Western Australian road trip, we cruised along the banks of the shimmering Murray River — not the Murray you’re probably thinking about — and we made our way into the township of Dwellingup.
A smooth one-and-a-half hour drive from both Collie and Perth, this not-so-hidden gem is nestled between a breathtaking panorama of sun-kissed farmlands and lush, dense forests.
We parked up in the bustling heart of town and popped into Waypoints Café for some essential pre-ride tucker. Set within the Dwellingup Trails and Visitors Centre, this one-stop-shop is buzzing with friendly staff and folks who have come to town to explore the trails and water.
Related:
- Ride the Valley of the Giants | Walpole invites mountain bikers to pedal among the tingle trees
- Glued Dirt & Water Tanks | Shredding Nannup WA’s playground in the pines
- Karri Loam & Contrasting Trails | Riding singletrack new and old in Pemberton WA
- From Coal Mines To Chainrings | Riding Collie the largest MTB destination in WA
Come along as Vandy and Eli explore Dwellingup
Heading to the trails south of town
Dwellingup is home to over 100 kilometres of singletrack and proudly hosts events such as the Dwellingup 100, Oceania XCM Champs, and the Masters XCM World Championships.
Whilst the XCM trails north of Dwellingup at the Marrinup and Turner Hill trailheads are a true cross-country delight, the real excitement awaits us at the Murray Valley Trails.
The Murray Valley trails dive right into the hillside South of the river, unveiling 35 kilometres of iconic, Western Australian pebbly goodness. A mix of green, blue and black trails have been beautifully carved into Dwellingup’s rugged landscape by a trio of WA’s best trail building companies. These freshly sculpted trails pop with modern trail-building techniques whilst still maintaining an old-school feel.
There was no one better than WA legends Tony and Sarah Tucknott to guide us through these trails — a father-daughter duo with deep roots in the Australian mountain bike scene.
Right before Tony took off for the first descent of the day, he turned back and said, “You’re in for a treat!”
Spending no time faffing about, we dropped into Boom Boom. A popular blue flow trail packed with smooth berms and playful little booters. It didn’t take long for us to enter the flow state, dancing on the pedals and weaving through what felt like hundreds of stubby grass trees.
We decided to switch things up and take a sharp right onto the fire road in search of Boom Boom’s gnarlier twin—Bam Bam.
We hit a soft patch of WA’s infamous pea gravel at full speed, Vandy losing his front wheel and washing out. After he dusted himself off, we heard the loud stoke of Pat and Murray descending into the same corner. There’s not much pea gravel in Narooma, where these boys hail from, so we yelled, “Watch out for the pea gravel!” to warn them before it was too late.
But it was no surprise that Murray became the next victim, taking a small tumble in the same spot as Vandy. Oh boy, I was praying for all that precious camera gear he was lugging around!
But, what’s that saying? Bad things come in threes? The day was far from over!
Taking things a little slower, we rolled into ‘Bam Bam’—a black diamond trail, just as loose as the last. Techy and raw, we achieved trail speed quickly, floating over the rock gardens and rollers.
As we swung ourselves into a steep gully and sent the step-up—I may have channelled a little too much of Bamm-Bamm Pebble’s misused strength and paid homage to the crash gods myself. Laughing, I dusted myself off and headed back for another try — crash gods be damned.
The trail directed us over the Dwaarlindjirraap Bridge — a 108-metre-long suspension bridge over the Murray River — where our laughter echoed as our stories of the day’s trail adventures flowed freely.
It was time for some well-deserved lunch, and despite a few bruised egos, the trails left our faces beaming with smiles. And we couldn’t help but feel grateful that Sarah wasn’t just a talented shredder and a full-time nurse!
Dwellingup Adventures on the water
Once we tasted the excitement of the Murray Valley trails, we were ready to plunge into the Murray River on a different type of ride. With the guidance of Alicia from Dwellingup Adventures, Vandy and I headed to the smaller rapids of Island Pool.
Fast-water rafting was the name of the game — not to be confused with White-water rafting. The anticipation buzzed in the air as we suited up, and we hung on every word of Alicia’s stories of her past adventures on the river.
Paddling out to the grade two rapids, the river’s current surged beneath us. We rocked about in our raft, before dropping into a gripping mix of fast-moving water and playful rapids.
A few laps later, we pulled ourselves onto the bank. Refreshed and a bit breathless, the sun warmed our skin as we kitted back up. Because, in the adventure mecca of Dwellingup, there was still more exploring to be done.
Big gravity at Tom’s Crossing
We’d been hearing whispers about some Western Australian-style loamers at Lane Poole Reserve, and it was clear they had become a hot topic amongst the locals.
Rolling into the trailhead of Tom’s Crossing was like entering a mountain bike haven. Nestled snugly on the steep hillside of Lane Poole Reserve, the view was utterly captivating. Towering pine trees surrounded us; their rich scent mingled in the crisp forest air.
This new, shiny jewel was crafted by the skilled hands of Magic Dirt Trailworx, promising an authentic gravity experience that is hard to resist. As we peered down the drop-in ramp, the suspense surged within me. With over 150 meters of vertical drop, four pure downhill trails await.
The road access for shuttling made it all too easy to keep the momentum going, and soon, we bombed into The Luge. A narrow, freshly-cut track serving as the ideal introduction to downhill riding. A properly rated, blue trail threw us a delightful curveball with its sneaky off-camber sections that sent us into a rowdy rollercoaster of steep chutes and smooth, machine-built berms.
As a gravity newbie myself, it was time to tap out and watch from the sidelines. From my perch, I couldn’t help but marvel at the boys who chose to dance with the devil on Devil’s Pass. Riddled with rock gardens, this black-diamond trail served up some serious sends and the grippiest hero dirt.
Talking about big sends…this brand new trail is home to the notorious Tom’s Crossing road gap — a sight to behold. I saw the crew getting loose as they approached the feature, and I reached for my phone, but no photo could truly capture its magnitude. Vandy estimated it to be “about five Vandy’s wide!”
We couldn’t get enough of this place, shuttling through the quartet of pristine trails until the sun began its own descent. As the light waned, Dwellingup’s landscape transformed, casting a warm, golden glow over the forest. We reluctantly decided that it was time to head back into town.
Pump tracks in thongs
Nearing the Waypoint Café was a fresh pump track bathing in the day’s last light. Not only a playground for the groms, we watched the locals of all ages tear it up — no matter how prepared or dressed they were.
“Is he wearing thongs?” Vandy yelled out. The scene was literally pumping, with every cheer pulling us deeper into its infectious vibe.
Tony wasn’t wrong at all — we were in for a treat! Dwellingup put on an epic show that we couldn’t resist. So naturally, we yanked our bikes from the ute and jumped straight into the thick of the action.
Want to see more from our adventures in WA? Check out the other stops on our road trip below:
- Ride the Valley of the Giants | Walpole invites mountain bikers to pedal among the tingle trees
- Glued Dirt & Water Tanks | Shredding Nannup WA’s playground in the pines
- Karri Loam & Contrasting Trails | Riding singletrack new and old in Pemberton WA
- From Coal Mines To Chainrings | Riding Collie the largest MTB destination in WA
This project was made possible by The Shire of Murray and the WA National Parks and Wildlife Service; for more information, head to the Visit Dwellinup website.
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