Climbing the 61 metre tree

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The Gloucester Tree, in Gloucester National Park, is probably Western Australia's most famous karri tree. This 60-metre-high giant towers above the forest surrounding Pemberton. In the past, foresters maintained a regular fire lookout from its top. Myself and Carrie managed to climb up it - I was bricking it most of the way - knowing how scared of heights I am!! However we managed it and the views from the top were abso out of this world!
The Gloucester Tree was one of eight lookout trees built between 1937 and 1952 in the karri forest. The construction of fire lookout towers in the tallest trees of Western Australia's karri forest was the practical response to one of the most serious threats to forest communities in the South-West -- fire.
Then we went on to the Valley of the Giants, located in Walpole-Nornalup National Park and Walpole Wilderness Area. The park has four species of eucalyptus, which occur only in the Walpole area - three species of tingle trees in the tall forest, and the red flowering gums closer to the sea.
We also stayed in the Pemberton Forest Stay Cabins, which is also a Kangeroo Sanctuary ... we got to pet and feed the Kangeroos! The Cabins were very quaint, John proved his chef qualifications and cooked us dinner and then we played Australian Trivial Pursuit along with a cask of wine...not the best combination and the game rapidly disintegrated, especially when Annelise pointed to a hinge when she meant a a bolt - to rhyme with Holt, it took us a long time to figure out what she was talking about. And seeing as none of us have a clue of Aussie literature, history, sport etc Harold Holt became a very popular answer.
The next day we walked along the Tree Top Walk, which is really fabulous and then walked the boardwalks below and explored the “Ancient Empire Walk” - a grove of impressive veteran tingle trees, some over 400 years old. These are the giants that gave the forest its name - they’re some of the most enormous trees in the world and are only found in the forest surrounding the Valley of the Giants.

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Photos

Annie and Carrie
In our little forest stay cabin