Serpentine Falls

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Friday morning was a good opportunity to go back to Mandurah Forum and we actually enjoyed a good wander around the complex; it is massive. Certainly there were the stores you would expect to see but there were also so many more unfamiliar names. A little bit of shopping, a haircut and a bite of lunch. When talking to the owner of a little coffee/café booth it was shocking to learn that his monthly rental is $1,100 – dread to think what they would be paying for a proper shop front.







Serpentine Falls in the Darling Ranges was our destination in the afternoon. Serpentine is not all that far from Mandurah, a little further north along the South Western Highway, just a quick 40kms. There is well appointed car park/picnic area with a paved walkway to the Falls as well as a couple of walking trails to Kitty’s Gorge and Baldwin’s Bluff.







After the torrential rain of recent weeks the Falls were running fast, cascading down into a couple of natural rock swimming holes – very pretty indeed. We had thought of doing the walk to Kitty’s Gorge but it was going to be a 14km return trek and at 3:30pm the afternoon was getting on so we thought better of it. Shame really, because the bushland was inviting. Lots of kangaroos there too and they weren’t at all wary of we humans.







Back at the caravan and John decided he would fill our water tanks in preparation for next weeks onward journey, when he knocked on the window and indicated for me to bring the camera out – he had been joined by several Ringneck Parrots. They started off just sitting on our roof but when John produced a slice of bread the entire flock flew in, there were a good dozen of them. They are obviously used to being fed and became quite demanding – there was lots of swooping, head ducking (John that is) and a few out of focus photos to show their vibrant colours. These birds are widespread throughout south Western Australia – and we have seen a few along the roadsides – but to hand feed them was something special.

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