Walking Amongst Giants

Chocolate Box Camping

In our quest for unique camping spots, we stumbled upon the Southern Forests Chocolate Company near Pemberton.  At $15 a night fee it was a sweet deal which meant we had extra pennies to sample the artisan chocolate and indulge in the most amazing hot chocolate that we’ve ever tasted. 

Big Things – Big Trees

To burn off the calories we punished ourselves with a grueling hike through Gloucester National Park, surrounded by the terrifyingly tall Karri Trees.

In this region, you can ascend three fire lookout trees, the tallest being the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree which was pegged in 1988 as part of Australia’s bicentennial celebrations.  

At 68 metres above the forest floor, it is the world's highest treetop lookout in the world.  Although climbing to the very top was prohibited last year due to it being deemed too perilous even for Aussie standards, but you can scramble up a lofty 20 metres if you can stomach it.  Well, let me tell you, Steve scaled it as fast as a rat up a drainpipe on a sugar rush (must have been all that chocolate he ate).  He likened it to climbing the mast on Quantock, always eager to satisfy his sailing passion even in the absence of a yacht.  

Above:  Steve on his Hari-Kari mission up the Karri Tree

Below:  Steve at the highest point that you are allowed to climb (only halfway!)

Loved to Death

In addition to the towering Karri Trees, the Tingle Trees stand impressively large. We visited a Giant Tingle Tree with a 24-metre girth, aged over 400 years.

Steve in the Giant Tingle Tree, Walpole

Previously, another enormous Tingle Tree in the area was a popular attraction, where visitors would drive into its hollow trunk for a unique photo opportunity. However, despite their impressive height, Tingle Trees have quite shallow root systems. Sadly, this tree fell in 1990 due to soil compaction around its roots due to people using it as a drive thru'. The silver lining was that this tree's fall led to the creation of the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, allowing visitors to wander through the ancient tingle forest with little to no impact on the environment. Suspended 40 metres high, the skywalk provides a rare chance to walk among the treetops of the towering Tingle Trees. 

Above: Mhairi holding on to the railing very tightly on the wobbly walkway 

Below: The last car to drive through the ill-fated Tingle Tree was a Holden

Word of the Week - WOW!!!

In awe of the giant trees in this region, we used this word a lot.  And we were particularly "wowed by Walpole".

You could easily blink and miss this tiny town, but we were really glad to stay here for 3 days, camping on a gorgeous site by the beach.  

WOW is also the name of a fabulous cruise we went on - The WOW Wilderness Eco Cruise.  It was a standout experience all thanks to Gary "Gazza" Muir, the tour guide and boat owner. His knowledge of Walpole, the universe and everything is incredible.  Such an engaging, funny man.

Above:  Gazza teaching us about science, history, and everything Walpole

Below:  Wading through a snake infested swamp to reach a magnificent Melaleuca Tree (aka the Paperbark Tree)

Apparently, the town of Walpole is "chocka blocka full of Quokka", to quote Gazza.  Unlike Rottnest Island, the ones in Walpole are nocturnal, which meant no Quokka selfies for us, unfortunately.  However, there were lots of other wildlife to get excited about.

Critter of the Week – Australian Ringneck Parrot

Also known as the Twenty-Eight Parrot because the botanist who discovered it thought its squawk sounded like the French word for 28 (vingt-huit) – “van tweet”. Another theory is that it takes 28 parrots to make a pie.  Steve was ready to make a pie when this pretty polly stole his glasses.  

Above:  Steve getting his pirate on with the 28

Below:  Footage of the pesky pilfering parrot stealing Steve's specs

Camp Life

Taking advantage of a powered site, it's the perfect opportunity to fill the freezer with healthy meals.  Roo Rogan Josh, anyone? 😋

What’s that Skippy? Mhairi’s whipping up another batch of Butter Chicken in the Thermie?

Delicious Denmark

Heading east along the coast, we reached the charming little town of Denmark boasting breathtaking landscapes, crystal-clear waters, and a vibrant food and wine scene.  It’s pretty easy to fall in love with this place.

We stayed in a quaint little caravan park on a river bend, a perfect spot to explore the area.  We visited the renowned Elephant Rocks and Green Pool.  It was a bit chilly for a dip, so we hit Boston Brewery, Bartholomew's Meadery, Ducket’s Mill for some cheese and Singlefile Winery.

Above: Elephant Rocks just outside of Denmark

Below: Trying to find the Queen of the hive whilst tucking into Salted Honey Ice-cream at Bartholomew's Meadery

Above:  So much yummy food at Ducketts Mill, we had to take a doggy bag

Below:  Single File Winery - dangerously close to our camp

On a cool day, we took a hike through Porongurup National Park to tackle the lung-busting Castle Rock Trail, leading to the massive granite dome that is Castle Rock.  The ascent's climax involved scaling a 7-meter ladder to reach the Granite Skywalk – that was the heart-pumping part!  Nerves conquered; the view was spectacular, with vistas stretching to Albany.  

Above: Balancing Rock on the hike to Castle Rock

Below:  View of Castle Rock and the Granite Sky Walk (not my photo!).  If I'd seen this photo beforehand, I wouldn't have done it 😅

Following a less daunting descent, we drove to historic Albany to visit the Brig Amity replica and the old Whaling Station.

Above:  Steve at the helm of the Brig Amity

Below:  Original Whaling Boat at Albany

Mop Chop Discrimination

Not to be outdone by Steve looking schmick with another one of his DIY haircuts at camp, I decided to get a trim while in Albany.  But after three hairdressers gave me the 'see you in three weeks' line (and I was only in town for the arvo), I resorted to the dodgy barber’s shop against my better judgement.

Red Flag 1:  It had the classy name of 'Scissorhands'.

Red Flag 2:  The hairdresser (loose term) looked like Kath (from Kath n Kim) who had been dragged through a fuzz bush backwards.

Red Flag 3:  Scribbled note on the mirror “If I find eggs or nits in your hair, I will abandon your cut immediately”.

There was also a big sign declaring “cash only”.  To make sure I had enough coinage for "Kath", I asked the price for a trim.  "it's $25 for guys, $50 for girls"!

Despite all the warning signs, with such an apparent skills shortage of hairdressers in this part of the world, I was desperate, so forked over the cash for a 10-minute chop.   Lucky, I have lots of hats on this trip!

And Finally ...

No standout lavatory signage spotted this week, but this personalised rego plate did make us chuckle.  Prado drivers clearly love their food!