This entry will cover two days of activities. The place we stayed last night had no internet access………..no cell phone service……….it was really isolated. It did have all of the other things we have become accustomed to, just no communications. More about that later.
We left the Margaret River area a little earlier than normal and found a lovely place for breakfast about 15 minutes away. It was the Café Boranup, located in a forested area, well away from any towns.
It was adjacent to a store that featured articles created by local artists. Here are a table as an example of they types of items displayed. It is created from a single piece of wood. The shop is full of furniture, paintings, metal sculptures, etc.
From there we headed south down many roads less traveled. Most were through woods full of large and beautiful trees.
We headed to Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse located on the most Southwest tip of Australia. Enroute we stopped for a snack and had a Willie Wagtail for entertainment. These birds are called wagtails because their tails are in constant side-to-side motion.
The ocean at Cape Leeuwin is particularly treacherous mostly because of the rocks in the area but also because of the currents caused by the meeting if the Indian and Southern Oceans. The lighthouse is still in active service, but it is automated like most other lighthouses today. It was built in 1895/6 and was manned until the 1950s. Even though it is active, you can tour the grounds and the lighthouse itself.
This is looking across the lighthouse keepers homes and outbuildings toward the lighthouse.
Inside the lighthouse showing part of the 176 steps to the top. It was a fun climb.
This is the lens, a First order Fresnel lens. The light can be seen for 47 kilometers.
The white water in this picture where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet. Of course the white water is caused by waves on some rocks, but gives you and idea of the meeting line.
This is just to prove I was really there. With my sister Sylvia and brother-in-law Roy.
From the Cape we drove East toward Pemberton. Of course a stop was mandatory to put our feet in the Southern Ocean.
We stopped for an afternoon snack and this time we were entertained by Magpies. This is the closest we have been able to get to these normally shy birds.
We stayed at the Kerri Valley Resort. A lovely place in the woods and alongside a large lake. When we checked in there were a series of clocks showing the time in various places around the world. On the end of the bank of clock was one with a blank face that said, Time Kerri Valley Resort….time stops. I think that may be true because the only method of communications with the outside world was a regular phone. As I indicated at the beginning, there was no internet or cell phone coverage. We did have a television in our room, but it only got three channels.
There were Emus on the grounds
Our room was one of the lakeside rooms. We had a balcony overlooking the lake. There was a resident duck (lived under the balcony’s for our unit).
This picture was taken at dusk.
This morning Katie and I stepped onto the balcony to check the temperature and sky conditions. We were greeted by Ringnecked Parrots and a Kookaburra.
We stopped by the Gloucester Tree in Pemberton. It is a large Karri tree, 72 meters (236 feet) tall (it is the center tree in this photo).
It can be climbed to see the view from the lookout tower at the top.
We continued our drive east toward Albany. Most of the roads went through forested areas as you can see below.
We stopped to eat lunch at Walpole. I mention this only to show you a burger I ate.
The layers are cheese, egg, bacon, hamburger patty, shredded carrots, tomato and cucumber, lettuce, and barbeque sauce. It was tasty!
We continued our drive to Valley of the Giants and the Tree Top Walk near Denmark. This is an area of tingle trees, which are very tall (200 feet plus). A walkway has been built to take you over 130 feet above the ground which put you well up into the trees. Even so, the trees themselves tower above you as you walk among them.
This gives you and idea of how tall the trees are from ground level.
The suspension platforms and bridges takes you well up above the forest floor.
The tops of the trees still tower over you as you walk along the platforms.
From the Valley of the Giants we continued our drive East toward Albany in our “Copper Chariot”
with a stop along the sea shore at William Bay,
and the little town of Denmark and the Denmark river.
We will be in Albany tomorrow and then head North toward Wave Rock.
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