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Published: April 19th 2011
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Today, Thursday 14th, was the day for the estuary cruise which several people had highly recommended. We made our way to the small marina for about 9:45am - the cruise was due to depart at 10:00am and quite a lot of people were there waiting. The boat was already moored ready to take on passengers but there was no sign of any crew. With about 5 minutes to go, a fellow arrived and introduced himself to everyone as Lee. It transpired that he was the assistant for today’s trip and, like the rest of us, he was waiting for the “boss” to arrive. “He always arrives with a minute to spare” said Lee and, sure enough, at one minute to go, the boss arrived. Most of us were beginning to wonder what sort of a trip we would have as time was ticking by and the boat still had to be “prepared”. We needn’t have worried. The boss, Gary, was a one-man entertainment show and the amusement began immediately. In next to no time we were all seated and rocking with laughter as Gary regaled us with anecdotes about his family history (Muir), which, if it was all true, was both
fascinating and hilarious and would be a perfect script for a best selling book.
In addition to being infectiously humorous, he was extremely knowledgeable about local flora and fauna, natural history, local history, world history – you name it, he was an expert on it. Most people agreed that we could easily have missed the natural beauty of the Nornallup Inlet because we were all so engrossed with what he had to say. But he made sure we didn’t miss a thing. He interspersed his commentary with an on-going quiz, setting the two sides of the boat up as opposing teams with the promise of a large cake for the winners. So, in addition to his explanations of events, places of interest in the area and local wildlife, he would ask an occasional “cake” question which kept all the passengers of all ages enthralled - he was brilliant. Before long we all knew where everyone else came from; how ‘Poms’ got their name; which British Prime Minister won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race; of the approx 189,000 horses that sailed from Albany to the Middle East in WWI, how many came back etc etc!! (Graham and I both
knew the answer to the last question because we’ve been listening to the Eric Bogle song: ‘It’s As If He Knows’.)
On the wildlife front, he pointed out one of only two known albino stingrays and explained fully how and why a stingray might attack which was a very rare occurrence. He was able to show us the result of an attack – a circular scar on his upper thigh received when he was helping to release a trapped stingray that had got itself caught in fishing nets. Lee too was included in the presentation. A recent shark attack in the area, which most of the other passengers seemed to know about and could actually name the victim (another “cake” question), involved a surf-boarder who was badly savaged and only survived as a result of the treatment he received from fellow boarders. It was, in fact, Lee who had provided much of the treatment and had arranged for professional help to arrive. The chap needed in excess of 300 stitches.
A local house, one of the oldest in the area, was pointed out and much of its history explained including an association with Leo Tolstoy (it was all
Gary explaining the problems caused by Dieback
Dieback is a deadly 'introduced' disease that is affecting large numbers of trees in the southern part of Australia very confusing but absolutely fascinating). Onward we went across the inlet and were accompanied by a couple of dolphins who put on a marvelous show mainly, it must be said, in pursuit of salmon that abounded in the lovely, clear water. An osprey was spotted and explanations and yet more anecdotes given about local landmarks and local historical facts, often involving early Muir family members like “Coughing Bob” (he smoked a lot) who helped to establish farming and forestry activities in the area and who helped with integration with the local aborigines. Members of the Muir family apparently stand on the same rock in the area each year and celebrate New Year’s Eve as they have done now for the last 155 years.
At this point we arrived at the outer reaches of the Nornallup Inlet and moored, at a suitably placed pontoon, to partake of some tea/coffee and the aforementioned cake. While Gary prepared it all and erected a large gazebo to protect us from the harsh sun, Lee guided us up through the wooded hillside to the very top which afforded us a beautiful view across the Southern Ocean. By the time we returned, tea and cake
were readily available and very welcome. The local fish clearly knew about this break in proceedings as they gathered around the pontoon in their numbers waiting for some crumbs and most of us duly obliged.
Back across the inlet we went and the dolphins put on another brilliant show. Pelicans, cormorants and oyster catchers were all in abundance and the on-board entertainment continued with explanations of the different mating and birth processes majoring mainly on marsupials and other Australian animal species. We also learned how the world developed and formed the continents as we know them today and he confirmed the fact, which we all now know to be correct, that Walpole is ” the bellybutton of the world” (somewhere between the North and South Poles)! Gary had a brilliant knack of using anything he could find as props for his demonstrations but they were, more often than not, a number of cuddly toys that just happened to be lying around. He supported his demonstrations with large posters, pictures, maps and the like and he was simply a “natural” with his show. There was never a dull moment and his contributions were probably the most memorable of any trip
Letters and photos found in the boatshed (on the right)
connected the original owner, Frank Skinner Thompson, to Leo Tolstoy we have been on. All too soon we returned to the marina and everyone was buzzing with the exhilarating experience they had just had - it was no doubt the best and most original $40 dollars worth of entertainment we’ve ever had.
We nipped into the town for some lunch in the bakery and then went back to the caravan. It was still a beautiful sunny day so we donned our bathers and walked to the nearby Coalmine Beach. It had retained its coalmine reference from many years ago when coal was discovered there, but it was so poor in quality that it was never pursued commercially. Now it is a wonderful, clean sandy beach and, if we had been inclined to, a perfect place to swim. We contented ourselves with a paddle and then met a couple who were also on the boat trip AND the previous one in Albany. They were staying in the caravan park but in a chalet. They were from Perth and had a lot to do with establishing the Bibbulman Trail in their area. The trail marks the ancient route followed by the local aborigine tribes of south west WA as they wandered
from place to place according to the seasons and in tune with natural food availability. We were actually stood on the Bibbulman Trail as we talked and they were able to explain its history and how, with their help, it is now so clearly marked.
Eventually we meandered back to the caravan and settled down for a quiet night. Graham did some advanced preparation for tomorrow’s journey. It’s not an especially long trip, just under 300 kms, but with the heavy dews we’ve been getting, it’s better to put a dry awning away the night before rather than cope with a damp one on the morning of a journey. Soon everything was quiet – not even the bandicoot put in an appearance - and we settled in for a comfortable night.
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