Another amazing white beach?



Shell Beach - Sharks Bay, World Heritage Area, W.A.

 oh it looks like it could be... but no... it is actually made up of millions and billions of tiny white cockle shells!



Cockle Shells, Shell Beach, W.A.





Clear water over cockle shells, Shell Beach, W.A.



How life on earth began

Stromatolites are examples of how planet earth became oxygenated billions of years ago. These life forms raised the oxygen level of the atmosphere to 20% which allowed life on land to begin. Such simple creatures, all they ask for is extra saline waters that are still and shallow. It takes a whole year to grow a whopping .5 mm. That is incredibly slow! Here are some pics from Hamelin Pool at the southern end of Sharks Bay - a world heritage site.

Stromatolites - Hamelin Pool, Sharks Bay World Heritage Area



Stromatolites - Hamelin Pool, Sharks Bay - World Heritage Area

 

School of fish - Hamelin Pool, Sharks Bay, W.A.



A long fish chasing the school - Hamelin Pool, Sharks Bay, W.A.

Kalbarri - The winter destination!

So with hot glaring sunshine we arrived north of Geraldton in Kalbarri (pop. ~ 2000). This sleepy town is located along the Murchinson River as it meets the wild and powerful Indian Ocean. Other than not being able to locate a decent swimming beach today, we loved the quiet evening as it cooled down to a nice warm still evening as we listen to the 4 meter/12 foot swell crash into the reef protecting the river inlet. Watching the sunset over the inlet.



Town Beach - Kalbarri, W.A.

The town is surrounded by Kalbarri National Park where red, red rock has been eroded by the river creating 'a true old-school Australian river' as my hubby puts it. Crystal blue waters deep inside the gorge winds its way through what otherwise is a stark, bland landscape.


Hawks Head - Kalbarri NP, W.A.

I am still trying to picture what it was like in this harsh place for the early settlers and pioneers of this land. It's all fine and good to travel along in our comfy air-conditioned car at 110k's/hour (70mph) for half a day, pull over and find a nice air-conditioned hotel almost always with a swimming pool to knock the edge off the day after sitting in the car. To walk into a pub, order a substantial meal and sip on an ice-cold drink whilst waiting for the food to arrive... But to travel across this land and have to survive... Just to find fresh water would have been such a struggle. But to then work or travel through the soaring heat with no shade to be found for miles and miles around. Why would you persist? How would you survive? These people did not have near the conveniences we have today. Landmarks. They are very subtle, and few and far between.

We all know Matt would get lost in a five street town if he had to go to a store across town and back on his own (with a GPS mind you). But I'm struggling to find telling signs that I would normally navigate by. Nearing the 26 _Degree_ parallel, when the sun is high overhead... it is literally overhead. Near mid-day I can't tell which way is north - except in towns where there are trees. It seems all the trees slightly lean to the north east. Must be the prevailing winds.

Now even after my 5 years here in Australia, I still have moments, very occasionally, where I forget that the sun is in the northern sky rather than the southern. This is one of the challenges of changing hemispheres. But, I really am looking for something to help me direct my internal compass. Please, anyone who has some suggestions... please tell me what to look for!

Geologist loves himself some rocks!

In the coastal part of Kalbarri National Park, hubby got really excited about some serious examples of Geology.

The scientist inspects the Geology at Pot Alley, Kalbarri NP. W.A.

This is what he is inspecting. A layer of conglomerate pebbles/gravel deposited by a large inland storm which was quickly covered up by another layer of red sand.

Fascinating layers in the cliff side!



Pot Alley - Kalbarri NP, W.A.

All this exciting Geology is found in a gully which leads to this secluded beach.


Pot Alley - Kalbarri NP, W.A.

A Dog to Remember

Now just quickly, we followed this flatbed truck for at least a half hour. The dog pictured here would look through the cab as he is doing here and spy on coming traffic. Then, he would duck down low facing the oncoming lane of traffic out of sight behind the cab. Then jump up and bark at the passing car. Immediately return to watching for more oncoming traffic. We wondered what would happen when we finally passed the truck but he didn't give a stuff about us... only the oncoming cars.


Entertaining Himself on the Indian Ocean Drive



So glad we packed long underwear...

Because after sunset, with a gentle sea breeze, its a lovely 30° C/ 86° F.

Nice!

A new type of nothing.

Heading north from Perth, within an hour of the city center, we found ourselves enveloped in a new type of nothing. Low salt scrub, mounds of white sand dunes and rolling hills as far as the eye can see is all there is.

You can understand why people are drawn to the south of Perth and why the towns to the north are so much smaller and spread out. Besides surf, fishing, and apparently sand surfing, there is a whole lot of nothing going on up here.

The dunes are fascinating. The ones nearest the road were signed to keep off for re-vegitation so we didn't get a close look until we rolled in to the bustling town of Geraldton (pop. ~ 35,000). From a distance, they look amazing and there are so many if them, I just couldn't understand how they have come to be... Tons upon tons of sand piled up and then sculpted by the winds and rain.

A couple of hours out of Perth we came along to Nambung National Park, which features the Pinnacles. These limestone formations are yet unexplained by the experts. Mind you there are a few theories but most fascinating to me, is the aboriginal story about the pinnacles being the fingers of naughty kids who sank into the sand reaching up to try and pull themselves out after disobeying their elders.

Geraldton is an interesting town. Spread out along the coast it is a major port for the exporting of live rock lobster, cultured pearls and lime. Not a tourist destination there only appeared to be 3 motels in the area so we were lucky to grab a room for a few nights at the Best Western. We didn't camp because we had a very important football game to watch in the middle of the day on Anzac Day.

The morning of Anzac day, we went up to the HMS Sydney memorial which was lost during WWII along with 645 crew. Very well done. And with the town's Anzac ceremony going on in the town center below we could hear the bugle taps playing as we absorbed the story etched in granite around the memorial.

After the game (1 point win to the Pies for you folks back in the states!), we headed off to the dunes south of town for a little play time!

Stopping to watch the footy...

...took some time out of our day. So, we only made it to Mandurah. After a quick stop over and an Irish pub meal, we've finally made it to Perth.


Kings Park - Perth, W.A.

Staying in a caravan park in Fremantle, we are close to the beach and with easy access to central Perth. With a short drive today, we were able to set up camp and then go north to see Matt's old stomping grounds. First stop, a drive by of Matt's unit where he lived back in 1997-1999. This was Maize's first home! Located in the nice, beach side suburb of Scarborough, the unit looks like it is still a rental. Then, a wander past a unit which he bought in 2002 that he turned around and sold in order to move back to Melbourne and go back to school.
On our second day we went shopping for a new swimsuit. Our adventures to the north hold promise of plenty of water based activities! Then, once one was obtained, we went to City Beach to test it. :-)  have no fear, it worked! The waves were aggressive dumping waves a little intimidating for me.


My feet - Indian Ocean, Perth, W.A.

We went no deeper then our knees and just watched with  fascination as the waves came crashing in and some were so strong that they went backwards! Perth is a beautiful city. Very clean and tidy and some MASSIVE houses looking out to the west!

Off to the Gourmet Region of Margaret River!

Once Matt climbed one tree, he became determined to climb all three! Luckily, we had tackled the tallest already. When we got to Pemberton (pop. 800) the weather turned out to be a little bit yuck so we 'took the day off' and hit the vineyards and then I got a massage while Matt worked away on the computer.
We visited two vineyard's. One, Mountford, also made their own ciders. The cider I enjoyed much more than the cab merlot and pinot noir. The next stop was Knights cellar door, distillery and chocolatier. Matt got himself a chunk of rocky road and some truffles, while I sampled the liqueur and schnapps... Including some Kentucky corn moonshine. 37% alcohol. BANG. That'll wake you up! And then knock you down!
Heading west from wet Pemberton, we stopped off at the Gloucester Tree so Matt could get another climb... but it was much too popular only being a few kilometers out of town. After a short walk through the forest hoping for the crowd to dwindle, we gave up and moved on to the Diamond Tree.

Diamond Tree - Pemberton, W.A. 51 meters/167 feet.

Matt in front, we climbed this one together. Matt took a few frightful photos of me as evidence of making to the top.

As you can tell. I am thrilled to be 52 meters/170 ft up in the air!

As we wound our way to the west, we started seeing more and more cattle, sheep and vineyards. The traffic too, became heavier and the little towns became less town like and more city like. We headed south to Augusta to see Cape Leeuwin where the Southern Ocean gives way to the Indian Ocean... well, according to the Aussie maps we have around in the car... Strictly speaking there is a school of thought that the Southern Ocean is only up to the 60 degree south line and that the Indian and Pacific oceans cradle around Australia... I'd like to think that the south coast of Australia is the edge of the Southern Ocean, because that way I have seen 4 of the 5 oceans. In the next few days I hope to actually have placed my feet in 4 of the 5 oceans when the weather cooperates and we get ourselves back to the beach!

We stayed a few nights in the town of Margaret River (pop. ~9000) which divides the land between Cape Leeuwin to the south and Cape Naturaliste to the north. This region was proclaimed in the 70's to be a great grape growing region and has since developed into the gourmet food capital of Australia (competing strongly with Tasmania and I think only winning because of population!). If you aren't a foodie, the best activities include some of the best surf beaches in the world and caving. We visited the big three - Lake, Jewel and Mammoth Caves. They were out of this world and involved plenty of up and down stairs!



Table Top  - Lake Cave, Margaret River, W.A.




Table Top - Lake Cave, Margaret River, W.A.

 We have now headed north, stopping in Busselton to watch the footy at a pub and checkout the mile long Busselton Jetty.


Busselton Jetty - Busselton, W.A.



A camp kitchen

Here's our set up. Thanks Peter for letting us borrow his two burner stove. We've certainly been cooking on it. And when I say we, I mean me!!

Climbing a tree to the worlds best tree house!



Bicentennial Tree - Pemberton, W.A.



So we did it!! No, wait. I did it... then Matt felt obligated to not be beaten by a girl!! (a girl, who by the way, is a teeny bit skittish about heights... and when I say skittish I mean shite-scared!) :) About ten days ago, a few days into our trip - somewhere in the middle of the Nullarbor, Matt started talking about these fire look-out trees in the west that have dodgy looking pegs on which you can can climb 50-75 meters up into the tree tops. These trees were, and in some cases still are, key fire lookout towers that are climbed daily during the fire season by experts who then report any smoke spotted for further investigation or to engage the fire management plans. These Karri trees are tall. As you've seen in the previous post from the Walpole region...



Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.

And luckily, the pegs are are strong! 130 pegs wind their way up the tree like a spiral staircase. There is a landing about 30 meters up which has a warning that indicates that the climb so far 'was the easy bit'. And sure enough, the pegs get a little bit narrower and the slope a little bit steeper...

Example of the pegs - Fire look-out tree W.A.

My shoulder hugging the tree all the way up... I surprised myself (and Matt) by making it all the way.


Starting the climb - Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.



Nearing the top of Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.

The five platforms at the top of the tree are separated by ladders - which are the wobbliest part of the whole climb! 

Making my way through the platforms, Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.

Matt then had to man-up and make the climb. Apparently, last time he attempted to make the climb he gave up only 12 or 15 pegs up. About where he is in this photo!


Matt starting his climb - Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.



Matt at the first platform - They tell you it gets steeper and narrower from here! Bicentennial Tree, Pemberton, W.A.



Matt nearly to the top of the Bicentennial Tree - Pemberton, W.A.



Matt at the top of Bicentennial Tree - Pemberton, W.A.

Now, there isn't a photo of me at the top... not because I didn't make it but because the photographer, ahem, couldn't 'see me'. But I did make it up there! I promise!

Walpole and some really, REALLY, tall, old trees

We spent a Sunday (15th of April) driving around the Wapole - Nornalup region (pop. 450) exploring the tallest trees in Western Australia learning about the Karri Tree, the Red Tingle, Yellow Tingle and Rate Tingle trees and why they are so isolated to this region of Australia. We also learned some more about Godwanna (what the continent was called when Australia was still connected to Antarctica, India and South America. The little bits of information gathered from signs here and there about the prehistoric creatures that roamed this vast and tropical land was fascinating. The areas land managers have done a great job of making the information accessible, timely and interesting. An experience to do whilst in the area is the Tree Top Walk in the Valley of the Giants. This network of ramps and bridges takes you up to forty meters to walk amongst the tree tops of the giant Karri trees.

Valley of the Giants - Tree Top Walk - Wapole, W.A.

We then climbed to the top of Mount Frankland which was a lovely 300 steep steps to the top and well worth the hike. We could see in the north east distance the Porongurups and the Stirling Ranges which we had just come from. And as we returned to the car park, we realised we had the whole mountain to ourselves and also a chance to give some perspective on the size of these trees.


Karri Tree - Mount Frankland , Walpole W.A.

The Coalmine Beach caravan park just outside of 'town' was a great set up and we had some pretty serious rain, but the tent remained true and dry still. Unfortunately there was a large group of families that were all staying that the same campground and surrounded us with their very rowdy and early rising kids! None the less, we had a Kanga that supervised the tent raising activities and a few Kookaburras that waited patiently for our departure so they could scavenge for scraps. Can you spot one in the tree below?



Kookaburra, Coalmine Beach Caravan Park, Walpole, W.A.

On leaving Walpole, we stumbled upon Mandalay Beach about a half hour out of town. A single surfer (and his spotter) a pair of fishermen was all that shared this vast beach with us. We climbed around on the rocks and noted that this sand was some of the softest we had come across to date. Here are my footprints!

Footprints - Mandalay Beach , Walpole, W.A.



Fantastic Albany!

What a fabulous little town you have been to us! Three nights, I dare say is the minimum... Wish we could have stayed longer to explore more of your incredible beaches and the local 'ranges'. Just a short drive to the north east from Albany takes you to the Stirling Ranges which is conserved in a sprawling national park. This park is filled with ancient quartzite and quartzofeld spathic schist (say that ten times fast, I dare you!) that is now covered with a layer of native brush that stands about 2 meters high and is consistent thickness and height for all of the ranges. Only on great slabs of open rock are you able to see beyond the brush and catch glimpses of the view as we climbed up Mount Talyuberup. This was a very steep and rocky climb up to the top. We didn't quite make it to the top as it was getting quite warm and going down looked a little bit crazy. Some of us have a dodgy knee that doesn't like going downhill very much!

Mount Talyuberup

 We moved on to the Central lookout and looked back at Mount Talyuberup. It was apparent from this distance just how steep the slope was. From central lookout we could also see the Porongurup Ranges to the south which was our next destination.

View of the Stirling Ranges from Central Lookout

After hours of driving on rough corrugated (washboard) roads, we were thankful to discover most of the Porongurup main road was bitumen (paved).



We finally made it to the one place that Matt has been talking about for at least a week. He simply couldn't wait to get to Castle Rock. After our earlier hike and my interrupted nap in the car, I was pretty knackered (exhausted) and had trouble convincing my legs and leaded feet to move very quickly. Matt however, on his extreme adrenaline rush of excitement was nearly running up the 2 km (1.25 mi) hill. As we approached the end of the trail, there was a great balancing rock. It is MASSIVE! And, appeared ready to topple down the mountain side any moment!



Balancing Rock - Porongurup National Park, W.A.

We then ducked between two giant granite boulders towering above us to discover a sign that offered a simple stroll to check out the view or a scramble over and under some boulders to a higher view point. We of course, did both! 



After the Climb to the top of Castle Rock (behind me) - Porongurup NP, W.A.



Now, I am not really a fan of heights. In fact, I struggle to hang out on Level 39 of my building day in and day out at work. I can look out the window just fine... I just don't do well if I have to look DOWN from the window. So, I was a little bit cautious making my way on the suspended cat walk. But did it all the same!

Castle Rock - Porongurup NP, W.A.

We have now twisted and turned our way to just outside of Wapole. (Population 2800) and are camping at Coalmine Beach for a couple of nights. Tomorrow might be a beach day. If we get an early start we are hoping to catch some great photo opportunities at Green Pools in William Bay National Park. Our other destination whilst here is the Valley of the Giants where some of the tallest and oldest trees around. I will test my height issues one more time it seems. Though this time, Matt has committed to a life long chore of doing dishes and cooking dinners if I climb to the top of one of the fire lookout trees!

Photos of the Wildlife

So to date, we have had glimpses of Kangaroo, Wallaby's, Emu's along with several birds of flight that I have not figured out the names of and even a Dingo. Most of these creatures, as you can well imagine are a little bit camera shy. But we managed to snap a few photos so far, here they are...



Fraser Range, W.A. - Emu



Lucky Bay - Cape Le Grand, W.A. - Runaway Monitor

Now, the wallaby's at Lucky Bay are quite friendly with the humans. These two that were waiting for us on the steps back to the car park after checking out a little monument for Matthew Flinders the explorer couldn't have given a rats' tail about us being surprised by them.

Lucky Bay - Cape Le Grand NP , W.A. - Wallaby's



Lucky Bay - Cape Le Grand NP, W.A. - Cheeky Wallaby checking out the esky (cooler)





Fitzgerald River NP, W.A. - Monitor Lizard

Today we saw some dolphins. I'll try to post their video sometime soon. The upload speed hasn't been to great and we either need to cut down the video or go somewhere with a line connection.