The local community are used to the sights of mountain bikers as the 1000-kilometre Munda Biddi Trail runs through Walpole. A section of the popular mountain bike trail was realigned by WA trail builders Magic Dirt Trailworx to accommodate the new trail network, which provided an opportunity for learning about how to navigate the forest and how best to ensure the giant trees were not harmed.  

Common Ground Trails are also engaged in the design and build of the network around the rare trees, taking into account the fragility of the area. The tingle trees present a unique challenge for the trail builders as they have a broad base and a shallow root system that spreads wide.  

As a result, building methods have been adjusted to protect the trees and care taken to avoid and protect the fragile root system. In such a high rainfall area, drainage is also an important consideration in the design of the trails. As a result, the trails are more leisurely ‘green trails’ that strike a balance between keeping a reasonable distance from the trees and being close enough to experience them. 

The Walpole Wilderness is renowned for its biodiversity and the Giants Trails take you through the best of it. Tall karri and tingle forests and whispery sheoak groves give way to open jarrah woodland, stands of kingia’s and granite outcrops.  

A myriad of beautiful and bizarre fungi can be found during the wetter months of the year and spring brings a blaze of wildflowers to the forest. Holly flame pea (Chorizema ilicifolium), tree hovea (Hovea elliptica) and karri dampiera (Dampiera hederacea) put on a colourful display.  

Growing only in this high rainfall corner of south-west WA, red tingle trees (Eucalyptus jacksonii) have a shallow root system that spreads as they age, causing them to buttress. These buttresses can be over 20 metres in circumference are often hollowed out by a combination of insect and fungal attack, and then fire.  

“It’s a really iconic landscape along the Frankland River,” David Wilcox from Common Ground Trails said. “You’re talking about some of the biggest trees in the world—the tingle trees only grow here and are absolutely towering—right next to these beautiful waterfalls.

Riders will want to take their time on the trails as every corner opens up a new vista such as the view of the Southern Ocean at Hilltop Lookout, or curves alongside another gnarled old tingle tree through deep river valleys.  

Several of the trails give riders and walkers the opportunity to get up close and personal with the trees and bikes can be ridden through the middle of one tree, on a platform specially designed to protect its fragile roots.  

A standout trail is one that takes riders deep into the valley of Kwakoorillup Beela (Frankland River).  

“It’s not going to be your gravity enduro, jumpy kind of trails for the 18–30 [year old] crowd,” Rod Annear, Assistant Director of Parks and Visitor Services said. “It’s more of the mass market leisure crowd, but also your more cross-country riders that want to get out and go for longer rides. And the gravel scene as well, you’ll be able to ride your gravel bike on all of these trails.”  

While the giant trees are a defining feature of this new project near the Valley of the Giants, there is no shortage of awe-inspiring moments for people of all abilities and expectations.

“When I had the Indigenous group come through with me after we built the first trail, they were just so stoked going, ‘We need this in here. People need to be able to see this forest. We need these trails, so people can come through and actually see it,’” John Dingey from Magic Dirt Trailworx.  

With trailheads in Walpole, Nornalup and near the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk (see ‘Walking with the giants’, LANDSCOPE, Autumn 2017), the Giants Trails will be easily accessible from the South Coast Highway once completed in early 2025.