The sun was shining brightly this morning and there was a bit of a breeze to keep things cool. Later in the day we had some overcast times and then more sunshine.

I took advantage of the fine day and washed some clothes and the floor mats. I was not the only one in the park to take advantage of the weather and the clothesline was full.

We had a quiet day at the van catching up on photo editing and entries into the diary. While I did that Russ took all the cameras and lenses and gave them a thorough clean. I also sent a link to some of the photos we had taken on the cruise. Gary had been very interested in seeing the photos of the Sea Eagle.

A lot more arrivals in the park today and only a couple have left.

We have a large group of boys from Wesley College in Perth who are staying in the NP. They all have bikes and have been completing all the different bike trails around Walpole. They have with them two teachers. Very well-mannered and fairly quiet. We met them yesterday along Beardmore Road when they were waiting for the bus to come and pick them up.

This morning was very overcast, and we had a few more showers of rain overnight. The sun is peeing through the clouds sometimes and it is very humid weather.

I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep last night so Russ let me sleep in this morning and catch up a bit. We were therefore late starting our for our day’s adventure.

We have had quite a lot of caravans moving in today already.

One of my favourite flowers are Bladderworts. Utricularia, commonly and collectively called the bladderworts, is a family of carnivorous plants consisting of approximately 233 species (precise counts differ based on classification opinions; a 2001 publication lists 215 species). They occur in freshwater and wet soil as terrestrial or aquatic species across every continent except Antarctica.

All bladderworts are carnivorous and capture small organisms by means of bladder-like trap Aquatic species, such as the common bladderwort, possess bladders that are larger than terrestrial ones and can feed on more substantial prey such as water fleas, nematodes and even fish fry, mosquito larvae and young tadpoles. Despite their small size, the traps are extremely sophisticated.

Bladderworts lack a root system, and their bladder traps are recognized as one of the most sophisticated structures in the plant kingdom.

Flowers are the only part of the plant clear of the underlying soil or water. They are usually produced at the end of thin, often vertical stems. They can range in size from 0.2 to 10cm wide, and have two asymmetric labiate (unequal, lip-like) petals, the lower usually significantly larger than the upper. They can be of any colour, or of many colours.

Having written all that I have been keeping my eyes open in the ditches that have a flow of water to see if I could get some in WA.

On the way to Fernhook Falls I asked Russ to pull over into a safe spot and raced back to the ditch I had seen, and there they were. Beautiful little pink bladderworts. The wind was blowing so my photos are not as good as they should be as there is nothing above them to hold them still while you take a photo. However, colour me happy!!

The Australian species U. dichotoma can produce the effect of a field full of violets on nodding stems. Utricularia can survive almost anywhere there is fresh water for at least part of the year; only Antarctica and some oceanic islands have no native species.

The greatest species diversity for the genus is seen in South America, with Australia coming a close second. In common with most carnivorous plants, they grow in moist soils which are poor in dissolved minerals, where their carnivorous nature gives them a competitive advantage.

From there we investigated a couple of places by the roadside where it was safe to park the car to take photos before heading for Fernhook Falls. The Falls are more a series of cascades than a single waterfall and is a lovely spot to visit after the rain has fallen. In a remote patch of native forest, the Deep River tumbles over rocks through a number of lush pools and crashes over the great granite boulders of the Falls with a mighty roar, churning its tannin-rich waters to thick rafts of creamy foam. In the summer it transforms into a peaceful swimming spot at Rowells Pool below, enticing those who love a cold dip. A spring time visit will find the forest bursting with colour – Hovea, Flame Peas, Yellow Peas, and orchids for the keen-eyed, and we found some greenhood orchids and some Silky Blue Orchids.

Notably, almost the entire catchment of Deep River is in native forests, giving it probably the purest water in the south of WA. The dark velvety water and saponin froth that piles between the rocks are testament to its long journey through the plant matter of the forests.

After visiting the Falls and taking the requisite photos we continued on our way along Beardmore Road which winds it way through the forests of the area. It is a magical place for a drive.

Once we got to the end of Beardmore Road we turned south onto North Walpole Road. As we started along this road the phone rang and it was mum, so Russ pulled over to a safe spot for a chat.

While he was talking, I looked to the end of the paddock on my side of the car and there was a mob of emus. I grabbed the camera and telephoto lens and hopped out of the car. I walked over to the fence and rested my elbows on the fence post.

Emus are a very curious creature. I took several long shots of the mob, and they started to meander their way up the paddock to where I was standing. I remained still, except for when I took a photo, and they stopped a couple of feet away from me. I got some gorgeous shots while I chatted to them. When I had taken as many photos as I figured I could need I thanked them and got back in the car while they wandered away once more. A wonderful experience.

We continued back into town after the phone call and decided to see if we could grab a quick meal from the roadhouse. Russ chose some linguine in meat sauce, and I had a slice of Quiche Lorraine. I also spotted some different rice snacks so grabbed a couple of those packets as well.

My quiche was okay – I removed very large pieces of onion and some tomato (the latter should never be in a quiche Lorraine) and the rest was edible.

Russ took one bite of his linguine and passed the dish to me. It was awful. The only thing you could taste was the salt. There was insufficient meat sauce for the huge amount of pasta in the container, so we considered it a rip-off. He had cheese toasties instead. We finished the meal with some fresh strawberries and ice cream/yoghurt. Ice cream for Russ and yoghurt for me.

The kookaburras surround us at the caravan park, and they are loud and very noisy late in the afternoon and into the early part of the evening. I was told (can’t remember who) that the laughing of the kookaburra is actually the way they claim territory, and the laughing is a challenge. I do not know if this is true or not.

Walpole is the wettest place in WA. The heavens opened early this morning about 9:00am and the wind was gale force gusts.  We are lucky to be sheltered in a depression from the full force of the wind, but we did have a couple of small branches come down onto the roof of the van during the worst of it.

It petered out around 11:00am and we only had another shower or two after that. The sun shone every now and again, but it is very cold.

We had a lazy day and I did some reading while Russ caught up with some of his movies.

We had to set the alarm for 8:30am as we needed to be at the Jetty by 9:45am. The sun was shining brightly and at 9:30 the temperature was already at 25 degrees. As we were going to be cruising on the water, I put on long sleeves, but Russ was very happy to just wear his t-shirt.

The WOW eco Cruise blurb says – “Set sail on an unforgettable journey through the Walpole and Nornalup Inlets. Led by legendary eco-guide Gary Muir, our cruises offer a rare glimpse into ancient forests, diverse wildlife, and the soul of Western Australia’s wild south coast.”

“Gary Muir’s love for the Walpole wilderness runs as deep as the inlets he cruises. A 7th-generation local (8th now as his sister has children) with a background in conservation and heritage, Gary has been guiding WOW cruises for over 30 years. Expect hilarious stories, deep knowledge, and a whole lot of passion.”

For over 30 years, they have been guiding visitors through ancient forests and across pristine inlets, blending local knowledge, laugh-out-loud storytelling, and real conservation impact. Every WOW experience is designed to connect you to nature – and help protect it.

It did not disappoint. Some person left a review on Trip Advisor which is so spot on that I borrowed it. “Gary should be a national treasure. We learned, laughed, and left absolutely amazed.”

This cruise would have to be one of the most educational and most hilarious cruises we have ever enjoyed immensely.

The cruise starts with eco-conscious shoe cleaning at the jetty, a proactive step against dieback to protect the wilderness. According to Gary, the shoe cleaner was invented in Walpole and is now used around the world.

The fun quiz touches on the area’s geology, history, plants and wildlife, teasing the depth of learning to come.

We passed Snake Island and listened to the stories about its ecosystem’s balance and the intriguing narratives shared by Gary whose family owned the island once upon a time. The Muir family cows transported to the island were all dead within a week of being out to pasture from the poison pea.

The story behind Snake Island offers a window into the delicate ecosystem balance in the Walpole area. Here, native plants (Gastrolobium) produce toxins that local wildlife have evolved to tolerate. The poison pea is used in 1080 bait programs.

Gary has a background in Structural Engineering, but his family have been doing these cruise (first on sail boats) for the entire seven generations. He has so much local history at his fingertips, and the photos to go with it. The photos were A3 in size – big for those who don’t know paper sizes – and they were laminated to accept the abuse they got while Gary was involved in one of his stories.

He whipped a photo out for this, an excerpt from a book for that, and then joined everything together to make sense about each fascinating aspect of Walpole and district history (and even world history). One of the books he uses was not able to be laminated and, I suspect, he will need to buy another one in the future. It is dog-eared from love and constant use.

He could have easily earned his money on the stage with some of his camp impressions. We were too busy laughing and trying to stay in our seats. He had us all in the palm of his hand each time he opened his mouth.

We will probably keep remembering excerpts of his presentation for many years to come.

When his family first came to this neck of the woods there were no roads.

Along the way while he shared history and humour, we were involved in a game of ‘who know what about Australian history and native plants’. He played one side of the boat against the other and the ‘Tingle Cake’, placed on a pedestal, was moved a pedestal width in the direction of the side that got the most answers right – all among a lot of laughter.

We had Americans on the trip, a lady from New Zealand, some people from Brisbane and Canberra (along with us Victorians) and a German. There were also some people from around Perth who had been on the cruise three and four times and were still bringing new members of the family and friends along to enjoy the experience.

The same birds have been nesting in part of the Inlet for generations. The family Muir has named them along the way. The birds descended from the originals are also still nesting in the area.

We saw Pied Oystercatchers, seagulls (of course), pelicans, herons and sea eagles. It was an incredible morning, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who gets the chance to do the trip.

One thing the family has done down through the generations is that when a pregnancy has advanced past the first trimester, Gran buys a tree for the baby, and it is planted on the family farm.

When his mum was pregnant with him Gran bought a Mulberry Tree. However, his sister was born first, and she had been hiding him. When the doctor said it was twins, Gran exclaimed that they only had one tree. When she hightailed it to the nearest plant nursery, they only had a Lemon Tree – so that became Gary’s tree. Whoever owns the tree is responsible for it and that includes picking the fruit from it when it is to be used. – we will come back to this.

Originally Gary wanted to be an Astronaut. He was obsessed with anything to do with space. When the first moon landing occurred, his grandfather went out and bought a TV set so they could watch it. Gary and his sister were 4 years old at this time.

The tv was set up but all they could get was snow, and an occasional word here and there. In vain, his father twitched the aerial this way and that but still could not get anything.

His grandfather arrived back in the lounge room with a gun and shot the tv. He also said that there would never be a tv in the farmhouse – and there still isn’t. Gary was thrilled with the whole experience at that early age.

However, as an adult after he had passed all the tests and was ready to embark on his journey to be an Astronaut, something happened and it was all over. (Sorry, so much info to remember, and this one bit of ‘why’ info slips the memory).

Therefore, he ended up becoming a Structural Engineer which started him on his path for ecofriendly solutions to protect pristine places. He was part of the design team that created the Tree Top Walk suspension bridge.

The half way point of the cruise was ‘The Taj’ at Settler’s Cove. At this point on the inlet the boat pulls into a jetty with a gazebo type covering. If you are not into the many steps up to the ridge and the many steps down the other side to the beach, then you can stay at the Taj and have a cuppa.

This is where Gary’s lemons come into the story – the Tingle Cake.

Baked freshly in the morning it is a family affair. The lemon tree is Gary’s tree, so he goes and picks the lemons to be used in the cake. His dad squeezes the lemons to get the juice for the cake. His mum does the cooking of the cake, and his sister prepares and uses the drizzle over the top of the cake.  It was delicious and we all went back for a second helping.

If you use the steps and go over to the pristine beach on the other side of the ridge you can take part in picking up microplastics. These are all put into an envelope with the date of the collection and every two weeks the collections from each day’s cruise are then sent to the University in Perth. The amount of microplastics collected is an obscene amount that kills our young birds and animals.

The WOW Wilderness EcoCruise integrates a crucial conservation effort through the nurdle search on Walpole’s pristine beaches.

These small plastic pellets—over 2.5 billion of them—spilled into the ocean in Durban, South Africa, in 2017 and have now dispersed globally. Carried by ocean currents, they’ve reached as far as the southwest of Australia, impacting marine life and washing up on the shores of Walpole.

This activity educates participants about the extensive impact of plastic pollution while directly involving them in environmental protection.

The detrimental effects on local wildlife, particularly seabirds mistaking the nurdles for food, showcase the global consequences of pollution.

Gary’s dedication to conservation extends beyond the eco-cruise itself. He does significant work with the local community to foster a deep connection with the environment.

One inspiring example is his collaboration with the local primary school to rehabilitate the dunes by Shelly Beach.

This initiative not only helps preserve the island’s natural beauty but also instils a sense of responsibility and love for nature in the younger generation.

Did you know?

The honey possum – has the largest testicles of any mammal per body size;

The quokka and the wombat both have square poo;

The quokka is also found in the forests at Walpole.

We stopped on the side of the road on our way back to the caravan park and took some photos of flowers. Once back at the van at 1:30pm, with the temperature at 30 degrees, I washed the clothes and had them out on the line pronto. It was only a couple of hours before most were dry and they were taken off the line, folded and put away. Some socks were still damp so those were hung on the line at the van.

Russ had taken 795 photos. I only had a mere 300. He had used the big telephoto lens and was able to get some lovely shots of the sea eagle along the way. I managed one good photo with my smaller telephoto.

After I went through all the photos – yes, several hours work – I had the ones to be edited down to about 40 photos. Some of those will be discarded during the editing process.

While I slaved away at the photos Russ finished some paperwork and paid the power bill – a whole $90 for the quarter. I just love our photo voltaic cells and the battery.

I watched the Swan get beaten by Fremantle and was very happy for Mason. They have to win the GF now. His mum and dad have come out from Texas for the games. His dad, Phil, is still a diehard Collingwood supporter but he has bought a Freo scarf to show his support for the team. He wears the scarf with a Collingwood black and white wig hat.

The alarm was set once more for 8:00am – much too early! The sun was shining brightly with a brisk breeze. At 8:45am the temperature was sitting on 26 degrees, and it was lovely.

Walpole township lies within the boundaries of the Shire of Manjimup, which is centred around Manjimup town 120 km to the northwest of Walpole.

Walpole’s sister settlement Nornalup, 10.4 kilometres east of Walpole, lies within the boundaries of the Shire of Denmark, which is centred around Denmark town 66 km to the east of Walpole.

Consider these facts (and claims):

The population of Walpole & Districts is less than 500 residents, yet more than 250,000 tourists visit the area each year;

The wettest and greenest town in WA, Walpole enjoys a mild climate with average minimum-maximum temperatures of 5°-15° Celsius in winter and 10°-25° Celsius in summer;

Walpole & Districts is said to have the cleanest air in the world;

The Deep River is said to be the most pristine river in Australia; (and in parts is over 14 metres deep)

Walpole & Districts is home or adjacent to some 10 national parks, including the rich Walpole-Nornalup Inlets Marine Park, the legendary Valley of the Giants and the iconic Tree Top Walk.

The Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW), the Walpole, Nornalup & Districts Community Development Group (CDG), the Walpole CRC and the wider Walpole & Districts community are broadly in support of National and World Heritage listing and are conscientiously laying the foundations for this process to advance. No wonder then that the WA State Government (with broad local support) is considering nominating the “Walpole Wilderness” for listing on the National and World Heritage registers.

I couldn’t resist adding this next bit in once I read it and laughed.

WALPOLE WANDERINGS by “Martingale”.

As published in the Western Mail, October 3, 1946:

Down in the extreme south of the State among the heavily timbered forests of the karri belt, a number of dairy farmers are battling towards success against cruelly heavy odds—and making headway.

When I visited Walpole four years ago, I was appalled by the hideous ill-constructed hovels in which these people were compelled to live. I referred to them as “Slums in the Bush” – and they still stand as a lasting reproach to those responsible for this particular phase of our land settlement policy.

Walpole was one of the Cinderella’s of our settlement projects— an infant scheme born after a painful and protracted labour in the depression years and grudgingly allowed to survive by succeeding foster-parents. About 15 years ago the settlers had built shacks from corrugated iron and cut timber supplied by the government. They had to cut their own floor boards and make any additions such as verandahs and extra rooms.

A beautiful Jersey herd on Mr. T.C. Cooper’s farm attracted much attention. He expressed the opinion that the Jerseys were the best breed for the hilly districts owing to their lightness and agility.

He has some truly magnificent cows with vessels which would please the eye of any show judge and his production figures of 274lb. of butterfat per cow bore witness to the fact that they combined quality with beauty.

An attractive concrete brick house was being built on the property and both Mr & Mrs Cooper had put in some strenuous work making the bricks using an old South African clay-brick machine which turned out the standard sized bricks.

He said that their record tally was 510 bricks in one day but admitted that they were glad to slow down to an output of 300 on the following day. In view of the fact that the brick making had been carried out in addition to milking and tending the herd it was certainly a splendid performance and the new house which is being built with cavity walls should stand against comparison with any modern city residence.

When we arrived at the Amos place, Mrs Amos, garbed in gumboots and dungarees, was helping to yard the bull. Her husband admitted that she could handle him much better than he could and throughout the properties I found that the womenfolk were the mainspring of the industry.

It was usually “Mum” who was called out to help yard the heifers as in most cases she had handled them from calves and was the only one who could get near them. These women are playing a splendid part and carrying out arduous and exacting work with a cheerfulness only equalled by their efficiency.

Incidentally, I should think that the Married “Ladies” Race at the local sports would be an event likely to put the Stawell Gift in the shade for all of them seemed to possess remarkable speed and amazing powers of endurance.

For instance, when it was discovered that some of the heifers were away at the end of the pasture paddocks, Mrs Amos sprinted up an almost perpendicular hill with an agility which a mountain goat might well have envied.

Anxious to be of assistance I tried to follow, but after stepping into a mud hole and sinking over the top of my gumboots I was well and truly in low gear long before reaching the top of the hill.

On the neighbouring property of Bill Vigus, we heard that Guernseys were definitely the best breed for the district and Bill has some remarkably fine specimens to support his contention.

With Mrs Vigus putting up some good sprint records we managed to yard five heifers for vaccination. It was a large yard, and the heifers were wild and exceedingly active. If a movie cameraman had been present, he would have been able to film a rodeo which would have made the Calgary Stampede look quite a small-time affair.

The procedure was for all hands and the cook to drive the heifers into a corner of the yard then to rush in and attempt a flying tackle.

If one was fortunate enough to grab a horn with one hand and get the other thumb and forefinger in a bulldog grip of the nostrils it was fairly easy to hold the animal long enough for Cyril to administer the shot of Strain 19 under the skin of the shoulder.

On the few occasions when I was able to obtain the desired grip, I was usually too fully occupied to look behind me and had a few anxious moments especially as several of our most strenuous Wild West stunts took place on Friday the 13th.

According to interested spectators I several times narrowly escaped a jab with the needle in a spot which would have made sitting down rather a painful process.

Sometimes I missed putting the hammerlock on the heifer and did a few circuits of the muddy yard grimly grasping the brute’s tail, with my gumboots throwing up a bow wave like a destroyer. Judging by the way the scenery whizzed past on such occasions I should say that some of those yearling heifers would have extended Bernborough over a furlong or two. (Editor- not sure assume it has something to do with speed)

Greatly to the disappointment of my colleagues I managed to hang on until the brute slowed down instead of flying off at a tangent and making the three-point landing in the mud which they were anxiously waiting to applaud.

Brucellosis or contagious abortion …was a source of loss to the dairying industry second only in importance to mastitis. Apart from the losses of calves, it was responsible for a considerable reduction of milk yield and in addition sterility resulting from inflammation of the womb was a common sequel to the disease. (This was why the cows were needing to be vaccinated.)

We next called in at Mr Bill Wilde’s property at Hazelwood and saw a farm with an amazing production record.

Over eight seasons an average of 303lb of butterfat per cow has been obtained on this property and in response to the appeal for more butterfat in 1944-45 Mr Wilde achieved the amazing output of 313lb per cow and 121lb per acre from his herd of Jersey-Guernsey cross cows which usually number about 24 milkers.

After the corrugated iron shacks of the Walpole district, the “group house” on his property appeared quite a palatial residence. (The article ended there so I had no more offerings of humour.)

We set out for Albany which is about one and a half hours drive from Walpole. We passed through Nornalup and Denmark along the way. It is a beautiful part of the state of WA.

Just before we reached Denmark, we passed the Shadforth Nature Reserve. It looks like it might be an interesting wander at a later date.

I never expected there to be so many mountain ranges. We have travelled over any number of them but both Russ and I said that when we think about WA, we think about red, dry and lacking water. None of that can be said to appear here. In fact, this part of WA would challenge the Dandenong Ranges for beauty and scenery.

As it was a winding road, and we had not travelled it previously, we both put our attention on the road so there was no reading here either.

Along the way we encountered many more of the enormous dome rocks that we had seen around the Hyden, Meriden areas.

So far on this trip we have only come across another three Victoria number plates. I am sure there are many more here, but they are not where we are.

We had to stop for a short time at the roadworks at Marbleup where they are doing repairs on the bridge. All the traffic control personnel were female, and they all gave cheery waves as we passed them by.

We got to the hairdresser quite early, but Matilda said she would be able to do my haircut straight away. Russ went and washed the car and then re-fuelled as well.

It cost me $90!!!!!!!! For a simple haircut!!! I will not whinge about the usual $40 I pay in Mildura in future.

We then headed to Aldi, and I had a chance to look at the week’s specials. I didn’t buy any of them but did get what I had gone there for.

After that was Woolworths for a big shop. Hopefully, we will not need to do another until we are at Mt Barker. As we left we saw a Bakery – big sigh!! Russ got a shepherd’s pie, and apple turnover and I got a custard cream donut. I am sure I am putting on pounds. One of the ladies at the bakery came from Euroa!

At 12:45pm the temperature was sitting at 33 degrees, and we headed back to Walpole. It is a big jump from the cooler days. Tomorrow there is hot weather expected before a cool change and rain.

I did read some of the Cat Among Dragons this time.

At 9:40am this morning the temperature was already sitting at 17 degrees. The sun was shining brightly, and we woke up before the alarm went off as we had two men talking near our van. 8:00am is far too early to have to get up when you are travelling in your caravan!!

We went to the dump point on our way out of town and then continued on our way. We had to take the same road as we took to get to Manjimup earlier in our stay here. This is a very good thing as it let us stop at the wayside fruit and vege vendor outside Peos Estates and get some more delicious fresh strawberries and some more Royal Gala apples.

Also, there was no reading for this journey as we both needed to keep our attention on the road and its distractions of other drivers etc.

Our travelling in this part of the journey on Granite Road, it took us from 71 metres above sea level up to 370 metres above sea level (masl). With the van on the back, we took things slowly and carefully as much of the road had no shoulders to speak about and deep dropoffs.

As we got closer to Manjimup we took more notice of the huge dams in the area. Some of them were 400metres along each side, and all of them full of water.

We also came across some noteworthy location names – Blechendon Street and Channeybearup Road.

The scenery moved from mountain trees to mountain meadows and lots of state forest area. It was a very scenic drive.

After Manjimup we were travelling on the South Western Highway – No 1 Hwy – parts of it are in need of attention and the survey pegs are out already for the road widening project. Many sections again had no shoulders and very deep drop offs on the road verge.

A lot of new colours and plants we could see the further south we went. We passed the turn-off for Fernbrook Falls which is on the Deep River with rapids. After the forthcoming rain this looks like being an interesting place to come back to explore.

By 12:30pm the temperature was a lovely 27 degrees and Russ put on the air conditioning. He was sitting in the sun.

We arrived at Walpole shortly after this time and have been given Site 91 for our next 10 days here. We have already spotted some kangaroos in the park on the way to our site. The Coalmine Beach Holiday Park is situated inside the Walpole-Nornalup National Park. In fact, most of the land for kilometres around are within the National Parks. See photo.

Coalmine Beach got its name from the shallow seam of coal at the base of the cliffs. Attempts to mine the coal were abandoned as the coal is very low grade.

Russ checked the Solid GPS locator inside the van, and the caravan has travelled 4,527 kilometres on this journey so far.

Established in 2004, the Walpole Wilderness is an important component of an international biodiversity hotspot, which recognises biodiversity under threat. The area protects wilderness, tingle forest, old-growth forests, wetlands, threatened ecological communities and threatened, endemic and ancient flora and fauna, allowing them to be maintained and enhanced for future generations.

This ancient landscape is recognised for its great visual and aesthetic appeal and for its rich Aboriginal heritage. The traditional way of life is dependent on a deep understanding of the land, its attributes and behaviour to acquire food, medicines and the requirements for life. Noongar people care for the land with the understanding that people are a part of the environment and not separate from it.

In the early 1900’s, Minister for Lands and Agriculture James Mitchell, visited this area with a view towards development in the south west. He visited Monastery Landing on the Frankland River and was so impressed by the beauty of the river and the surrounding forest that he made an on-the-spot decision to set aside the area for conservation. This was the beginning of the Walpole Wilderness. Another portion west of the Irwin Inlet was declared as a reserve in 1912 and later absorbed into the park.

Hilltop Drive is easily accessible from Walpole and is a beautiful excursion through the tingle and karri forests of the Walpole-Nornalup NP. It is a wonderful place to visit all year round – shady and cool in summer and a riot of colourful wildflowers in the spring.

You can take a scenic drive on a gravel road to Hilltop Lookout where you have views of Nornalup Inlet and the Southern Ocean, then continue your drive through the karri and tingle forest to the Giant Tingle Tree picnic area.

You can walk to the Giant Tingle Tree itself where you will get a different perspective on the forest from inside the tree!

Circular Pool is the last stop on this drive and features rushing rapids in winter and a large, tranquil pool in summer. There are universally accessible paths here leading to viewing platforms over the Frankland River.

Hilltop Drive is not suitable for caravans.

The Walpole and Nornalup Inlets Marine Park encompass the Walpole and Nornalup inlets and the tidal parts of the Frankland, Deep and Walpole rivers, and is surrounded by the Walpole-Nornalup NP.

The park is named after the nearby town of Walpole which in turn honours William Walpole, who served alongside James Stirling on HMS Warspite in 1809. The Noongar peoples know the area as Nor-Nor-Nup, meaning ‘the place of the black snake’, which was anglicised as Nornalup.

The explorer William Nairne Clark visited the area in 1841 and sailed up the Frankland River. The botanist and explorer Ferdinand von Mueller explored the area in 1877. The Bellanger family were the first European settlers to arrive in the area in 1910, settling alongside the Frankland River and building a homestead in 1914.

The park received 158,167 visitors through 2008–2009.

We got moving fairly quickly this morning as there are quite a lot of household chores to catch up on before we move to Walpole tomorrow. So, the sheets and towels and the polar fleece blanket all got washed. Next week in Walpole the first few days are going to be unusually hot.

The floors got swept and washed and the ensuite cleaned.

I also made an appointment in Albany for Thursday morning for a haircut. We were already planning to go to Albany our first day in Walpole because they have several big shopping centres, including an Aldi.

After all that was completed, I took my walk up the street before it would get colder and possibly rain some more. I got some lovely photos – Nannup has just had its Tulip Festival so there are tulips in half barrels all over the town.

When I came back, we had our afternoon cuppa, and I was able to edit a few more photos.

When I headed back to the clothesline, I got everything off dry except for the towels. I was very happy with that and spent $4 using the dryer to finish them all off.

We were visited later in the afternoon by the magpie family. I put out some more bird seed for them all and then mum and dad magpies started warbling for us. I love hearing them do this, but it is very loud when they are only a few feet in front of you when it happens.

Back at the job of photo editing and I have broken Google trying to find out the name of one particular flower (that I have never seen before). Google keeps trying to tell me it is a South African flower, but when I bring that one up on the internet it is nothing like my photo.

I ended up opening up my PlantNet app and asking for help there after exhausting my group of flower books I bought with me. I am still waiting to see if someone in PlantNet can assist me.

Still very overcast when we woke up this morning and it had been raining overnight. All in all, it looked like a good day to be inside, and I was able to finish the editing of 90 photos from over 300 taken.

Russ had a very lazy day until I had finished photos and diary entries, so after tea he was able to rake over and perform his usual electronic magic.

We have had people leave the park yesterday, and again this morning so we were watching to see all the new arrivals in the later part of the afternoon.

Russ and I discussed the cost of diesel and how it will affect our future travels. We have decided that it is a good thing our next stay at the Coalmine Beach Caravan Park for ten days is part of the Walpole National Park area. There are several lovely walks around the area, and the wildlife visits the van park itself.

The rise in fuel costs just means that we will not be travelling as far away from our base camp as we have been able to do previously.

Tomorrow, I am hoping the weather will clear up a bit as I would like to walk around town and take some photos of the town area itself. They have a wonderful clock in a tower as part of the business precinct, and a couple of nice murals.

We woke to a very overcast day with occasional showers, more like misty rain than anything else.

I got the washing done and out on the line, with my fingers crossed that the next set of mist would arrive after we got back from our walk. It would have all been dry then if another park patron had only used part of the clothesline, but she had used all the outside and next line for her washing before I arrived and beat her to the last remaining wedge of the clothesline for my washing. She had to double up a few items on her sides. Some people just don’t stop and think!!

I had to put a lot of them unto the dryer once I got them off the line, but $2 for five minutes on high was a good call.

It was a coolish 18 degrees when we set out for our last walk at Kondil Wildflower Park after a visit to the dump point.

We also re-fuelled and the two stinkers in town have put their diesel up to $2.67 per litre. Collusion anyone? It is not as dear in other places around here.

We got back to the caravan just before 3pm after walking 5.6 kilometres – a lot more than that posted on the sign at the park which stated the walk was 3.5kilometres long.

This particular walk in the wildflower park was quite pretty, but there were not as many flowers as on the previous two walks. It was much more open spaces than closed forest but we did see some kangaroos grazing in some of the open areas.

We also met some young ladies as we started out from the car parking area and were able to show them the Leaping Spider Orchid. On the way back we met a couple from Tasmania who have Flying Duck Orchids on their property – lucky devils. She was into all sorts of flowers and birds and had found the Cowslip Orchids, so we showed her the Leaping Spider Orchid also. She left a very happy camper.

We were totally worn out when we finished everything and had a well-deserved cuppa. I was very happy while glancing through the photos we had taken as I think there will be several really good ones after editing.

Russ had Snapper and chips from the local fish and chip shop, and he said it was really good. I had something much earlier as the shop wasn’t open in my eating window.

It poured on at least two occasions last night. The rain reminded us of the torrents that came down when we were at Peterborough in Victoria. At least this time we did not have to contend with any wind.

Steph and Chris moved on this morning to Wright’s Bridge Campground where there is no electricity, so they are continuing to try out their new caravan and how everything works (or not, as the case may be).

The rain had cleared this morning when we woke up, but it was very overcast.

We had a lazy morning before I got my act together and started putting in the diary entries. This took me most of the afternoon and in the evening, I got to do some of the photos.

Russ had some paperwork to complete for Brett, so he did that after a late breakfast.