Walking in the tree tops.

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With Christine and Richard, we are on the move again, continuing our trip in the southwest region of Western Australia. It is a very pretty piece of the state, and we understand why people rave over it. In parts the landscape is reminiscent of the Otway region of Victoria. Large eucalypt trees, native grass trees and a much denser under-story than what we have seen to the north.

Last night we camped at Walpole in a park beside the estuary. The park wasn’t anything special, but the river was lovely. We tried our luck at fishing in the evening, but had to give up due to the cold wind blowing in across the water. As we have travelled south, the climate has become much cooler.

We had an early morning start with the fishing gear. We came home with four King George whiting. We would like to say that we caught them, but alas, no. The fish were given to us by a very generous fisherman who was cleaning his catch from yesterday, before going out for more. Interestingly, this was the third lot of fish that has been given to us on this trip. Perhaps that says something of the generosity of fisherman, or else we are pathetic and people feel sorry for us. Either way, we appreciate the kindness of others.

Not far out of Walpole is The Valley of the Giants and the Tree Top Walk. We made a planned stop there and enjoyed the beauty of the forest from the canopy walk as well as the walking track on the ground. The Tree Top Walk was the first of its kind in Australia. There is now one in Tasmania, not far from Hobart, and the latest one is in the Otway Ranges. The feature trees of this particular forest are Red Tingles and Karris, both eucalypts. Colour is added to the under-story by wildflowers. This is certainly the time of the year to visit the West.

We had lunch in Denmark, on the banks of the Denmark River. Down stream from where we ate was a very pretty scene of a small boat landing, a bridge with an old wooden boat moored beneath it, and a large red banner hanging from the bridge. The sign said, “I love u Brooke”. I imagine Brooke will be taken on a canoe ride toward the sign and quite likely get a marriage proposal. Isn’t love grand?

We are now set up in Albany for a couple of days. Albany is the oldest settlement in Western Australia, and many of the old buildings have been preserved. Albany also has a famous maritime history for its whaling industry. Apparently it took a long time for the whales to come back to this region, but Southern Wight and Humpback whales now play in the area during their annual migration. We are hoping to see a few while we are here. We will also b taking in a bit of the local history and of course fishing.

Camped about thirty metres from the shore; we will sleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. I can understand why people live by the sea. It is very restful.

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