Pemberton and the Southern Forest Area

From Augusta, we travelled along the Brockman Highway towards Bridgetown and decided to stay the night in a Rest Area / Nature Reserve called Jarrah Park. This was a real bush setting and very quite and peaceful as we were the only ones there. We still set up the satellite dish and were able to watch all our Austar channels.

Bush Camp at Jarrah Park - Bridgetown

There had been a fair bit of rain and noticed the Blackwood River in partial flood as we drove along it. The river has a number of tributaries which is probably why it carries a lot of water.

Blackwood River in Partial Flood

View from Top of Gloucester Tree

In recent years, Pemberton has become a popular adventure and wellbeing destination. However, the main attraction is still the forest areas and the towering Karri trees. There are many national parks near Pemberton and the Gloucester National Park is one of these. The main attraction here is the Gloucester Tree which is a huge karri tree and can be climbed. I managed the ascent to the lookout at the top, about 60 meters above ground. The tree itself is about 72 metres tall and is used as a fire lookout. There are 153 spikes that spiral the tree up to the steel lookout and a magnificent view.

Looking Down from the Gloucester Tree

The climb is not for everyone as its reasonably strenuous and there are no safety devices and a long way down. Apparently only 1 in 5 people who start the climb actually make it to the top.It's a bit hard on the hands as the rungs are actually 20mm steel reinforcing bar and gloves would be handy for people (like me) with soft hands.

Spillway at Big Brook Dam - Pemberto

The Big Brook Dam is also a popular spot for tourists and leisure seekers. Its located on the Karri Forrest Explorer Trail. It would be more popular in summer when the weather is warm as it  has a sandy beach and clear crisp water and ideal for swimming and water sports.

Big Karri Tree in Warren National Park

This is one of the biggest karri trees in the area. These native trees are unique to the southwest region of Western Australia and belong to the family Myrtaceae. The name 'karri' is the Aboriginal word for the Eucalyptus Diversicolor. The tree can grow up to 80m, has smooth pink to silvery-grey bark and a straight trunk with heartwood of reddish brown. The bark of the karri sheds each year, resulting in a multi-coloured trunk. Karri trees, like jarrah trees, begin their old growth phase at the ages of 100-150 years and survive to on average of 300 years old. The majority of old growth karri trees found in Western Australia are up to 200 years old.

Cascades at Pemberton

There are many walks that can be taken for all capabilities in the area. Although we only did a few short ones there are many up to the famous Bibbulmun Track. This track stretches nearly 1000kms from Kalamunda (Perth Hills) to Albany  through the heart of the scenic South West of WA. We did do a short walk into the Cascades, which is a fast flowing body of water in the Gloucester National Par. There are a series of picturesque waterfalls that flow from the Lefroy Brook near Pemberton. The authorities have built a great boardwalk, platforms and facilities in this area which adds to the attraction.

View from Top of Bicentennial Tree

The Bicentennial Tree  in the Warren National Park is a 15 minute drive from the Pemberton township.  This is one of three fire lookout trees open to the public in the Pemberton area.  It was pegged in 1988 as part of Australia's bicentennial celebrations and is 75m tall.

Climbing the Bicentennial Tree

I also climbed this tree and it was a bit tougher than the Gloucester Tree as the platform is a few metres higher. The view from the lookout at the top is also spectacular and well worth the climb.

Cutting Huge Logs at Auswest Saw Mill

The last thing we did in Pemberton was take a tour of the Auswest Timber Mill. This plant is the major employer in the town and has undergone several refurbishments and upgrades to become one of the most modern in the country. There is only one tour per week so we were lucky to be there at the right time. The mill takes mostly karri trees from local forests and cuts them into sections and lengths suitable for the domestic and export markets.

Trimming and Slitting the Karri Slabs

I was impressed at the level of automation of the equipment and skill of the mill operators. Their use of the saw equipment looked so easy but of course they made it look that way. We were told that the operators are very well trained and paid which makes for a harmonious environment and workforce. We were also amazed at the ease at which the saws cut through the green timber - just like a hot knife through butter. It was all in the equipment and the sharpness of the saw blades.

We had two full days in Pemberton before hitting the road again back to the coast and Denmark.

Margaret River to Augusta

Prevelley Park Beach - Near Margaret River

The Margaret River region is located in the south western corner of WA, about 3 hours from Perth. The area is about 138Km long and extends from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin. It comprises a number of quaint towns, a spectacular coastline and a hinterland fringed with karri trees and limestone caves. The town of Margaret River is on the Caves Road about 15Km from the coast. We stayed in a nice park in the township and drove out to Prevelly Park which is also at the mouth of the Margaret River. There are several great beaches in this region and very popular with surfers and swimmers. The town has a number of surf related stores, tour operators and surf schools.

Diane at Fermoy Winery

Whilst in Margaret River, we took a tour of some wineries and other attractions. We had lunch at the Cowaramup Brewery and visited the Fermoy and Evans and Tate wineries. The Fermoy winery is famous for providing the wines for Princess Mary's wedding. The Evans and Tate winery is larger and has recently been taken over by McWilliams, who are in the process of converting a boutique winery to their  style.

Tasting Room at Fermoy

Although the Margaret River region has many other attractions and have a variety of produce, they are known most for their wineries. There are 87 wineries here and almost all of them offer tastings and cellar door sales. The town has a population of about 5 1/2 thousand and has a large number of tourist accommodations, restaurants and tour operators. Tourism is now a major industry here.

Grape Vines at Evans and Tate Winery

In addition to the wineries, there are now 6 boutique breweries in the area. They are mostly small operations but increasing in size and number with beer becoming a legitimate alternative to wine. The traditional custodians of the land are the Wandandi people, who have inhabited the area for tens of thousands of years. There is an Aboriginal Centre in the town where you can learn about their culture.

Margaret River Venison Farm

In addition to the brewery and wineries, our tour also took in a chocolate factory, a cheese factory, an olive farm and a venison farm. This was the first venison farm we had seen and was interesting to see the vast number of products they make from venison.

Pigface Flowers at Venison Farm

Although it was still cool and Spring still a few weeks away, there were many flowers in bloom both in prepared gardens and in the wild. We are still amazed at the number and variety of flowers that just crop up in fields and along side the roadways. Along many of the roads you would think someone had planted shrubs and flowers as they are truly spectacular, even though we were a few weeks early for the best time to see them.

Shoreline near Augusta

From Margaret River, we drove the short distance of 70Km to Augusta which is on the most south-western point of WA. The coastline in this area has a particular type of rock formations that are smooth, round and brownish in colour. They make for beautiful scenery alongside the aqua sea water and when the sun is out.

Augusta Pine Trees at the Mouth of the Blackwood River

There was a nice walk/cycle way from our van park along the shoreline which we took for a pleasant walk. There are a lot of pine trees along the shoreline which reminded us of the coast in parts of southern NSW.

Beautiful and Unique Augusta Shoreline

The Augusta region is one of the most popular and attractive holiday destinations in WA. The region is one of scenic contrasts. The indented coastline blends with spectacular views and the Blackwood River and Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park
combine with the coast to give a landscape that offers much to the visitor. Augusta is located on the Blackwood River and we were surprised at how big the river is. Its a popular spot for river fishing and a variety of water sports such as sailing, jet skis and canoeing.

We took a short drive up to the Cape Leeuwin National Park and the famous lighthouse there. This is the point where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet and usually the seas are on the rough side. It was a logical spot for a lighthouse and the one here was built in 1895. The lighthouse, besides being a navigational aid, serves as an important automatic weather station.

Southern / Indian Oceans Meet Here

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

The lighthouse's buildings and grounds are now maintained by the local tourism body and a popular attraction. Unfortunately is was wet and windy when we were there on the open dayso we couldn't get the full benefit of the location. The lighthouse tower stands 39 metres high from ground level and 56 metres above sea level. Its beam, which has an intensity of one million candles, shines over the surrounding sea and landscape for 48 kilometres.

Picture of a Modern Lighthouse

It was very interesting finding out about this and the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste. There are people who are almost fanatical about lighthouses and some of them were present at the open day to answer questions. We did see information on their history in Australia and the important service they still provide. There are hundreds of lighthouses still operating in Australia today. The new, modern lighthouse bear little resemblance to the old traditional type. The picture above shows such a lighthouse which looks more like a solar powered communications tower.

Pirate Cow at Cape Leeuwin

Although the weather wasn't kind to us, we enjoyed our stay in the Margaret River and Cape Leeuwin region and headed inland towards Bridgetown and then on to Pemberton.