Charming Fremantle and Perth

We planned on a brief visit to Perth, and could easily have stayed a month.  The main reason for our calling was to get some new springs fitted to Rocky, to hopefully get a bit more space between us and the rocks we had been scraping over.  Plans were thrown into disarray when a freight train derailed near Tarcoola in South Australia, and it seemed our replacement springs were in one of the 18 carriages that had become a semi-permanent feature of the South Australia landscape.

In a way it was a blessing in disguise - even if it didn't seem like it at the time.

Fremantle

One of my favourite cities in Australia would have to be Fremantle.  I had many fond memories of hanging about here in my youth - and whilst some things had changed - many of the best were refreshingly unchanged.  Unfortunately it was me that was a little older and wiser - so we didn't spend the day at the Sail and Anchor, or Little Creatures, or even the Norfolk...  No, it was off to the playground for us.

I never thought my first stop on a return to Fremantle would be the playground!

Be that as it may, it was fantastic to wander around the city with no real timetable.  We found our way to the Visitor Information Centre, and armed with a map with all the things to see and do, we decided to pick just a few to visit.  The first on our list was The Round House.  Formerly a gaol, and a maritime signalling station, it is Western Australia's oldest public building.  The stocks were popular with the kids - but it is probably a good thing I didn't have any rotten tomatos in my pocket when Mum had a go...

They could have charged by the hour for babysiting!

Margaret River - would you believe it's not all about the wine...

Margaret River is synonymous with wine, delicious wine, and we came expecting to enjoy a bit of grown up time exploring the wineries.  We hadn't factored on there being so much to do, that it took us four days to visit our first winery!

This is a fantastic region to visit with a family, that seems to undergoing burgeoning growth.  The old favourites are still here, but in the 12 years or so since my last visit here, many new ventures have started, bringing new activities, tastes and even fashions to the area.

We camped at Contos Campground, just near the stunning Lake Cave.  There are some 300 steps to descend into the cave, and a new addition is a suspended deck over the collapsed cave roof.  It was a little unnerving stepping onto the clear observation points in the deck - but for some crazy reason we all ended up on the deck and took this amusing selfie.

On the suspended deck.... The cave is some 300 steps below us!

Lake Cave's show-piece is the magnificent suspended column - one of only two known in the world, and the only one open to the public.  Whilst the cave is beautiful, I felt sure the water level of the lake had dropped since my last visit.  The guide confessed that all the caves in the Margaret River region have dried up, and they lined the bottom of this lake with plastic to ensure it didn't dry out too.  Of course no one really knows why - but the huge number of massive dams supporting the grape industry (and don't forget the aesthetics of a nice big dam) must surely have something to do with it.

With the giant trees at Pemberton

The South West of WA is famous for its trees, and one in particular seems to have captured the imagination like no other.  The Karri tree (eucalyptus diversicolor) is well named, as its smooth bark ranges from grey to salmon pink in colour.  Felled in huge numbers in the early 1900's, largely to provide sleepers for the Trans-Australia railway, some reserves were gazetted to ensure the survival of these magnificent trees,  Over time these reserves have been turned into National Park, and whilst the timber mill at Pemberton is still processing Karri timber, it is managed much more sustainably than ever before.

The best way to get up close to these trees is to take a climb to the top. Originally built as fire observation posts, today these trees are big tourist drawcards, so much so that in 1988 a new tree was 'pegged' allowing a birds eye view of the surrounding forest.

Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree

Be us fools or worse, we put it to the vote as to which tree we would attempt to climb.  Of course we had to go to the tallest tree - the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree - to test our mettle.

Having climbed the nearby Gloucester tree last time I was in the West, I knew what I was in for, but I think the rest of the family had a few moments of contemplation when they saw what lay ahead of us.  A 65 metre vertical climb on steel pegs, screwed into the trunk of the tree.  There is no safety harness of any sort - you just hang on and take care.  After all, it would be silly to let go.

Yes - this is one tall tree, but there is a little rest platform about 15 metres off the ground, and we all made it there for a pause and a chance to rethink the next stage.  

The magical South West - Denmark and Walpole reveal many wonderful things to see and do

With the Little Fisherman nursing his sore knee, we found ourselves suddenly far more restrained in our choice of activities - a salient reminder to us how important our health is.  Unfortunately touring wineries and other gourmet delights doesn't interest the little people, or else it could have been a real blessing in disguise.  Mum did take the opportunity to indulge a little, so we all were hauled to the Mount Romance Sandalwood Factory, and the Bushfoods Cafe near Denmark.  Just quietly we all enjoyed ourselves - especially the delicious cakes at the Bushfoods Cafe!

We made camp at Parry's Beach, between Albany and Walpole.  A delightful bush camp with good amenities and reasonable prices, we settled in and decided to base camp here for a few nights whilst taking the chance to explore the area.

Valley of the Giants 

Our first activity was to check out the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk.  This easy walk takes you 40 metres above the forest floor into the canopy of the giant Tingle Trees.  These trees are found no where else on earth, and are a prehistoric tree from Gondwanan times.  Their simple root structure is susceptible to damage from compaction, hence the development of this novel way to see the trees.  The whole 600 metre walk only takes up about 4 square metres of space on the forest floor and is an engineering and architectural marvel.  This walk recently celebrated its 3 millionth visitor since opening in 1998.

On the Tree Top Walk among the ancient Tingle and Karri Trees

The Tingle Tree is one of the most iconic in Western Australia as it grows to massive sizes.  Its shallow roots and structure mean that bush-fires often hollow out the internal heartwood of the tree, creating large openings that are big enough to fit a car in.  Many families used to holiday in this area and take photos of their car inside the trees - which unfortunately led to the early death of some of the trees.  Thankfully the practice has stopped, but you can still get a photo with a special car inside a special tree!

Exploring near Albany

We initially planned to make ground west and camp somewhere near Bremer Bay, but the weather forecast looked ominous and our planned camp was a 4wd dry weather only option.  We ducked into the Fitzgerald River National Park to check it out as we drove past. The state of the roads with deep ruts in sections indicated that if it did rain, we would become semi permanent residents of the area, so we pushed on.

With Salmon season in full swing, there wasn't much left in any of the camp grounds on the coast, so we bit the bullet, and booked into a caravan park near Albany. We chose one on the southern shores of Princess Royal Harbour, and prepared for the wet - the first real wet in three months we were told.

Albany has so many things to see and do, however all our plans were thrown into disarray when the little helper tripped over on his way back to the camper. He was running at full tilt when he went over, and grazed elbows, hands and knees. A quick inspection revealed all was not well with one knee, so off we went to Albany Hospital.  After cleaning enough gravel out of the knee to pave a new path, and putting in three stitches, we were finally allowed back home.  The Little Fisherman would be out of action for a while - and our plans needed a bit of adjustment.

We decided to have an easy morning, and in the afternoon decided to visit the nearby Whale World.  The sight of Australia's last whaling station, shut down in the 1978, it presents a balanced and sombre reflection on whaling.  Thankfully the week we visited, the International Court of Justice ruled that Japan must immediately stop its whaling program in the Antarctic.  Whilst whaling hasn't stopped worldwide, this is surely a win for these beautiful and magnificent mammals.

The boys stand near the skeleton of a pygmy blue whale that died near Albany