The Vagabond Hiker

Hiking, trekking, and climbing the world

Hikes and Walks in Western Australia

Returning to Australia after a nine-year hiatus, I chose to base myself in one of the two remaining states that I had not yet visited, Western Australia (WA). Over 7 weeks I did several hikes in the nearby Perth Hills, numerous local bushland walks, as well as three hikes on a road trip excursion to the wine-growing region of Margaret River to the south. Finally, I flew to Adelaide in South Australia to watch some tennis, and enjoy a couple of walks in that city, which I took the liberty to include in this post.

Local Walks

From my base in Queenspark, in the southern suburbs of Perth, I had direct access to some local bushland for walking. Perhaps 4-5 mornings a week when I had no great motivation for hiking would find me walking either here, or in nearby Canning River Park, which had the great advantage of being only a couple of minutes’ drive to either of the supermarkets I frequented.

Bushland balcony view from my apartment in Queenspark
Mr and Mrs Galah from my balcony (zoom), drying their wings on a rare rainy day
Queenspark bushland pond. Note the viewing platform on the far left.
The artistic Queenspark bushland viewing platform
Snakebush in flower, Queenspark bushland
A rather poor photo of Candlestick Banksia. The austral spring would have been much better for wildflowers, most of which by midsummer were but distant memories.
Dawn from my balcony, overlooking the local park adjacent to the bushland
Canning River park view from one of the bridges
A duck line in Canning River Park
Rainbow lorikeets in the early morning at Canning River Park
Compacted feather-flower, Canning River park
Reflections on a Canning River morning

Hikes in the Perth Hills

A major advantage of my location in Queenspark was the easy access to numerous trails in the Perth Hills just to the east. The closest was a 20-minute drive, and all the following photos were on hikes no farther than 40 minutes from my apartment. Most were between 8 and 12 km with 300 to 400 m elevation gain — perfect for some morning cardio before the temperature became too excessive.

A rock eating a tree, Helena River loop, Kalamunda & Beelu National Parks
Pink mulla mulla (Ptilotus exaltatus), looking a lot like feather dusters to me, Helena River loop
Helena River
View towards the Ellis Brook Falls. The falls were completely dry by this point in the summer.
Panorama towards Perth in Lesmurdie Falls National Park. Along with the adjacent Mundy Regional Park, this was the nearest park in the Perth Hills and I did several different loop hikes here.
Lesmurdie Falls, actually still flowing a bit in the high summer
The stream above Lesmurdie Falls
Lesmurdie Falls plateau vista with eucalyptus
Landscape with grass-tree gum, Kattamorda Track and Lion’s Lookout loop, Korung National Park
Fuscia grivellia, Korung National Park
A typical forest path, Korung National Park
A panorama on the Kattamorda Track and Lion’s Lookout loop

Adelaide, South Australia

Obviously not Western Australia, but the tennis fan in me could not resist three days at the Adelaide tournament. About 2100 km from Perth, Adelaide is the nearest city. (Indeed, Perth is considered the most remote city in the world). Some early morning walks along the Torrens River were definitely in order.

Torrens River heading downstream (East) from my hotel, Adelaide
A Dusky Moorhen along the Torrens River
The Torrens River, upstream (West) from my hotel. I fortunately left early to beat the Saturday 8 AM Park Run crowds.

Margaret River

Seven weeks in Western Australia wouldn’t have been complete without at least one road trip, and a three day excursion to the secluded south-west Australia wine growing region of Margaret River was mine.

Approaching the beach and dunes, Boranup Beach Loop, Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park. Here the Indian Ocean is exhibiting lovely shades of blue.
Carpobrotus virescens, Boranup Beach
Boranup Beach with kelp. For the most part I had the entire beach to myself this mid-week day.
Cowarawup Bay, Ngari Capes Marine Park, on the Cape-to-Cape Track. My hike was to and from Wilyabrup Cliffs, 15 km round trip
Cushion fan-flower, Cape-to-Cape Track
Sea spurge, Cape-to-Cape Track
A stream on the Cape-to-Cape Track
Indian Ocean vista, Cape-to-Cape Track
Ghost trees along the Margaret River. A portion of my walk was in the Wooditjup National Park. Another early morning start allowed me to beat the 8 AM Saturday Park Run.

Well, I made it back to the UK from Malaysia on a 14-hour non-stop flight from Kuala Lumpur. A few days here and then onward to Utah for some warm and dry weather. Enjoy the spring wildflowers,

The Vagabond Hiker

Mount Kinabalu, Borneo

With a few extra days scheduled into my Borneo trip, Malaysia’s highest mountain beckoned. Mount Kinabalu (4095 m), located in Sabah State in Malaysian Borneo, is the highest mountain between Papua New Guinea and northern Myanmar. Additionally, it is the 20th most prominent peak in the world, just nudging Mt Rainier in Washington State out of the top 20. The Kinabalu massif consists of numerous summits, shown in the photo below, the highest of which is Low’s Peak, the destination for all commercial climbers.

Mount Kinabalu Peaks Map. Can you spot any on my park entrance photo at the top of this post? They do vary some from the different angle.

The popularity of Mount Kinabalu has necessitated a well-regulated system of climbing. Climbers must be accompanied by accredited guides at all times, mostly due to the risk of experiencing altitude sickness. A minimum of two days is required, with a mandatory overnight rest stop midway up the mountain at Panalaban “basecamp.” The number of permits is limited to about 180, the number of beds in several dorm-style accommodations at Panalaban, 6.5 km distance from Timpohon Gate, the usual start point. While that may seem a short way, it is a steep 1400 m ascent (from 1850 m altitude to 3250 m above sea level) that requires on average 5 hours to complete. An alpine start from Panalaban the second morning is timed to enable one to see sunrise from near the summit, another 800 m ascent of often very steep climbing over another 3 km distance. After enjoying the views, climbers generally stop for a rest back at Panalaban, and then continue their descent to the trailhead on day 2. A second night staying at Panalaban is another option. Refer to the highly schematic summit trail map below.

Mount Kinabalu Trail Map. Provided by Borneo Calling, the agency that expertly handled my logistics.

Mt Kinabalu was my first proper mountain climb since the two day ascent of Mt Toubkal, Morocco in 2023 and the three day ascent of Punta Rossa della Grivola in the Italian Alps in 2022. Achieving the summit of Mt Kinabalu – and returning to the trailhead – in two days proved a real test of my endurance. My journey began in Kota Kinabalu (KK) with a 6.30 AM hotel pickup and 2 hour transfer to Mount Kinabalu National Park. We received our climbing permit tags and got a short van transfer to Timpohon Gate where the climb started.

For this post, with one exception the photos are arranged in increasing altitude, NOT chronological order.

Carson Falls through the foliage, at the lowest point on the trail. It’s all up from here!
The Summit Trail through the forest near the trailhead
View back from a canopy opening
My guide, Freendy, leading the way. He has 25 years’ experience guiding on Mt Kinabalu.
The rocky trail heading into the mist. Clouds and low-level fog generally increase as the day progresses. Note the water pipes supplying the shelters with toilets along the path and the park buildings near the entrance.
A Krummholz promontory. Photo taken on the descent.
Pendant Hut, where I stayed the night, a small portion of the Panalaban Basecamp complex. Accommodation included two meals and an early morning snack. Photo taken from Borneo Calling.
Ascent route up the face on day 2 is denoted by the white rope zig-zagging up the right side here. Taken on descent (as it was dark on ascent!)
The day 2 ascent route here features steps with rails and a viewing platform. Taken on descent.
Mountain orchid (possibly Coelogyne papillosa). I had little energy for botanizing, but I thought this orchid, common for a section of the Summit Trail, was worth the effort.
The Vagabond Hiker on Low’s Peak summit with moon. Freendy was a great guide, but photographer, not so much.
Low’s Peak summit photo with Freendy
Dawn on the descent from Low’s Peak. Note the white rope used as a guide. The red light on the right side is likely a ship offshore of KK.

While the 2200 m (7200 ft) ascent of Mount Kinabalu was certainly tough, due more to the steepness and uneven terrain than the altitude, the descent if anything was more challenging. Trekking poles were absolutely required and even two days later as I write this blog from my KK hotel room, my quads and calves are still sore. Nevertheless, not only was it a great experience connecting with other climbers, chatting with my guide, and communing with nature, the climb certainly gave a sense of accomplishment and is one I will never forget.

Like many of the photos above, this entire post has been published out of chronological order. Still to come are two posts from my winter trip, Hikes & Walks in Western Australia and Hikes, Walks & Nature of Southeast Asia. Tomorrow I continue on to Bali for 8 days of R&R before returning to the UK. And who knows, maybe a couple of hikes?

The Vagabond Hiker

Day Hikes on Tenerife and Gran Canaria

Rather than spend another couple of months on Lanzarote this past winter, I changed my plans and chose instead to revisit two other Canary Islands that I had only cursorily explored, in the case of Gran Canary, more than 37 years ago! Two center-based group hiking weeks in November fit the bill perfectly, before heading to Southeast Asia and Australia for the winter. As a geography refresher, below is a map of the Canary Islands, located a bit more than 100 kilometers off the coast of Morocco. (Nevertheless, I needed to fly via London Gatwick to get from Marrakech to Tenerife!)

The Canary Islands, a province of Spain
(File:Canarias-rotulado.png. (2025, November 19). Wikimedia Commons.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Canarias-rotulado.png&oldid=1118429016.)

Tenerife

With a land area of about 2000 km2 and a population of nearly 1 million, Tenerife is the largest and most-populous island of the Canary Islands. Visitors are concentrated around its southern towns and beaches, yet just a few kilometers away are some amazing mountain hiking trails. I had only once briefly visited the island, completing two iconic walks following a week in February 2020 hiking on the nearby Island of La Gomera, the subject of a previous blog post. For this trip, I went with a new (to me – it was founded in 1913!) company, HF Holidays. We were based for the first three nights in Santiago del Tiede in the southwest, and for the final four nights in La Laguna in the north of Tenerife.

Santiago del Tiede to San Jose de Los Llanos

16 km with 600 m elevation gain

Prickly pear covered with cochineal, a scale insect used to make the natural dye carmine
Our guide, Guillermo, explaining the life cycle of the endemic biennial Mount Teide bugloss (Echium wildpretii). Earlier in the year this stalk featured bright red flowers.
Landscape with Canarian pine (Pinus canariensis)
Volcanic landscape with pines and Mt Tiede, back right. This was the first of two hikes in Mt Tiede National Park.
A volcanic hill with scattered pines

Erjoz to Cruz de Hilda

9 km with 300 m elevation gain

Banana passionfruit (Passiflora mollissima)
A bold Blue Spotted lizard eyeing my picnic lunch
Our path was along this high ridge in the Macizo de Teno
Vista towards the island of La Palma
Masca village, at 650 m elevation, where we chilled at the end of our hike that day.

Mirador de Samara to Boca Tauce

13 km with 600 m elevation gain

View of the island of La Gomera in “two halves” due to low clouds
Euphorbia with Mt Tiede in the distance. At 3715m, Tiede is the highest mountain in Spain.
Sunset from my hotel room in La Laguna

The astute reader will note that I have only included three hikes from my walking week, rather than the expected five. For at least the third time this past year, plantar fasciitis caused a curtailment of my hiking plans. Fortunately, after several days rest, I suffered no lingering affects and was able to hike the following week on Gran Canaria.

Gran Canaria

As alluded to in my introductory paragraph, I had only once been to Gran Canaria, for a two week spring break back in my late 20’s. Apart from three days bombing around the island in a jeep, my past explorations had been confined to the the pool and beach scenes around the southern fleshpot of Maspalomas. Hence, nearly four decades on, the hiking was all new to me! A 40 minute flight from Tenerife took me to Gran Canaria. Our first lodging with Explore Worldwide was in the lovely town of Agüimes, where I had an extra day to see the sights.

Church of San Sebastian seen from the Plaza del Rosario
Well-behaved youth in the Plaza del Rosario
Courtyard of the local history museum in Agüimes. Our group also spent time in a natural and human history museum during our hike in Guayedeque Canyon. Both museums were fascinating.

Guayedeque Canyon circular from Agüimes

13 km with 500 m elevation gain

Guayedeque Canyon view with aqueduct. As on Tenerife, water is truly life in this arid climate.
Tree houseleek (Aeonium arboreum). Though far larger than the alpine Cobweb houseleek I have featured in past Italy posts, there is nonetheless a clear resemblance.
Cliff-side houses in a rugged landscape
Canary Tree Mallow (Malva acerifolia)
A former cave dwelling. Many limestone caves in this rugged landscape were once inhabited; some still are.
Lunch view from the plateau. The canyon is on the left here, with Agüimes in the right background.

On the Road, part 1

The dramatic bus transfer across the island to our next hike and second lodging was definitely photo-worthy.

Mountain vista
Caldera de los Marteles, near a high vehicular pass
Tree of baroda (Kleinia neriifolia) with Roque Nublo background

Degollada* del Aserrador to La Culata via Roque Nublo

8 km with 400 m elevation gain

Reflections in a lagoon near the start of our traverse. It was a very hazy day, likely due to sand being blown across from the Sahara
Hikers on the basal plateau of Roque Nublo
A hungry lunch companion
My lunch view
The other side of Roque Nublo during our long descent

* Degollada, a Spanish word for “pass,” also means beheaded

Degollada La Aldea to Mogan via Veneguera

12 km with 350 m elevation gain

Landscape with villages in the haze
Our guide, Brian, with a VERY STRANGE creation

On the Road, part 2

After an off day which I used to walk around town and chill by our pool, the following day we headed back across the island to our first hotel, far closer to the airport.

Rugged landscape view back across the mountains. The road is cut into the side of the mountain on the left.
Dramatic Roque Nublo vista from a beautiful but touristy mountain town where we stopped to pick up items for a picnic lunch

Pico de las Nieves to Cruz Grande

8 km with 100 m elevation gain

Forest descent from the Pico de las Nieves, at 1949m the highest point on Gran Canaria.
Still a long way down. With my knees bothering me a bit, along with some others I took a bus ride down the last few km to the town.

I did miss the final hike as I rescheduled my flight to leave earlier back to the UK to give me more time to prepare for my long winter trip.

Completely unrelated to hiking, below is one final photo, taken at Las Palmas airport while waiting for my flight back to Tenerife:

Three Condors of the Day, with apologies to Sydney Pollack and Robert Redford

I am currently at my Airbnb outside of Perth, Western Australia, hiking and planning my 2026 travels. Here is the current list, some items of which are fixed and others still in flux:

  • Feb 10 – March 7: Peninsular Malaysia and Northern Borneo (Sabah)
  • March 7 – 15: Bali, Indonesia
  • March 15 – 23: Hastings, UK
  • March 24 – Apr 29: St. George, Utah
  • April 30 – May 7: Hastings, UK
  • May 7 – July 10: Four weeks each in Arco (Trentino), and Aosta, Italy, with 1 week in Tuscany in between
  • Jul 10 – 17: Hastings, UK
  • July 17 – Aug 1: Madagascar
  • Aug 1 – Sept 3: Hastings and Cornwall/Devon UK (Southwest Coast Path)
  • Sep 3 – Oct 22: Mainly South Africa and Namibia, with short visits to Victoria Falls and a layover in Addis Ababa possible
  • Oct 23 – 31: Hastings, UK
  • Winter 2026-7: My plans are being developed over the next few months

By the way, I am no longer updating the Calendar Tab on this blog site as the amount of effort is simply more than I want to put into it.

The Vagabond Hiker

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