All the way to WA - Karri tree country

August 04, 2023

Day 12, August 4, 2023

I was up and out for a walk this morning, something I find essential before spending extended time in the car. I found my way to the River Walk which started at the end of our street and was a pretty 2.2 km loop down one side of the river, across the weir and back along the other side to a foot bridge.

The path was muddy in parts, but there were lovely seats for sitting and contemplating, some of which were on decks which overhung the river. The river was full and very fast flowing and the peace of the early morning bush was broken only by the sound of running water, especially near the weir. It was only when I got down to the footbridge on the other side, that I realised this was actually the parkrun course. And a very nice course it would be to run too, although a bit more like a trail run in parts. Unfortunately, we won’t be here for parkrun tomorrow, but we have identified one we can do.

I ran into Wallsy as I was reaching the end of my walk, so I turned around and did it in reverse to keep him company. We returned to the Airbnb in plenty of time for breakfast and to then pack the bags, load the car and hit the road.

We took the more scenic Caves Road through the Karri and Marri forests at Boranup, where we stopped briefly to soak up the silence and grandeur of the giant trees and lush undergrowth. We spied a couple of emus as we wandered and narrowly missed a falling branch dropped by a dead tree. Much of the forest has unfortunately been damaged in the forest fires of December 2021. It does appear that the Karri trees fared better than the Marri’s did in the fires.

Back in the car we drove on to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse where it was a grey and windy day, and the sea, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, was quite choppy. Following morning tea, or in this case, morning coffee, everyone bought tickets for the lighthouse tour and set off. I stayed behind, having visited back in 2017, and browsed the gift shop, then sat and enjoyed watching the churning ocean as it entered Flinders Bay. I had a great view of the lighthouse, the tallest on mainland Australia, and there was plenty of bird life to watch too.

When the wind-blown wanderers returned, having learnt all there was to learn about the lighthouse and the many lighthouse keepers who had occupied the cottages at its base, over the years, we piled back in the ‘bus’ and drove around Flinders Bay to the township of Augusta where we found a great café for lunch overlooking the Blackwood River.

Appetites fully satisfied yet again, we were soon back on the road and on the way to tonight’s accommodation in Pemberton. We explored the Beedelup Falls via the swing bridge and a well-made walking trail, part of the Bibbulmun Track which extends 950 km from Perth to Albany. That might be a little ambitious for me, as much as I love hiking, however, I have purchased the guidebook for the magnificent Cape to Cape walk from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste, and it is now firmly on my list of hikes to complete (at only 125 km, it feels much more achievable than Bibbulmun!)

We arrived at the Karri Forest Motel by 5 pm and after settling into our rooms, went out in search of dinner. Our choice was the imposing and very grand Pemberton Hotel, where we enjoyed a delicious meal of tender chicken breast and a bowl of vegetables. I do miss my vegetables when I’m travelling, so it was nice to be able to choose a meat which included some tonight.

We are off to bed early, so we can get up and travel to parkrun in the morning.