Exploring the Blackwood River, WA

Today we spent the day exploring the river by boat.  Caught a few fish, were greeted by dolphins, observed by stingrays and watch by pelicans.

The Blackwood River, WA

We have been camping on the Blackwood River now for a week.  It is just beautiful here.  The river opens into Flinders Bay.  

Margaret River Chocolate Company, WA

Our second stop today was the Margaret River Chocolate Company!  Hot chocolate, iced chocolate, chocolate milkshake and chocolate fondue!  Yummy!  All produced locally of course!

The after effect of all that chocolate!!

Augusta, WA (Part 2)

Today we spent some time down on the river.  Kids are making lots of friends with other kids and the wildlife.  There are so many pelicans, birds, fish and stingrays!  The stingrays are apparently called smooth rays and are very tame.  A little bit of local knowledge and the guidance of a few local kids Tim has been patting them and watching go by!  It is so amazing!  Bella is going to research the rays for us...so maybe more info next time!

Margaret River Silk Road, WA

Our last stop today was the Margaret River Silk Road company.  Here we learned about silkworms and the production of clothing.   Silk Road grows mulberries and cultivates silkworms to produce the first  home-grown Australian silk!   Here the silk cocoons are send to disadvantaged producers in Cambodia, where they are reeled, dyed and woven under the guidance of international aid and training organisations.  All monies go back to these communities.  The talk was very interesting and I think the kids really got a lot out of it.  We treated ourselves to a Mulberry Green Tea afterwards!

Jewel Cave, WA

Today we explored Jewel Cave.  This part of the country has hundreds of limestone caves!  There are only a handful now open to the public.  This cave has taken thousands of years to mould.  The stalactites and straws are unreal the way they hang from the top across the ceiling like vines and cobwebs.  The inside is a sea of calcium sculptures each one so spectacular.  Jewel Cave is home to the one of the longest straw stalactites to be found in any tourist cave.   This cave is unique because they found the remains of a Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger.   Folklore lead to the rediscovery of the cave in 1957.   The most interesting was the tree roots.  It is pretty cool to see them from the underneath!

Our guided tour was spectacular! 250 stairs and 80 meters below the ground!