Pemberton, WA

We arrived in Pemberton for a few days and loved it! Pemberton is a quaint little town with absolutely beautiful old growth forests.  We did a number of day trips from here! Fantastic!

First we explored the Karri forest and the dam. These trees are the tallest trees I have ever seen.  They have beautiful white like bark that peels away and the tree is a sunset colour.  The Karri tree was used for railway sleepers for many years because it was so straight and strong. 

 The dam water was so warm and clear .  Here we had our picnic and a little swim.  

i

We then went out to Beebelup Falls and walk.  The pathways we have found throughout much of WA are beautifully maintained and very accessible. We hiked into the falls which only have a little water in them but you could hear it from a distant still.  You could also walk down old cricketty steps and across a very old suspension bridge that was only about a foot wide.  We took the bridge one at a time.

From here our last stop was the Goblins.  This was a little harder to find but some local knowledge pointed us in the right direction.  This is a swamp...but has no water in it right now and it is thick and dense with these trees that are all gnarly and knotted.  It like something out of Harry Potter. 

This was a great first day and we headed back to camp for widdle sticks....

The next day we headed out to the Gloucester Tree.  This is a 53 meter high Karri tree with steel spikes driven in the sides to climb up it like a ladder.  People used to use the trees for fire look outs but now today this is no longer the case.  The tree is open for people to climb up now.  Scary but Bill went first and then I went!  Both of us were stiff for a few days from being so tense for the climb up an down.  There is no support gear or safety nets, you are responsible for your own safety as so many of the signs around WA remind us!  I like this. 

And of course our little bird boy!  He just loves the parrots! We were very lucky here to be able to have a campfire and so I taught the kids how to make smores! YUMMY!!

Our next adventure was four wheel driving through forest, sand and ocean!  This was amazing!  We did a tag-a-long and were treated to streams, river mouths, ancient forests, the largest landlocked sand dunes in the southern hemisphere and the most magnificent ocean that you won't find anyone else at!!  Graeme our guide was so knowledgeable and the kids really liked him too.  They had lots of discussions with him about the forest and the sand and the different variety of plants.  Like the soap bush that the aboriginals used to use hunting.  This plant sucks the oxygen out of the water so they would get the fish into one area and drop the plant in and the fish would float to the top.  They would also put the plant in the water where the kangaroos would drink and would make them sleepy and so easier to hunt.  If you rub the leaves between your hands it will actually lather up ...but also turn your hands green for a few days! This day was definitely one of the highlights of our trip so far!