Travel Ideas : Hike The Bibulmin Trail
Among my favorite travel ideas is to hike the Bibulmin Trail. It stretches South from Perth, W. Australia, for hundreds of miles, and I might never see anybody else on the track. It would give me the impression that I was really getting away from it all...traveling where nobody else goes.
However, if I was traveling solo I would want to know that I could get help in an emergency. Snakes aren't aggressive, but if I sat on one by mistake I would probably want some help! Even if I just sprained my ankle, or ran out of water it could be life-threatening.
That is the big drawback to travel a hundred miles from nowhere. Wait a minute. It's hundreds of miles from North to South but what is there to the East and West? Sorry to shatter your illusions. There is probably a busy road within five miles of where you are. Nowadays with satellite phone coverage, I could probably phone to get help, wherever I was.
Now, unless you are of Aboriginal descent, there are laws about killing and eating things. However this is Australia. Although in Western Australia we can't boast that our population was chosen by the best judges, here is how we work. Everything is either compulsory or forbidden by law, though in some cases it is difficult to be sure if it is compulsory or forbidden, so in theory you need a lawyer.
However, Australians break the law just because it's there. The important thing is not to break the eleventh commandment - thou shalt not get caught. You can get a licence to catch marron (freshwater crayfish) and trout, but you're not allowed to kill kangaroos or emus without the land-holder's permission.
Emus of course are just oversize poultry, and taste like it. But they have one fatal flaw. They are curious. You should have several space blankets with you to keep warm at night. These are mylar film with a reflective coating on one side. You can see through from the other side.
When you see an emu, hold up a space blanket with the reflective side facing the bird, and watch it through the blanket while you shake it about to attract attention. When the curious bird gets near enough, hit it with a length of wood, and cook it. What's that? You couldn't eat a whole emu? That's why I wouldn't do it myself, unless I had some way of carrying the meat. I would only eat the drumsticks, but there is enough meat on them to last me for a year.
I carry some copper wire with me - about as thick as the old 15 amp fuse wire. I make a noose with it and fasten the end to a stick. I look in the streams for marron. When I see a big one (it's easier with a torch at night) I ease the noose up from behind it. When it gets frightened, it flips backwards, right into my noose.
If you drive away with a car full of marron, the rangers will probably stop you somewhere on the road. What are the chances of getting caught on the Bibulmin Trail? None. So you can follow the eleventh commandment. Snakes and lizards are also good eating, and so are witchetty grubs. They are all protected, so remember the eleventh commandment while trying out your travel ideas.
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