Seashalia: 2013 #8 Mt Barker to Stirling Ranges - Queen of Sheba, King Spider and other orchids

From Bunbury we travelled through Donnybrook (where Granny Smith Apples are said to come from) and Bridgetown. The valley we travelled through was beautiful, green, full of fruit, wineries, apples and cherry trees. We also drove through Manjimup. Last year the church there had an interesting plan they were about to commence – opening of a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre out in the country. So far we have not found out how they have been going. Donnybrook has huge, colourful apples that hang from posts down the main street. Bridgetown has a name for beauty. We drove through without stopping very much, but noticed the beauty.

Eventually we arrived at the Stirling Range National Park. This has been our goal, so we are staying a week. We plan to come back in a month’s time to see what other orchid species have come into bloom. We are spending a fair amount of time on photography in all kinds of funny positions. Most of the orchids are rather tiny. On Tuesday we took the tour from our Retreat and spotted around 25 Queen of Sheba orchids. Everyone was different from each other. We also found a beautiful King Spider Orchid, and a White Spider Orchid and lots of others. There are plenty of mozzies! The area is full of flowering Canola crops and wheat. Everything is a grand picture with the Stirling Ranges in the background. They are such a dramatic sight. Somehow the interesting outline reminds me of the rhythm of music and orchestras playing. They are like poetry in motion.

On the tour on Tuesday, our host and tour guide said she needed a story-writer to write a children’s book about Numbats. Now, I like writing and during the afternoon I told her I would write the story, though I did not know anything about Numbats or what they look like. She was delighted, wondering what she would receive back from me. I hopped into bed at 7 pm and had it finished by 8.30 pm, including a second version with more scientific information in it. It was on her computer by 8.30 am the next day. Well, she said I am a gifted children’s story writer, so now we are working out what else she would like me to write about for her. Carpet Pythons, Ants, all the interesting critters who live in this National Park. She is asking her friends and relatives to find an illustrator for the book.

We drove 30 km up the road to get Diesel and a bit of fresh food. Whatever I asked the shop-keeper for, was free. I asked if they charge for anything at her shop. Well we just had to pay for the fresh fruit and veg, but we were given 24 new post office biros and some green tea to try out. How generous. It is a tiny town, just the pub and the little shop, but during wheat and Canola harvest it must be like Pitt Street Sydney, as it is a very large receiving depot and the truck drivers must give them good custom when they bring in their truck-loads of grain. The town was called Barden. The Diesel came from a closer town called Amelup and the dear old granny shop assistant had to come out and read the bowser to know how much to charge us. Nothing too technical around here, it seems.

For those of you who like orchids and technical names we have attached a number of orchid photos.