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From the top of Western Australia, all the way to the bottom, there are around 633 hiking trails, some of which are considered among the best in the world.
For avid multi-day hiker and Tourism WA’s newest Dreamer, Cameron Bostock believes the Bibbulmun track is one of his favourite hikes he’s ever done – and he’s walked some of the best trails across the globe including 5000km from Mexico to Canada.
He loves it so much, he even set a new record for the fastest unsupported time on the 1000km trail that runs from Kalamunda to Albany, and now he’s encouraging others to give hiking in WA a go.
“I wasn’t actually a big hiker for most of my life, my teenage years were filled with video games but when I was maybe 20 I got a taste of the trails,” Bostock said.
“A mate of mine brought me out onto the Bibbulmun track, which is obviously one of our premier long-distance trails here in WA, and we spent a couple of nights out on trail with a group.
“I don’t think I was very excited to do it initially, but I had just the most incredible time out there. I just felt like that was sort of where I was meant to be.”
The Perth-born hiker claims to have hiked around 200 different trails across WA, many more than once.
“My favourite trail in WA is definitely the Bibbulmun Track. It’s a bit of a cheat answer because it’s such a long track, so it’s hard to compare a 1000km trail to a 5km trail because you just get so much diversity and so much opportunity to experience all facets of hiking,” he said.
“Not only can you walk the whole thing and spend a couple of months on trail, but you can do overnighters on any section because of the huts along it, and you can do day hikes on it … it’s my favourite trail in the world.”
But coming in a close second is a trail in the Great Southern.
“As far as a shorter trail, I think my favourite would probably be the Bald Head trail in Torndirrup National Park in Albany. That’s also quite a well-known trail, but it’s just unbelievably beautiful walking out on the peninsula with the ocean either side of you. It’s pretty special,” he said.
While WA might not have the same calibre of mountain hikes as Africa – where Bostock just returned from after a 10-day and 250km hike along the Drakensberg Grand Traverse – the coastal trails are what sets the state apart from others.
“I think people don’t realise it, but WA is one of the premier hiking locations in the world. We don’t have the big giant mountains, that’s probably the one thing we’re lacking, but the diversity outside of that is absolutely incredible and the accessibility to hiking here is pretty much the best in the world,” he said.
“I think what we excel at is some of the most incredible coastal trails. We have the best coast in the world, in my opinion anyway, and the best beaches and the granite headlands and all that down south – and the red dirt up north.
“Trails like the Cape-to-Cape between Dunsborough and Augusta, or the Hakea Trail down in Fitzgerald River National Park or the Bald Head trail, these are just so incredible because of just how pristine the coastline is.”
Bostock believes winter is one of the best times to get out hiking.
“Winter for me is for Perth hiking because in summer unfortunately a lot of the waterfalls and rivers dry up and the bush gets a little drier and a little less vibrant, but in winter, man, it comes alive,” he said.
He suggests hikes in the Perth Hills such as Bells Rapids, Lesmurdie Falls and Serpentine Falls National Park as the best to check out.
According to TrailsWA there are at least 633 hiking trails across the state ranging from less than 1km up to 1000km in distance.
In 2025 Bostock made it into the record books for the fastest unsupported time on the Bibbulmun trail, completing the trek in 14 days, 7 hours and 49 minutes.
An unsupported hike is when a person has to carry all their food and gear for the entire trip with no resupply options along the way – which meant Bostock carried 20kg on his back for 14 days.
“[The hardest part was] probably towards the end when I was getting really worn down and exhausted and quite sleep-deprived. I would only sleep maybe two or three hours a night to try and get the most amount of time walking each day,” he said.
“The last three days I probably totalled four hours of sleep and walked around 250km. I was a zombie when I got to the northern terminus in Kalamunda.
“But it’s one of the things I’m most proud of, especially to do it on the trail that sort of started it all for me. It was a cool experience.”
One piece of advice Bostock passes on to beginner hikers is to always be prepared.
“It’s just smart to stay as prepared as possible, especially hiking in WA because there are potential hazards like heat and snakes,” he said.
“So just making sure you’re prepared with water and food and layers and a first-aid kit going out onto any trail in the bush is a great idea.”
This year Bostock has taken on one of six Dreamer roles as part of Tourism WA’s campaign to inspire global travellers to visit WA.
The team will share stories highlighting six different pillars; nature and wildlife; aboriginal experiences; road trips and station stays; food and drink; arts, sports and entertainment; and hikes and trails.
Joining Bostock is Nush Freedman, Tremane Baxter-Edwards, Aaron Green, Paul Iskov and Amberley Lobo.
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