Bush Walking in St John Brook

St John Brook

Choose your TRAIL

Timberline Trail & Sidings Rail Trail

22 km

The Old Timberline Trail is a 22 km walk and cycle trail following a disused railway line between Nannup and Cambray Siding. The Sidings Rail trail is now part of the Munda Biddi cycling trail from Jarrahwood to Nannup. The Sidings Trail meets the Old Timberline Trail at Cambray Siding and can be used to complete a 37 km loop back to Nannup.

In days gone by timber milling was a large part of local industry. In 1909 a railway line form Busselton to Nannup was opened. This allowed growth of the logging industry in the district. Company railway lines crisscrossed much of the bush to transport prized jarrah timber back to Busselton.

In 2007/2008 The old railway lines were transformed into cycle paths by removing the sleepers. In some sections the old sleepers have been left in place to show how the track used to look. In these places the trails have been moved just to one side. Both The Old Timberline & Sidings Rail trails use the Old Nannup Railway Bridge. Riders of all ages take part in the fund of cycling in the bush.

Barrabup & Workmans Pool

40 km

Workman's and Barrabup Pool are located in the St John Brook Conservation Park. This Park is best known for the gently flowing St John Brook and its picturesque river pools. The Park has a fascinating timber milling history from early last century, which is this evident today.
The waterways, valleys and hills of St John Brook Conservation Park support many native animals including at least 38 bird species, six reptiles, for amphibians, four fish and 11 mammals.
The brook provides the ideal environment for the western minnow, night fish, western pygmy perch and Swan River goby. Fallen trees provide shelter for these fish and fringing shrubs provide shade. However, their numbers are threatened by the introduced rainbow trout that prey upon these small native fish.

The Swamp peppermints fringe the pools and brook - their dense roots stabilise the riverbanks and provide a moist environment for banjo and moaning frogs. The leaves of the swamp peppermint give excellent shelter for small birds such as the red-winged fairy wren and the splendid blue wren.
Along the valley and riverbanks you will find open forest with marri trees, river banksia and moonah.

The abundant nectar in the marri flowers attract birds such as silvereyes, brown honeyeaters and New Holland honeyeaters. The large fruits or 'honkey nuts' are good for ringneck parrots as well as red-tailed black cockatoos. You may find their discarded fruits on the forest floor.

There is a rich aboriginal history in the area. Nyoongars lived as hunter-gatherers enjoying rich bounty of food from the land and waterways. St John Brook is believed to have been on the travel route for Nyoongars as they moved from the coastal lowlands at the end of the warmer months to the open woodlands inland as water spread across coastal areas.