The 4am Saturday start from Collie town centre ensured I crossed paths with a few locals on their way home after a couple of Swanny D's at the Feddy. The first few kilometres of the trail was tricky to follow, with lots of criss-crossing tracks. After crossing the beautiful new bridge about 10km in to the run, the Wiilman Bilya trail was very easy to follow.
The track, is exactly what one would expect in the Collie Valley in September. Easy flowing trail, beautiful wildflowers, bush pigs and the melodic sounds of the occasional gun shot. I didn't see any one on the trail until reaching the dam wall at Wellington Dam. I timed the run to line up with the bridge at the Dam Wall being open as well as the kiosk. Essential supplies at the kiosk were purchased (sausage roll, icypole, fresh water) and it was back on the trail for the final third of the journey.
It rained the entire day, plus the water coming off the egg and bacon wildflower bushes was enough to soak through my waterproof jacket and shoes.
The track between the Kiosk and the highway was pretty overgrown, but this has probably cleared up with a few more people out on the trail. The last 10km is nothing to look forward to, running alongside Coalfields Highway on mostly road and footpath. Topped off the day with Chicken Treat chips from Collie, the perfect amount of salt to end the 86km journey.