27 Manjimup, Denmark and Albany mid October 2012

We have been in the land of the giant trees, Jarra, Marra and Giant Tingle trees. We did the Tree Top Walk and although we have done many of them before, we have never seen anything like this one. Please imagine the Giant Tingle Trees being 75m tall, with bases on them of 34 metres around the base. That is some walk where the trees tower way over your head, even when you are standing 60 metres high. 

 Later we walked through the forest, underneath the walk. Some trees we could stand in, some you can drive a car through. They are gracious, stately, beautiful, straight and tall. Some of the Giant Tingle trees almost have human faces on them. One is considered the grandmother of all the other trees, about 400 years old. You could make an entire comic strip out of the Giant Tingles. The trees are easy to photograph as they stand up so straight and tall for you.

The tall trees grow over a huge area of the state. Trees, trees and more trees... everywhere you go, with some narrow roads that we shared with logging trucks. Everything was as pretty as a picture wherever we travelled with the farms brimming full of overflowing dams and contented cows and bulls, plus sheep and vineyards, chocolates, fruit trees, fudge factories and lots of arts and craft stores including patchwork. I've been reading a book on the early Teak trade in Burma, many years ago. Its an interesting comparison. Elephants used to do so much of the work in Burma. I learnt Elephants are wonderful, intelligent, loving animals. If a man draws a circle on the ground for his infant daughter to stay within, when she is crawling, an elephant will patiently stand there and each time the infant crosses the circle, the elephant will pick her up and put her back in her prescribed circle. He will do that merrily all day long to please his keeper and care for the infant.

Friends from Manjimup church drove us a hundred kilometres to take us to see a beautiful National Park. It was a lovely day getting to know the folk. They are just about to open up a drug and alcohol clinic where they can work along with addicts to help them to kick their addiction. It will be a live-in setting. 

 We were staying at Fonty’s Pool about 12km from Manjimup where they have a large swimming pool fed by a natural spring, and on two mornings the calm conditions were perfect for a beautiful reflection on the dam; one of these photos is included.

We stayed at Walpole, a tiny town on a bay, stopped off at Denmark to take some photographs of Elephant Rocks and Greens Pool. This was a totally amazing sight. Had been hanging out for that place for a long time.

 We moved on to Albany, a town of about 30,000 people. It is on the Princess Royal Harbour and King George Sounds, pretty as a picture with a port for industry as well. There were heaps of fertilizer waiting on the wharfs for ship transport. (not smelly, though). Into this strange mix stood a newish Civic Theatre on the wharf. Its made from raw timber of course. It looked a bit out of place there. 

Old Whaling Station Albany

The town is both old and new, but the thing to see here are 3 amazing beauty spots called Natural Bridge, The Gap and The Blowhole. We only found these in the early evening. Its another one of those places to be sure to come and see for yourself. It is a part of Australia where it used to be joined to Antarctica when they were one land of Gondwana. You have to imagine it is the domain of giants, to imagine the sizes of the giant stones, gaps and natural bridges. It would really blow your mind to see the massive ocean performing its rites into these enormous gaps, under arches and the sound of the blow holes. You need to watch your step - easy to get swept away. It is also a giant's ocean swell as well.

Hooray we found a sunny day yesterday as we visited the old whaling station. They have done it up so well it is very interesting and entertaining. We meet lovely people everywhere we go. I sat in the cafe for lunch and the magical colours of the sand and the sea, caused me to keep picking up my camera to keep photographing the waves as they rolled over a large flatish stone. It was just so pretty. 

We found paddocks of land covered with pretty pink and yellow flowers on a back road as we headed toward the wind farm that provides electricity for Albany. Those giant arms move slowly as they generate the power. Well, it is quite a place and we will have to move on without having spent enough time here.

Before we left Albany, the weather turned windy and rainy so we drove inland to Wave Rock for a couple of days where it was calm and sometimes sunny (340 ks). We have attached one photo from Wave Rock taken about 6 am.

We are at Esperance, where once again it is raining and misty. Next week we plan to start our trek home across the Nullarbor and emails may be infrequent with limited internet access.