Walpole, WA

Christmas at Walpole!  Arrived at an almost empty caravan park but by Christmas Day the hundred and fifty site were taken.

Ratings: CP **** Surroundings **** 

Forest walk amongst ancient karri, tuart and red tingle trees on the edge of the Walpole-Nornalup inlet which is almost surrounded by national park. Bird song permeates the cool air and sightings of the tiny songsters are a challenge. Sealers and whalers used timber from these forests for their boats in the early 1800s and stock camps were established along the coast in the 1850s. Permanent settlement began in 1910.

Fishing with Pelicans.... casting out a line from the jetty hoping to catch our evening meal.

Silver Gull on Walpole Inlet in the evening light. A time for quiet reflection.....and a glass of local wine!

Mount Barker, WA

Time to rest after a walk! We now have a two roomed home set amongst the eucalypts for the first time since leaving Stoneville.

Ratings: CP ***  Surroundings **

Mount Barker Hill (according to sources in the town, the Aboriginal name for the hill is "Pwakkenbak") offers views of the Stirling Ranges and the Porongurup Ranges. Fertile vineyards make this area one of Australia's most awarded wine growing regions with Riesling, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir.

Kulin, WA

 Ratings: CP *** Surroundings ***

"The Chair"...a single chair found on glittering salt crystals looking out over Lake Jilakin which is a hyper saline shallow lake covering approximately 100 hectares.

On the way down Jilakin Rock, an enormous granite rock overlooking a stand of Jarrah trees, woodlands, Jilakin Lake and wheat fields. It seems to have created its own environment where plants and animals have adapted to extremes of heat and cold. Acacias and other trees, lichens, fungi and grasses thrive on the rock which formed millions of years ago when a large mass of molten rock pushed up into the earth's crust. The magma cooled and crystallised and erosion removed the soil exposing rock. It seemed I could feel this ancient land as I stretched out on the rock, lizard- like and content.

Flower Filly, one of the 75 tin horse sculptures along the 20 kilometre Tin Horse Highway which leads to the venue of the annual Bush Race. The quirky sculptures have been created by local farmers using scrap metal.

Narembeen, WA

"Let's go...it's time to plough our lands!" (except that it's still harvesting season in the Central Wheatbelt). Narembeen is an Aboriginal name meaning "the place of female emus" (the Noongar Njaki-Njaki clan come from this area). The town was established in 1922 when sandalwood, wool and sheep were farmed. The very informative Grain Discovery Centre tells the history of grain growing in Western Australia from the early settler days until today using diagrams, posters, photographs, electronic media and exhibitions of paraphernalia from bygone days.

The morning after...Narembeen welcomed us with caravan-shaking gusts of wind, an stunning aerial display of lightening against a darkened sky and rolling thunder followed by pelting rain. The early hours of the morning brought the clattering of hailstones on our roof and a terrified Micah sharing our bed! Damage was minimal- a few dents to the bonnet of the Patrol and to the aluminium door of the caravan storage cupboard. Others in the park weren't so lucky!

Ratings: CP * Surroundings *