Paten's Brook Track

The first official 'training' walk!  I should introduce the Fellowship - we three who will be tackling the Coast to Coast together: my husband Ross (tennis supremo and fit); my Dad (an incredibly fit 75-year old courtesy of years of running marathons); and me (er, not fit with the muscle mass of a marshmallow).  

My walking companions beneath an iconic tree along the Paten's Brook Trail

I must also acknowledge the wonderful book by Paul Amyes: Perth's Best Bush, Coast & City Walks which was the guide we used to choose and undertake some of our training walks.  

The first step on the trail began today - the Friday before a long-weekend and a very hard-won day off from work.  So, on a gloomy and overcast morning, we made our way to Beelu National Park in the Hills.

The stats

• Distance - 9km circuit
• Grade - classed as 'medium'
• Estimated time to complete - 3 hrs
• Actual time taken - 2 hrs 15 mins

The verdict

A really enjoyable walk and a good starter walk with an easy grade.  The majority of the track was of a high quality.

High quality track - Paten's Brook Trail

The path markers were brilliant and although we had the guide book handy, it would have been possible to follow the trail without it.  The commentary in the guide book did add to the experience however.  The bush was quiet and there were nice views over Lake CY O'Connor, which sadly looked quite low on water....

View over Lake C.Y. O'Connor

We felt decidedly pleased with our first effort and rewarded ourselves with a hearty lunch in Mundaring where we planned our next walk...