Tingly all over

The next morning and after a fine breakfast wrap in Margaret River, I rejoined an increasingly beautiful Caves Road, as it wound its way through majestic stands of Karri forest, signalling the start of ‘Tree Day’ as I explored the forests of the south. First though there was one last taste of the coast, the very edge of the continent at Cape Leeuwin. It was turning into a squally old day, gusting winds and the odd spray of sea keeping reinvigorating the tired bones, seals battling in the waves as the Indian and Southern Oceans meet.




From the south west tip of Australia I then headed inland, through forest plantations and national parks, dodging logging trucks and battling through squally drizzle, before coming out around the town of Pemberton, home to several national parks containing beautiful Karri trees and Giant Tingles – all native to this part of Australia. You can actually climb one of the trees here as it used to have the role of ‘Fire Tree’, providing a lookout for bushfires in the area. No, usually I’m quite partial to a lookout, but this one was pretty hairy to climb and I was content with a coffee and cake and amble through the forest.

The forest seemed to go on forever as I rejoined the road heading down to the South Coast of WA, staying at the small town of Walpole which is bordered by forest to the north and perched upon an inlet which opens up out to the Southern Ocean beyond. It was a very quiet town, you could say dull, but I managed to find an open supermarket and treated myself to some dinner in the very relaxing and friendly hostel there.

To cap off ‘Tree Day’ I drove a few kilometres out of town to visit the Giant Tingle, one of those trees which you can walk in, have silly photos with, that kind of thing. Amazingly, I was the only one there, but then I probably shouldn’t have taken the hire car onto the dirt and so all the other little sky blue Getz’s were sticking to the highway (including one parked next to me – I’m sure for irony – back at the supermarket). And with trees and elves and hobbits in mind, I was off to bed.