COLOURFULWORLD

Tuesday 19 February 2013

A - Z OF AUSTRALIA - W IS FOR WALPOLE

WALPOLE, a small town in Western Australia, about 430km south east of Perth and 66km from the town of Denmark, lies on the northern side of the Walpole and Nornalup Inlets.

The first Europeans to arrive in the area in 1909, were Frenchman Pierre Bellanger and his family, who travelled from Albany to take up farming land.



Map of Walpole (from internet)
For outdoor lovers, there are plenty of adventures from white sandy beaches, tranquil rivers and inlets, majestic forests, and a plethora of sports and activities like kayaking, fishing, canoeing, rafting, sailing, eco-cruises, bird-watching, bush walking...

Just 10 minutes away, Western Australia's most popular attraction, the Valley of the Giants, in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park is the ideal place to walk among the 400 years old tingle trees.

Climb 40 metres up the Tree Top Walk and walk the 600 metre long metal walkway to observe the Tingle and Karri tree canopies. If you don't like heights, don't climb as even though there can only be a maximum of 10 people per platform,  you can still feel the walkway wobble when you walk, it can be a bit scary!









The structural impact of this walkway is minimal on the forest below


The highest point of the walkway at 40mt above the tree canopies. 
Trees seen from the Tree Top walkway
One of the giant trees
Another giant - my daughter, me and my son reaching across
Another tree, another visit - with my sister from Portugal


































                                This is Australia's only long distance walking trail, 963 km long,  starting in the hills suburb of Kalamunda, in Perth, running along the Southern Ocean at Walpole, and following the coast until it ends in Albany, 120kms away from Walpole.

It is named after an Aboriginal language group, the Bibbulmun, who inhabited some of the areas on the south coast. The track is marked with a stylised image of a rainbow serpent.

Bibbulman track goes past the Tree Top Walk.
Bibbulmun track board (photo from net)
Drive a few kilometres out of town, and wet your feet at the beautiful Circular Pool on the Frankland River. It's waters are calm in summer and you get waterfalls in winter. The site has a few viewing platforms and is wheelchair accessible too.

Viewing platform at Circular Pool

You can swim or wet your feet at the Circular Pool
Visit the calm and beautiful beaches around the area - my favourite is "Conspicuous Cliffs", where you can climb to the top of a cliff and have a 360 degree view over the beach and surrounding bush, and to reach the beach you cross a small river.
Peaceful Bay is another lovely beach with a camping site across the road.
The deserted Conspicuous Cliffs beach, seen from the viewpoint on top of the hill

Crossing the river to Conspicuous Cliffs beach
Conspicuous Cliffs - view from the top platform on the hill, with views to the surrounding bush area.
Waving at the lower platform are my husband and brother in law.

Peaceful Bay Beach
Sail or fish at Nornalup Inlet - photo taken from Coalmine Beach Camping place
There is plenty of accommodation in Walpole and Nornalup, from camping sites at Peaceful 
Bay, Coalmine Beach and others where you can camp or rent a chalet, bed and breakfast options, luxury chalets or motels.

Driving to Denmark you can make a few pit-stops visiting Berry farms where you can pick your own berries, visit wineries or a cheese factory, and a very interesting Honey shop, where you can see a bee hive in action, and buy all sorts of products made with their nectar - honey, soaps, creams, candles and even honey ice-cream.

Visiting the Honey shop on the way from Walpole to Denmark
Hope you enjoy Walpole and the surrounding area as much as I do. There is something interesting for everyone. 
Enjoy the visit!

15 comments:

  1. You've shown this beautiful area so well Sami. My husband walked the whole of the Bibbulmun Track in one go, it took him five weeks, he really enjoyed it.

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  2. Wow- beautiful place! I've never been to the Redwood Forrest, but from what I can tell, Walpole's trees are very similar.

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  3. Fabulous, Sami! That walkway is my kind of fun (but not on a wet day).
    I've been very negligent with this challenge since Julie changed the layout. Must get back on it.

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  4. Grace - That is quite a feat to walk the whole of the Bibbulmun track. Well done to your husband.
    Lovely light - these trees are huge. Probably similar to the Redwood forest.
    Joanne - I have been on it twice and both times not many people were on each run, but still it wobbled a bit.
    I also find it a bit difficult to post on Julie's A-Z page, every time I have to search how to do it.

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  5. Great photos, Sami. I was looking through my old photos the other day and found some of the treetop walk! It was a lot of fun and the size of those trees is incredible!

    By the way, I just noticed the comments about the A-Z site. Anything I can do to help?

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  6. Everything is just so beautiful! The Bibbulmun track sounds like something I would really enjoy to walk, but not all at once! That's impressive!

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  7. Sami- you've taken us on such a wonderful trip!! Your photos are beautiful and amazing! I feel like I was right there with you!

    Xoxo
    Vicki

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  8. Isn't is beautiful. I know I am biased begin a girl from WA but it really is a lovely state

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  9. Julie - nice that you managed to do the Tree top walk, it's a great place to visit.
    The only gripe I have with wordpress is whenever I want to post something on the A-Z challenge I look and look and can never find where to start. Eventually I find it...

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  10. Sara - I don't know if I could do the whole thing either, maybe a couple of kms would be enough for me...not much of a walker.
    Vicky - Thanks for visiting Vicky and form enjoying my photos.
    Sharon - WA has such wonderful spots. The beaches are the best too!

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  11. Sami, with wordpress, once you're logged in, go to the dashboard in the top left then 'new post'. Hope that helps :)

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  12. I would love to go to this place! Fantastic!

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  13. Sigh...lovely! And very much like the redwood forests!

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  14. Maravilha de paisagens! Adorava visitar.

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  15. Thanks for visiting, Sandra, Laurie and J.M.

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