When we woke up this morning with the alarm at 8:30am (it is a long day) the weather looked like rain with a very brisk cool breeze. We dressed accordingly in layers, not sure how it would be in the higher altitudes.

We left the caravan park at 9:37am and the temperature was sitting on 17 degrees that felt like 12.6. There was some spitting on the windscreen along the way, but the drops were not big, and they didn’t hang around for very long.

Much of the journey was through cultivated areas but by 10:03 we went into the National Park and the vegetation changed completely.

Along the way we came across Takalarup, Kamballup, Pillanorup Swamp, Chillinup Nature Reserve and Yungamere Peak. We thought that was a good haul until we hit, what has to be the pick of the day, Moongoongoonderup Hill – yep, I doubt much will beat that.

We had discussed the trip and decided to do the Stirling Range Road and Bluff Knoll, with a short detour on a “No Through Road”. Of course, the best laid plans etc…….

Russ thought we had been down the road to the Toolbrunup Camping Area (there’s another name for you), but discovered his memory was slightly faulty. We hadn’t. We enjoyed the ride and there were several places to stop and take photos.

As we were leaving I spotted a new spider orchid, so we stopped and took more photos, quite chuffed with ourselves.

Instead of heading back to the main Chester Pass Road, I asked him to backtrack and detour to the toilet facilities – which were practically brand new and quite lovely to use.

The park is booked solid this week and there was one vacant site left. School holidays finish here on Sunday next week, 11 October.

As we approached the facilities we were greeted by Peter who is a volunteer for the Parks and Wildlife Services. He asked us about our interests and said had we seen this and that? No, we hadn’t so he said we could catch up with him on the road after using the facilities and he would show us where more orchids were just waiting for us to be awed about.

He was well informed and even gave the orchids their names as he knew them. I cannot remember which photo goes with which sub species so I will try and find out from Google, but I am not holding my breath. They all start to look the same to me after a time – a bit like all the varieties of pea bushes. All the same except for some variations in colours.

Peter also told us where to go to find the blue sun-scented orchids as we haven’t seen any of them this trip so far. It was a slight detour on the way to Bluffs Knoll. I call these orchids the “scream in terror” ones as that is what they look like in the middle of the orchid. Mouths open wide and screaming!!

We found them at Mobinup Creek Nature Reserve exactly where he said they would be and took lots more photos. As we had come this far I asked Russ to check out Camel Lake NR as we had found some lovely flowers here the last time. However, the roads have been closed off so we couldn’t go where we wanted to.

Russ found a track that would take us in a ways and there was room to turn round. I was so happy he did as I came across my first feather flower for this trip. It was the yellow one. They are a bunch of tiny little flowers, and each one is only as big as my little fingernail.

By 11:45am the temperature was sitting at 22 degrees, made more pleasant by the brisk breeze.

We then retraced part of our route until we came to the Bluffs Knoll Road turnoff. Along this road there are very few places to stop even if you see something special. We did go past many of the eucalyptus gum in flower.

We also saw a Wedge-tail Eagle being chased by a crow – quite vigorously, but I wasn’t quick enough to get a shot.

We had our lunch at Bluff Knoll at 1:36pm. It hasn’t changed since the last time we were here, but I did manage to get some shots of the gum tree in flower at my height.

After that we decided that the Stirling Range Road would need to be driven in two days and we had run out of time today.

Tomorrow, we will head back to Mt Barker to get fuel and my script (I hadn’t realised I had run out and had to do a phone consultation with an unfamiliar doctor when we got back to the van today – $82 dollars later.)

Our plan of attack is to start at the eastern end of the Stirling Range Drive from Mt Barker and do as much as we are comfortable with. We can them Waypoint the map and return the next day to start from that point and work our way back to Chester Pass Road and back to Porongurup.

Today when we woke up the weather was slightly cloudy with periods of extended bright sunshine.

The caravan park is very quiet at night. There is no traffic on the road, and everyone appears to go to bed early. All you can hear after 5pm is the sound of all the birds (of which there are many) in the native flora around the place.

The entire grounds of the park have been planted with bee and bird friendly species.

Porongurup is a locality of the Shire of Plantagenet, just like Mt Barker. At the 2021 census, Porongurup had a population of 342.I doubt that has changed much since then.

The name is derived from the Aboriginal placename and consequently arrived with no spelling as such. A common alternative spelling is Porongorup and while some maps still show this spelling, state government signs around the town use Porongurup, as does the promotion association for the region.

The main industry in the region is dairying, but some vegetable crops are grown as well. It is noticeable that plantations of Tasmanian blue gums are becoming a popular, and sometimes controversial, industry in Porongurup.

Tourism based on the Porongurup Range’s giant karri forests is limited by the difficulty of access because the nearest public transport is in Albany (44 kilometres away) and Mount Barker (27 kilometres away).

The mountain range includes Castle Rock, a popular climbing destination, and the Devils Slide. The Granite Skywalk is a suspended walkway that spirals around the granite outcrop of Castle Rock. The forest of Eucalyptus trees, rounded granite knobs and boulders give way to views over the Stirling Range to the north and towards Esperance in the south east.

A popular annual event is “Art in the Park”, an outdoor sculpture competition in the picnic area on Castle Rock Road in the national park. The week-long event is held in April and attracts a diverse range of traditional and contemporary works vying for cash prizes.

Viticulture is a relatively young but flourishing industry in the region with eleven local wineries listed on the Porongurup Promotion Association web-page as of March 2007.

The Porongurup Wine Festival is a 40+ year event that has been held at various different local wineries each year. Pre-Covid, it was held in March but from 2024, the event expanded to become the Great Southern Wine Festival and is held in September at rotating locations in the Great Southern wine region.

On 11 February 2007, a fire began on private property near the north-west corner of the national park, around 8 kilometres west of the Porongurup village. The fire spread along the rear boundaries of several properties and into the national park.

Fire crews helped prevent the fire spreading to nearby housing throughout Sunday night but on Monday afternoon (12 February) it jumped Porongurup-Mt Barker Road and spread into private property to the north-east of the village centre.

One private residence and a number of farm sheds and buildings were destroyed and other buildings seriously damaged in the fire. Fire crews, including aerial support from six water bomber planes, battled the blaze and by Tuesday morning it was effectively under control.

By Wednesday morning (14 February) the fire had burnt through around 95% of the national park and several farms and wineries showed the scars of the fire.

It was reportedly the most devastating fire in the region since the 1960s. Less than a week after the fire began, a committee was formed to take charge of remedial work in the community and in a show of resilience, local wineries still held their annual wine festival a few weeks later.

Despite the national park remaining closed to visitors, the annual Art in the Park exhibition was allowed to go ahead in early April.

Sections of the park, including the Castle Rock walk trail and the Tree in The Rock picnic area, were reopened to the general public in September 2007.

It looks like parts of the Porongurup National Park need some permit burning done now. The bushland is incredibly thick in parts.

The Porongurup Range was formed more than 1.1 million years ago. Originally much higher than today, the range was slowly worn down by erosion, leaving behind rounded granite domes and peaks. Famous formations like Castle Rock and the Balancing Rock are results of this long erosion process.

The area is part of Noongar Country.The Porongurup Range was known to the original inhabitants as Borongur. There are four Noongar Aboriginal peoples of the Albany Region, the Wirlomin people (Gnowangerup), Bibbulmum people (Denmark) and the Goreng people (Plantagent/Gnowangurup and Kattaning), who all consider the Porongurup Range particularly important- both culturally and spiritually. 

Europeans first explored the region in the early–mid 1800s.Settlers were attracted by: fertile soils, reliable rainfall and timber resources.

The timeline goes something like this:

The surrounding land was cleared for farming, while the steep rocky areas remained mostly untouched. Roads, small settlements, and farms developed in the foothills.

1828 June- Captain Joseph Wakefield led an expedition inland to map the Kalgan River and explore the mountains called Purrengorup. Wakefield’s party, led by Aboriginal guides, Mokare and Nankina, ascended the hill on the eastern side of the range and enjoyed clear views to Corjernurruf (Stirling Ranges)

1859- The Porongurup Range attracted the attention of early European settlers at King George Sound because of the richer green foliage of the karri contrasting with the surrounding country. The first pastoral lease which later became part of the Porongurup Range was granted to John McKail in 1859.

1900– Logging of karri and jarrah commenced in the early 1900s, and the Porongurup area once supported several timber mills.

1913- the local community erected Porongurup Hall for £110, and it was initially used as a school for the growing district.

1920s-Bolganup Homestead and Karribank opened as guest houses and the Porongurup Cricket team was established 

1923-Porongurup Hall Extension

1924-Porongurup School closed

1925-Porongurup Range was entered as a reserve in the state system, with plans to consider it a national park

1926-Porongurup Range gazetted as a National Park

Porongurup NP is part of an internationally recognised ‘biodiversity hotspot’ in the south-west region of WA. It also has one of the richest varieties of plants in Australia with more than 700 native species within the park’s 2,621 hectares, with its diverse wildlife, tall karri and open jarrah forests, and massive granite domes.

Porongurup NP is also significant for a number of invertebrates linked to the Gondwanan supercontinent, which broke apart some 150 million years ago.

Isolated several times by higher sea levels, most recently around 55 million years ago, the cool mountain gullies within Porongurup NP serve as a haven for insects, primitive spiders and land snails more closely related to invertebrate species found in mountainous areas of eastern Australia or on other Gondwanan continents such as South Africa, than to the drier, low-lying areas surrounding the range.

Examples of plant groups which contribute to this outstanding richness include flame-peas (Chorizema), rice flowers (Pimelea), native myrtles (Myrtaceae), kangaroo paws (Haemodorales) and banksias (Proteales).

In 2009 Porongurup became Heritage Listed.

Some of the location names for consideration today are Gaalgegup, Marmabup Rock and Wansborough.

We drove through parts of the Porongurup NP and stopped occasionally to take some photos or investigate a possible sighting of a new flower. The gravel road we travelled was in good nick and it went up the hills and down the valleys. We reached 389 metres above sea level (masl) at one stage. We saw some kangaroos who kindly stayed put until I could take their photos.

We then decided to drive slowly along the Wansborough Walk/Drive and see if there was anything to attract our attention. It is a very narrow track and when we got to the end of it Russ had to do an 8 point turn to get us back in the right direction.

We meandered around other parts and got some photos before it was time to head back to the caravan park and some washing.

It made it to 21 degrees at 2pm. Overall, it was a very pleasant day. We have new neighbours after we got back, and they are also from Victoria. We haven’t spoken to them as yet as they went inside their van once they had set up. However, we did swear a bit as they have a dog who likes to bark. Let’s see how well-behaved he/she is overnight and in the morning.

As usually happens when you don’t have to get up early, you wake up early anyway. At least this way we could take our time this morning and head out later.

It is another beautiful sunny day and I am again, wearing a short-sleeved shirt.

While in the park at Mt Barker I have been watching a wattlebird attack a crow. This has been happening continuously through the last couple of days. The wattlebird is giving the crows plenty of curry.

At 10:52am when we left Mt Barker the temperature was already sitting on 19 degrees. The speedometer has reached 175,423 kilometres on the clock so far.

We had a lovely drive through the bushland. On one side is the beginning of the Stirling Ranges National Park, and on the other side is the Porongurup National Park – entrance is directly opposite the caravan park.

Patrick stopped what he was doing and booked us in before showing us where we would call home for the next seven days. It is a lovely spot. There are other people in the park, but we are not crammed up all in the same area.

We are surrounded by native bushland and a lush garden. Patrick mentioned that he and his wife bought the place when they retired. He said it was in a very run-down condition, and they have been working hard to bring it back to the lovely place it could be. Let me just say, it is probably almost there.

Patrick and Magali are both gardeners, and the place is a credit to their gardening skills. For the first time ever, I saw some yellow liliums. I have both white and pink ones at home.

Once we had set up it was time to attack the diary entries, and after that there are more photos waiting to be tamed.

We awoke to a beautiful spring day with the sun shining in a clear blue sky. After my shower I took my washing of towels and clothes and hung them on the clothesline.

We went to the IGA Mt Barker Co-op to do a minor shop before we headed to Porongurup for the next week.

I said to Russ if he wanted to get some pies before we move on then we should do it now. He said, “No, tomorrow will be fine.” I replied, “tomorrow is Saturday and we move to Porongurup.” He said, “It can’t be. I have lost a whole day.”

And that explains why he didn’t ring mum on Thursday as he normally does. He immediately rang mum and left a message for her. Then he went to the Country Bakery and bought 4 Ned Kelly pies for the freezer.

We returned to the park with the groceries before heading out to the Wamballup Nature Reserve. I had the route on my phone, and we came to one of those road turnings that I always get wrong. To prove what he said Russ took a turn down the road I would have chosen.

It turned out to be a good thing as we found Spider Orchids, the first Red Leschenaultia for this trip (I love this little flower). Lots of tassel flowers and more very hungry mozzies!! Thank goodness for Pain-away.

Today is the first day I have worn short sleeves without a thermal top. I still have my thermal leggings on as my legs get cold much sooner than the rest of me.

We have a couple of location names for consideration – Ngoongarrup Swamp and Mt Barker’s Noongar name which is Pwakkenbak.

After we had walked a fair way on the wrong road, Russ turned around and we headed back to where we had originally been going. We found some more spider orchids, but it gets to the stage where I do not know enough to make a correct identification of them all. I can say that they were different to what had come previously.

At 1pm the temperature was sitting very nicely on 18 degrees.

We then headed south of Mt Barker to O’Niell’s Road Reserve. The flowers there were not a plentiful as Wamballup. The bushland here was very dense and could probably do with a planned burn to help it along.

While investigating a flower I accidentally stood on an ant’s nest. I jumped away very quickly as soon as I slipped a bit in the looser soil. It was lucky I did because they were the biggest ants I have ever seen. Even Russ exclaimed at their size. I jumped back into the car and left them in a proper tizz as they couldn’t find the culprit.

At 2pm the temperature had risen to 20 degrees.

We had seen enough and couldn’t get into the bush, so we turned around and headed back to the van. Mum rang just after we had pulled up.

After a much-deserved cuppa I swept and washed the floors, then edited more photos.

I had stopped at the office as we came into the caravan park and requested the possibility of a late checkout tomorrow morning. The young guy I spoke with said it would be fine. I didn’t think it would have been a problem as more than half of the occupants of the park had already left.

It rained twice during the night, but this morning the sun is shining in a cloudy sky.

While I showered Russ had a call from Dr Tess Burton, the chiropractor at Mt Barker, who said that she would be happy to see both of us this afternoon at 2:20pm, instead of me having to wait until next week to see her. Russ agreed we could do this and thanked her for her consideration.

Today, we are driving around different sections of town to check out some spots on the self-guided Wildflower Trail. We also have to pick yup some milk at the IGA.

We found the Mount Barker Country Bakery. Boy, this place stands out as a premier destination for food enthusiasts in Mount Barker. It is renowned for its exceptional selection of pies and pastries as the bakery offers a delightful array that captures the hearts of all visitors.

Customer reviews highlight favourites such as the chicken mushroom truffle pie, honey beef pie, and the crowd-favourite lobster pie. Each dish is crafted with fresh ingredients to provide an unforgettable taste experience.

The warm atmosphere combined with friendly service enhances every visit, making it clear why many consider this bakery a must-stop on their journeys through WA.

The extensive menu also features sausage rolls, sweet delights and various breads, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

Some of the pies available are

Chicken Mushroom Truffle Pie: A rich blend of tender chicken mixed with earthy mushrooms and aromatic truffles wrapped in flaky pastry;

Honey Beef Pie: A delicious combination of slow-cooked beef infused with sweet honey flavours.

Lobster Pie: Seafood lovers relish this luxurious filling featuring succulent lobster chunks enveloped in creamy sauce.

Pork Jalapeno Pie: A perfect balance of spicy jalapenos paired with savory pork, creating an exciting flavour profile.

Creamy Mushroom Steak Pie: This indulgent treat features tender steak cooked in a velvety mushroom sauce encased in golden pastry.

Russ got himself a Ned Kelly pie which has egg, cheese, steak and bacon and didn’t stop raving about how delicious it was. I went for my usual donut with cream and jam – they didn’t have any with custard.

The shop is a very large rectangle. At the longest side is the counter and it has to be the most incredible bakery I have ever been in. Truly, the variety of pies and desserts has to be seen to be believed. This place holds several awards from the Great Australian Pie competition.

Last year they took out the awards for the best in the country — and that’s official.

Their beef bourguignon entry topped the judging in the Official Great Aussie Pie competition and, if meat is not your thing, its roasted cauliflower with black truffle provo cheese sauce was also a winner, taking the vegetarian-vegan section and coming second overall.

Also tasty was their Sri Lankan chilli crab pie, which was runner-up in the seafood gourmet section.

We were a tad disappointed with the places we checked out for wildflowers but can’t complain as we have had so many wonderful discoveries. We did find the Tinsel Lily for the first time this trip which was good.

After that stop at the Mondurup Reserve we headed up to the Mt Barker tower. There is a lovely walk around the reserve there, but this year there was not much to see in the flower range. The view of the surrounding country was very good though. This is one of the few places where there are no trees growing in front of the lookout spot.

On the way back down to Mt Barker we came across a lot of escaped garden flowers growing along the side of the road. Most of them were South African varieties that are now becoming a pest in WA. We found the Ixia (gorgeous flowers) and the white and pink Corn Lilies.

We then headed over to see Dr Tess but as we were very early we sat in the car and I read some Cat Among Dragons until it was time to head inside.

Tess was lovely and is a good chiropractor. We have both benefited from our adjustment. At the moment both my knees are good, but I don’t think they can decide which one will require some support first. I can easily live with that.

When we returned to the caravan I went across and washed the towels and clothes but as it was late in the afternoon I brought them back into the van until tomorrow morning.

Today we decided would be a lazy day. It rained heavily overnight, but the sun was shining when we woke up. The wind is very cold.

We have really pushed ourselves over the last two days. Cranbrook is the furthest point we will travel after Frankland while we are in Mt Barker.

I read this morning that the temperature in Mildura will reach 29 degrees today and both Brett and Jeannie have informed me they are wearing tee shirts.

I changed the sheets and did them and the clothes. I even got them dry after putting them on the line so that was an unexpected bonus.

Then I started on the photos.

It’s not raining this morning – yet!! However, it is still very overcast so we will have to wait and see.

The dump point here is very old and made up of two concrete laundry troughs – one on top of the other so a good height – but has a very smell hole to pour stuff down and the overflow blocks the air vent. It was not an experience I care to repeat if at all possible.

The rest of the park though has had major changes which are ongoing. There are new owners since the last time we stayed here and the improvements they have made are excellent. Unfortunately, we ended up on one of the few sites where the concrete has not been renewed.

The park is also almost full of lots of families holidaying with their children. There are only a small number of places left for smaller vans.

First stop this morning is the Pharmacy to put Russell’s script in. We will come back and pick them up this afternoon.

At 11am the temperature was sitting at 14 degrees and it was cold.

We made it to Cranbrook by 11:30am. There was a lot of holiday traffic on the highway. We were told the best place here was the Cranbrook Federation Wildflower Trail.

The special ecological value of the Cranbrook area has been long recognised, with local enthusiasts keen to share the beauty and diversity with visitors.

The short wildflower walk is close to town with a flat and accessible walk, making it easy for everyone to experience the local plant diversity.

The predominant trees are wandoo (Eucalyptus wandoo), Rock sheoak (Allocasuarina huegalliana), Dwarf sheoak (Allocasuarina humilis), Flat topped yate (Eucalyptus occidentalis).

There are 450 species of orchid found in this region, with many found at the Cranbrook Wildflower Walk. Most orchids flower between August and November, with September and October being the times of most profuse flowering.

Orchids occur in all kinds of habitat, but around granite outcrops, sheoak woodlands and areas that have been recently burnt are all good spots.

Some of the most common birds you might see are the Scarlet Robin, the Splendid Fairywren, the Western Rosella and the New Holland Honeyeater. The birds were around but we had the wrong lens on our cameras to take advantage of the few sightings we made.

We found some marvellous flowers. We found Posy Starflowers which is a Calytrix, partially opened Lemon-scented orchids, Catspaws (these guys are very colourful in yellows and orange reds), Bee Orchids – small donkey types – White Spider Orchids, Goodenia trinervis (doesn’t have a common name but could be the native flower for Hawthorn even if it is pretty), Tassel Flowers, Rattle Beak orchids, Purple Enamel and pink Enamel orchids.

We missed the actual turn off to the start of the trail (Russ did a Bruce) and Russ found a gravel road (which we discovered afterwards travelled all the way through the walking trail) and we could see many patches of colour from the vehicle. We stopped constantly, exclaiming about this one and that one while we took numerous photos.

At one point we came across a patch of 63 white spider orchids within an area of 2 metres by 5 metres, and we were just gobsmacked.

There was water over the road – twice! And by 3 pm the temperature was up to 18 degrees.

Then we headed to the car park of the actual trail proper and did the 1.7 km walk (which Russ tracked and was 2.7 kms) so by the end we were totally stuffed.

We headed back to the Pharmacy to pick up the script and then collapsed for afternoon tea at the van.

And it stayed fine all day. We decided that we were very lucky to have driven the gravel road first as we saw heaps more flowers there than we got when walking the trail. Overall, it was a magical day.

Now I have yesterday and today’s photo to choose and edit.

What a difference a day makes. Hang on, no it doesn’t!!. Severe thunderstorms raced through just after we went to bed last night. It was so solid a downpour that we thought it was hail.

We woke up to a phone call for Russ regarding Brett’s paperwork so were earlier to rise than normal. We took it slow and lazy for a while, and at this point, the sun was still shining.

When we left for our Wildflower Excursion at 11am, the temperature was sitting on 16 degrees. There was intermittent sunshine with very overcast skies.

We intended to go and put our scripts into the pharmacy, but unfortunately, it is the King’s Birthday long weekend here in WA. The scripts are in the car for tomorrow. That, and school holidays, may explain how full the caravan park is at the moment.

We headed north of Mt Barker and Russ had mapped out a route to take for our completed circle. We didn’t take the turn we were supposed to take and ended up doing the circle anticlockwise instead.

This was a good thing as it turned out. Russ took a slight detour off Martagallup Road when he saw an area with fairly open forest floor, and we found some wonderful flowers. We didn’t realise until much later that we had taken the top road instead of the bottom one.

For the first time ever, we came across Rattle Beak Orchids. We also found some amazing specimen of the White Spider Orchid and some tassel flowers all around the same area. And once you get your eye in and spotting orchids, you find they pop up everywhere you go.

There were also lots of hungry mosquitos who found us delicious. As soon as we got back into the car we took out the Painaway and slathered it on our bites. This stuff does take away the itch. Sometimes you have to put it on two or three times in a short period, but it is worth it.

At 12 noon the temperature was sitting on 19 degrees. We made it to Frankland and found where the wildflower walk commenced first and then headed back into town to have our lunch in the car near the park facilities. This is when it started to rain quite heavily for some time, and then it petered out. While it rained I read some more of the Cat Among Dragons. We are onto the next book.

When we had finished our lunch and the rain stopped again we went back to the wildflower walk. It started to spit straight away so we sat in the car until it stopped.

When we started exploring the area we came across some Rock Isotome, the first of this also for this trip. We also found some more cowslip orchids and a WA lily.

We moved further down the track slowly and came to another spot that looked interesting. We then waited for the misty rain to cease before heading out.

So far along the way we have new location names that boggle the mind – Moonigurrup, Moonrillurup Lake and Teeteenyup Swamp. I swear, you couldn’t make these names up if you tried these days.

At this point we decided it was time to head back to Mt Barker, so we turned onto the Rocky Gully-Frankland Road and headed south for a while, before taking the turn onto Mullawillup Road heading east.

This area would have to be the wettest place around here. There was so much water everywhere you looked, and the fence post wee covered in pale green lichen.

It was on this road that we stopped once more, during a lull in the rain, and took a bit of a walk into the Tootanellup Nature Reserve. We found the prettiest small bushes filled with flowers. Investigation showed that they were the Hibbertia Orange Star Guinea Flower. Such an amazing splash of colour.

Again, it started to rain so we hopped back into the car and continued. We passed Chuturullup and Carabundup Lake, and when you thought it had rained all it could, the heavens opened and it bucketed down almost all the way back to Mt Barker, all the while getting colder. We had the windscreen wipers going full pelt.

We arrived back safely at Mt Barker, and the sun started to shine. I will not hold my breath waiting for it to hang around for very long. However, we are not in charge of the weather, and we have had some great weather up to this point so, in the end, it all evens out.

Mt Barker is interesting. The Mount Barker Region spans from the southern edge of the Stirling Range to the town of Narrikup, out to Rocky Gully and east to the end of the Porongurup National Park.

Also known as the Shire of Plantagenet, the Mount Barker Region is one of the largest local government areas in the south west of WA.

The region includes the towns of Mount Barker, Narrikup, Rocky Gully, Kendenup and Porongurup – each with its own unique character and history.

The Mount Barker Region is also home to the world’s only complete collection of Banksias, some of the richest biodiversity hotspots in the world and the most spectacular mountain trails in WA.

The region also often plays host to internationally renowned wine critics, natural scientists and observers, photographers, hikers and explorers and star gazers. (when it is not raining!)

Throughout the year, Mount Barker hosts a vast array of unique Festivals and Events, including Grapes and Gallops (January), Graze Mount Barker (March), Taste Great Southern Festival (February to April) and Mountains and Murals in November, to name but a few. It also has great representation in the Southern Art and Crafts Trail and the Bloom Festival.

There are a number of historic buildings in the town with the historic Police Station, being built by convict labour – now a museum. This is only open on Saturdays and Sundays at the moment, or for five plus people for a tour by arrangement. We got here on Saturday, didn’t realise it wasn’t open for the rest of the time we are here, so we will miss out on this one.

The Mt Barker Broadcast Tower is owned by what is now known as Broadcast Australia, a private company originally within the Macquarie Bank Ltd Communications Infrastructure Group Fund (MCIG) which was subsequently acquired by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) in 2009.

Once the tallest unsupported structure in the southern hemisphere, the site was opened on June 06, 1966 “to provide the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) Television Services to the area.”

Services broadcast from this site have been expanded over the years since and now include ABC Television, ABC FM Radio, SBS, GWN, WIN and Ten West Television, Hot FM (another radio station) and various telecommunication companies.

There is a town Lookout up there that we will visit. Last time here we found the Butterfly Orchid so will keep our fingers crossed for some good luck again this time.

It has rained heavily on and off all night and through the morning. We eventually went out into the rain and got to the Mt Barker Visitor’s Centre. We picked up several different pamphlets on the drives and wildflowers in the area. This time they appear to be a bit more organised about the wildflower walks and drives.

After that we grabbed milk from the IGA. This IGA is run by the Mt Barker Co-operative, and it is enormous.

The afternoon was used to complete most of the diary entries and finish editing the photos for upload tomorrow.

The sun decided to appear around 4pm and it got quite steamy. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Russ and I discussed the ever-rising price of diesel, and we decided that it would be in our best interest to cut the trip a bit short. We are on a budget and can continue to do some drives if we do not have to pay caravan park fees.

So, the itinerary has changed somewhat. We are no longer going to Lake Grace at all. At Ravensthorpe we are only staying for one week, not the two we had originally planned. And as we have seen a lot of Esperance last time we are cutting our time there from seven days to just four days.

This means that we will get home on 7 November instead of 26 November. Suddenly, the rest of our trip is now down to 54 days left.

We left the caravan park at Walpole at 9:37am and the temperature was a very chilly 13 degrees with more rain showers. Thank you, Walpole. It was a pleasure.

As we had previously travelled the first part of the journey Russ asked me to do some reading, which I was happy to do. Once we got to the new section (for this trip) I stopped reading and we watched for colours in the nature reserves along the way.

By 10am the temperature had dropped to 10 degrees, and we were climbing through the mountain passes on our journey. The rain cleared away for a while after Denmark.

It was a good trip

 And much of the area came back to us as we travelled. We were here four years ago and enjoyed the many national parks and nature reserves in the area. At that time, we were only one of five people staying in the park and it was advertised for sale.

This time when we arrived, the place was chockers. It was noticeable that much work had been carried out after we had left. Apparently, the park sold several months after we left last time.

Our site here is not the best. It is one of the few sites where the concrete has not been replaced already and is falling apart in large chunks. We had to move the van as far back as possible in order to get it on relatively flat area.

When I used the Black Jack to raise the van, the van slipped sideways and I was not impressed. Russ put the stabilisers down immediately and then I was able to raise the van a little and reposition the Black Jack resting brick in a better and safer position.

I visited the laundry – They have replaced the old machines with new and larger ones. Unfortunately, the user is obviously helping them to pay for the upgrades. One washing machine is $6 a load and the other is $7 a load. The dryer is $6. I will be keeping the laundry down to as little as possible.

We arrived and were set up in good timing for the footy. However, I couldn’t be bothered getting the tv out for just one day, so I chose to listen to the game on the radio. I did a lot of swearing in my mind when the Lions jumped ahead in the last few minutes of the last quarter. Greedy so and so’s.

Jeannie told me she got a message from Stef saying a parcel she had been sent had arrived. Therefore, Jeannie went out to the front door to check and found Stef and family waiting for her. A very big and delightful surprise.

Jeannie went back to the Mildura Resort where they are staying for the weekend and was able to watch the GF with Stef and family. The plan is for them to return to Melbourne on Monday so that Laila can have her birthday on Tuesday with her friends.

We went out into the rain and got Chinese for tea. Russ has been looking forward to this for the whole week. They are still the same as they were last time we were here.