Le Grand Nomads: Pemberton Week 36

Week 36

Pemberton

Well, it is heatwave time in WA, but here in Pemberton it is moderated by the surrounding forests. You can take off 5 degrees in the shade, and the heat is dry so sweat is actually effective. Hence 37 translates to 32 and is fine. Nights are still between 10 and 15, but it doesn’t feel that bad.

We started off the week with a heartstarting “stroll” in the walk on the hillslope behind the park, one of the few places that have never been logged. This was a great start to the week.

Brian’s choice today so we head off to do the Karri Explorer drive. Our first stop was the Gloucester tree. You can climb 60 metres to the forrest observation tower if you are a thrill seeker. Brian was, but I prefer to watch. Actually when you sit and listen the bird song is like an orchestra tuning up, a timphany of whistles and chirps and twitters. If you are still and watch, you are sure to spot a myriad of life.

We headed on to the Big Brook Dam and the Arboretum. After we had been, Liz and Brian said they had stayed there, great spot. There was a fallen tree over the road, so we had to back track through the Arboretum - no chainsaw in the car. There is a walk around the lake, about 4kms but easy peasie. Its a bit like walking around Barrine with the advantage of sealed path but drier, so Barrine wins this one. They have had the driest winter on record though so we do have to forgive nature on this occasion.

Onward ho and we stop at the Warren River Cedar (ho hum) and the Big Karri. Yes these trees are big. By this time the day is nearly done so we leave the rest of the loop for another occasion and head back through farming communities, Grapes, avocados and plantation timber are biggies.

The golf course beckons on Tuesday to give us a break from tree hugging. Have to admit it did get hot as the day progressed, but it was our first round of 18 holes for a long time and we had the course to ourselves and a very talkative volunteer mowing the rough. They only have 30 members, 15 regular players and no women, so the tee offs for women were sad or non-existent. Even the sand greens were playable so we had a great day.

Wednesday finds us with an early start heading for the D’Entrecasteaux National Park and the largest moving sanddune in the southern hemisphere. The Yeagarup Dunes are about 10kms inland so not a wave insight, just forest starting to be overcome by sand. Brian has been proving once again that boys become men, but you can’ take the boy away.

We had a lucky find for this time of year and came across a slender sun orchid. It is definitely past the season so we were chuffed. We were also happy the owners of fifty or so bright orange hats arrived after we had explored the dunes with only one couple of European tourists. How was that for timing?

Passing Petticoat Lane, we bowed to curiosity and ventured down to see where it led - deeper and deeper into the bush, much more rugged than the “main” park roads. We had an up close and personal look at a fallen tree and spied a few likely camp spots the caravan could never aspire to visiting.

Next we followed Heartbreak Trail in the Warren National Park, tame in comparison to Petticoat Lane. Here Brian got to scale an even taller tree, the Bicentennial Tree, taller by 25 metres but easier on the legs according to the expert, but perhaps he is regaining fitness.

That leaves us just enough time to return for the Pemberton Tramway ride to the Warren River and the Cascades. Bit ho hummy, but brought back many fond memories of other tram rides and the people we shared them with. There was a cute little baby who screamed everytime the whistle blowed , quite often. By the end of the journey he had run out of steam himself. His jaw would drop, his lip would quiver and eyes widened, he just couldn’t manage another squeak.

We did learn that the kookaburras are here in WA because 40 of them were released from the Perth Zoo. They have been very successful in settling as they are everywhere in these forests. Don’t know the timelines here, but judging from the population distribution, it wasn’t recent.

We have heard Windy Harbour is a great place to see, so off we venture once more. First port of call, pun intended, is Mount Chudalup where we get in a walk. It reminds us of Bald Rock near Tenterfield, but a much smaller version, just as well because the heat wave is continuing.

Windy Harbour is like a coastal version of Diana’s Lake in NZ where there are “Batches” or holiday houses. Sorry WA but we couldn’t imagine wanting to be here for too long. The flies were incredible so stopping by the ocean to boil the kettle was not an option. They would literally carry you away. Mt Chudalup was not so infested so we managed a lunch there before having a look at Northcliffe. There is a little museum here that is interesting and a gallery that has lots of intarsia (sorry about the spelling Wal), but its not a thriving metropolis and we are once again we have chosen Pemberton as our base.

Still hot on Friday, we decide to have another game of golf, 9 holes in the morning followed by some exploration and then finishing the round in the evening. That was fine until the late afternoon thunderstorm rolled in. Still we survived, obviously.

During the interim we head for Beedelup Falls a and the walk through tree. It is still hot and dry, and the tree is filled with buzzing insects.We have trudged uphill through “mad-dogs-and-englishmen” time to view this step through tree so you can imagine how much we have appreciated the experience.

After some differences of agreement in map reading, we follow a forest drive that leads us through Gilbert where there has been an organized protest that Andrew will appreciate after his early days in the Franklin River in Tasmania. The protesters have long gone, but the forests still stand and there is a testament to the history of this.

Our final day at Pemberton finds us exploring Manjimup. Here we find the third climbing tree of the district, the Diamond Tree, but Brian was not tempted to climb this third tower into the upper storey of the forest. The impending thunderstorm may have been a deterrent.

There are trees that began as a giant then turned into two disparate entities. The town is much bigger than where we are staying so grocery shopping is easier and cheaper. There is a farmers market, but nothing like the Christmas markets at Yungaburra or the Rusty’s Markets in Cairns. We must be spoiled.

There is a nice caravan park here, Fonty’s Pool that we have earmarked for our return journey to Perth in a month or so. It is very nice, but I imagine it will be exceedingly popular by the time we return. We have a bit of a sample at the Truffle Co and get some truffle infused oil, dukkah and a bottle of reisling to celebrate Fiona and Andrew’s wedding today. Hearty congratulations to you both. As I sit there writing this after a bottle of wine shared with Brian, discussing our plans for or 22nd anniversary, I am amazed there aren’t more red lines in the text. Forgive us, for we have celebrated and toasted the bride and groom in absentia.