November 6, 2018 - Reading time: 2 minutes

Moingup is a very small campground located in the Stirling Ranges National Park and caters for four caravans (organised) and approximately twenty tent sites (disorganised) with the now expected camp host, clean toilets and some non drinking water. It is a great base to explore the Stirling Ranges the only ranges that experiences snow in Western Australia. We adapted to the small sites using the kopper logs as a centre point.

We completed two walks – Mt Hassell and the highest peak Bluff Knoll. Both walks were very different with the focus of our attention on the Mt Hassell walk being the superb wildflowers, it was a plethora of colours and species – from bells, bottlebrush, whites, reds, yellows and purples it was stunning in its beauty. In addition it gave great views to some of the other peaks including Toolbrunup which overlooks the campground.

On the Bluff Knoll walk we were accompanied by fifteen students and their teachers from a high school in Rockingham. The walk and camp for them was an assessment item for their outdoor ed course. They were great kids who enjoyed the outdoors and it was tremendous to see the manner in which they interacted with their fellow students and the general public. The walk itself was really a three kilometre slog all uphill, on a well defined path with a number of steep step ups. For the first time on the trip we decided to use our walking poles and they were a great assistance on both the ascent and descent.

The views from the top of the Bluff were stunning as you can see from the photos but perhaps the highlight was coming around a corner near the top and seeing two magnificent Wedge Tail Eagles hovering at our height above the slope and plains hunting for food. It was spectacular to be on the same height as them.