Mogsie's Wanderings

Perth was cold. Well, maybe that's not strictly true, but at just 20-22 degrees it was much colder than I've become used to and I had to dig out my long trousers and fleece! Goodness knows what I'd need if I came home right now - I've become such a softy I'd probably need several jumpers. Having said that it did warm up a bit when the sun came out but I've definitely moved to a different climatic zone. And, now don't you all fall over in shock at this, but the first couple of things I went to do I was too early in the day for! Whoever would have thought I would be too early for anything before I started travelling?! Anyway I went walking and exploring the city instead . Heading down to the river I joined a great walkway/ cycle path which runs all along the riverside. The river was wide, calm and blue and sparkled invitingly in the morning sun. I strolled all the way along until I met the freeway again and skirted round the centre of the city until I reached a set of stairs leading up to King's Park. The steps were steep - very steep - and consisted of about 10 flights of 15 steps each, and although very narrow are obviously used as the step class for the locals! People were racing up and down them several time until they looked as if they were about to expire and collapsed in a heap at the top until they could regain their composure and hobble off trying to look cool and composed. Nutters is all I'll say! I left them to it and went for a lovey walk in the park instead. Amongst other things it contains open recreational ground, the botanic gardens with themed areas and walkways, nature trail, cafe, gallery, and offers some amazing views out down the river and across the city. The gardens offered a lovely mix of sunshine and shade through dense planting trees and bushes. Mostly green foliage but occasional dashes of colour added contrast. There were Boabs and Banksias, a conservation garden, water garden, Tuart trees, grevillias, lookouts and little information boards dotted all around. Part of the walk took me over an elevated metal and glass pathway which crossed the treetops offering a different perspective to the place again. At the water garden I watched in a pond as a shoal of tiny fish devoured a fallen leaf - attacking it just like ants with a leaf on the ground. In a little stream a pair of ducks were taking their large brood for a swim while further round in a pond another family were resting after earlier exertions! They were really funny as in the pond stands a statue of mother and child. mother duck was sitting with her family on the next door plinth as if to say "she's only got one - look at my lot"! They were dozing happily anyway and totally unperturbed by water fountains spouting randomly and getting higher and higher all around them All the kids in the area were loving it daring each other to go closer ans closer until the strongest of the fountains would fire off soaking anyone in the way. It was just a lovely place to while away time. Another enjoyable visit was to the West Australia museum. All the usual exhibits were there: animals and people; stars ans space, aborininal history and so on, but what I particularly liked was a temporary exhibition of nature Photographs. The ANZANG (Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Ginnea) awards promote photography in and around their countries. There were some stunning immages of animals, landscapes, man's impact, good and bad, on the environment, action shots and stills. If the accommpanying book wouldn't have just about doubled the weight of my rucksack I would have been tempted! All in all though Perth was a wee bit disappointing - its an attractive enough place but with not an awful lot within the city for the visitor. I think its more a city for its inhabitants or for those using it as a base to explore the surrounding area. I left it and headed down to Fremantle and to meet up with Mike and Lesley. They took me for a drive along the attractive looking riverside before going home for a fantastic roast dinner. After 4 months of pretty uninspiring dinners you've no idea how much I appreciated that home cooked roast chicken, tatties, pumpkin, stuffing, neeps, brocolli and gravy, followed by Apple pie and ice-cream and all washed down with a glass of wine or three! Mmmm Yumm! It was wonderful. Thanks guys. Next day we had a bit of a drive round the area and stopped at Resolution Point where you could look right down the river across a large sand spit towards Fremantle. Two or three dolphins swam in the river and a couple of black shouldered kites circled overhead. We drove back to Freo alongside the coast and beaches and although the sky was grey overhead there was still a turquoise hue to the sea. In town Mike took me to the Shipwreck museum: a fascinating place. During the 1600s a number of ships belonging to a Dutch group, VOC, were plying their trade back and forwards to the Spice Islands and Java in Indonesia. Navigation was still an inexact science and several ships were lost around the Australian coast. One of them, the Batavia, forms a central part of the museum's collection, with its story being told and artefacts on show. There is a section of the boat on display and although it looks quite sizeable, when you see images and scale models of the ship you realise the segment is only a very small part really. It would have been a huge vessel. Also on display are maps from the same era and its amazing how accurate the cartography is. The whole west coast of Australia is pretty much as it is. The separation of Oz from Indonesia is not quite right, and Tasmania is somewhat off course, but they obviously were very much aware of its existance. Other things on display included tools, coins and dishes recovered from the various wrecks, along with pipes, ships bells and anchors and a selection of weaponry. There was even a millers stone which had been recovered, and with only half of it being restored the concretion on the other half clearly illustrated how much work had been done by the marine archeologists and historians. I spent ages looking round the place. Its one of those museums where you can become engrossed by something different every time you visit, I'm sure. When I left there I had a stroll round the attractive town cntre although with wind and rain it was a quick wander before I took the lazy way out and hopped on a bus instead! I ended up at the maritime museum which was not a patch on the shipwreck one. Certainly its in a big,striking, architect designed building but the inside doesn't live up to the exterior. It was largely just a haphazard collection of boats from through the years and with not much information about the history behind them. Amongst them however was Australia II - the yacht which won the Americas Cup for Oz back in the 80's. It struck me how little and old fashioned it looks now when you remember how revolutionary it was at the time. On leaving there I went back to Mike and Lesley's and another delicious dinner - salmon this time. I'm telling you they run a fantastic hostel!! I'd organised to go to Rottnest Island next day and was able to leave from the jetty more or less at the end of their street. It was quite a windy day and when we were all handed out sick bags and warned it may be choppy I realised it might not be the smoothest crossing ever! As soon as we left the port walls and hit open water the buffeting started. The boat crashed over waves, the spray hitting the windows like a bucket of water flung directly at them. It certainly wasn't winter in the Minch but for several passengers it was a bit too much. Presumably in order to get fresh air into the cabin the door out to the bow was left open but it really just served to provide a shower for the first few seats. We rocked and rolled through the waves past a few tankers sheltering from the ocean and safely arrived in Rottnest, not too late. Even with the stormy seas it looked appealing: pure white crests on deep blue sea, creamy white beach, and orangey-yellow buildings lining the sea wall. I went to hire a bike and it being a short and not too hilly island I opted for the basic single-geared type. I took my "kit" down to the hostel - the old army barracks- and my dorm was formerly the commanding officer's room, but whereas he would have had it to himself it now sleeps ten. Bag deposited I set off to cycle down to the western tip 10-11km away. The island is beautiful and so made me think of West Coast Scotland and any one of a number of the islands and bays there. The tisting roads hiding sheltered little bays of rocky lined, white sanded hideaways. The sea was clear and even on a stormyish day you could see the range of colour with the gentle aquamarine at the sandy shore giving way to the blue-black of the deeper and rougher seas. Even the grasses and wildflowers, although of different types to home, had a similar appearance and colourings. Remnants of long ago wrecked ships dotted the coastline rotting and decaying with the frequent battering by the tides. I soon regretted my choice of bike though: single geared into a strong headwind on a twisty and undulating road is, I consoled myself, very good for the calf and thigh muscles! Fortunately the land and seascapes gave plenty of excuses to stop admire - and push! Once I did reach Cape Vlamingh at the far end of the island the effort was suitably rewarded. A dramatic raggedy cliffed meeting of seas on a blustery day offered stunning and mesmerising scenery. Most of the wildlife was staying under cover but the beautiful sight lost nothing for all that. I wandered round the boardwalk staring at the different outlooks and amazed by the density of the spray. It then dawned on me that the wind and spray had caked my specs in a mist of salt and with just a little bit of fresh water and cloth I could remove the cataract effect! Heading back I clung to the Northern side of the island rather than the south I'd come down and fortunately it was a bit easier going with the wind in my face less often. Dotting up and round the bays I gradually made my way back towards Kingston. On the way I climbed up Oliver Hill - the high point on the island and sight of gun placements during the war but now offering a good vantage point to look out over and admire the island from. Heading back to the settlement at Thomson's Bay I passed a couple of little lakes and there was so much foam blowing across the road from them it was just like cycling through fairy liquid washig up bubbles! I've rarely if ever seen so much foam in such a small area. Finally returning to the barracks for the night my legs knew they'd had a good workout! As the evening went on it got quite chilly with little to stop the wind blowing through the hostel - for soldiers in spartan conditions it must have been a miserable posting at times. Fortunately by next morning the wind had dropped and the sky was bluer so I cycled round to a lovely little bay called Parakeet Bay. It was small, perfectly proportioned and I had it all to myself apart from a couple of little birds doing their utmost to keep me away from a rocky outcrop where I presume they had a nest amongst the ledges and crevices. I left them to themselves and sat further round drinking in the atmosphere. I risked a little paddle but the water certainly wasn't warm enough to entice me to swim. After a while engrossed in the beauty of the place I looked up to see I'd been joined by a big yacht "parked" right in the centre of my line of sight - I hadn't even heard it arrive. After a while I returned to the main settlement and joined a walk to look foe Quokkas. They're the funny little marsupials now almost confined to the island and which gave it its name. The first Dutch sailors to visit the island thought they were large mutant rats so gave the name Rottenest - Rats Nest. Nocturnal by nature, and totally herbivorous, the quokkas were to be found dozing under the bushes beside one of the lakes on the edge of town. Water is of particular importance to them and while they can still get plenty moisture at this time of year, in the parched summer months they will become more visible as they scour the arid landscape for any water they can find. They are quite tame as they have no natural preditors, and a joey will stay with mum until its too big to get back in her pouch - about 10 months old. Only giving birth to one the mother will carry a second egg which will lie dormant and degenerate if baby one survives but which will develop if it dies for any reason. The quokkas also seem to have a built in weather forecasting system: somehow they seem to be able to detect if it is to be a long harsh dry summer when chances of survival are slimmer and tend not to breed that year! Many a meteorlogical office would like to know there secret I'm sure! Leaving the quokkas to their slumbers I returned to town and went on another guided tour, this time round some of the historic buildings. Used as a prison for aboriginals from the 1800s up to the early 1900s we toured the quod which had acted as their sellc and where they endured tough cold, damp conditions - particularly hard for those transported down from the tropical North. While many were harshly treated and suffered from many ailments as a consequence, there was some freedom of movement around the island on Sundays when they had a reprieve from working in the salt mines (at one time all the salt for Western Australia was produced on Rottnest and little trains carried it from the lakes from where it was excavated to a storeshed before it was transferred across the sea to the mainland) or carpentry workshops. The prison authorities were frequently in conflict with the captain and crew of the pilot boat- they seemed to be vying for importance and status between themselves. The pilot boat had a chequered career while stationed on Rottnest. Initially housed there in answer to the growing number of wrecks claimed by the reef laden waters, communication problems limited their successes and eventually led to the resiting of the boat back in Fremantle after miscommunication between the boat, lighthouse and a ship led to its wrecking on the rocks. With the introduction of motorised boats, too, it was quicker for them to respond from Fremantle than it had been when they had to rely on rowed boats. After a visit to the museum and reading more of Island life I had to reboard my ferry and head back to Freo. The return trip being much less bumpy than the way over. Lesley generously lent me her little car for the next few days so I was able to go off touring the South-west corner. I headed to Margaret River for a couple of nights, then Walpole and Albany before returning to Fremantle for the night before leaving Western Australia. Margaret River is a lovely little town, and as many of you may know its a well known wine region. So, I got myself onto a wine tasting tour and had a really great day! We went to four different wineries and had several different samples at each. All of them were small family owned and run enterprises aswell which was nice. The first one we went to was called Church View. They produce mostly whites especially Semillon-Sauvignon Blancs and I slurped along happily though some of their wines were slightly sweeter than I would choose for myself. Our next stop was at Treeton where again we had 4 or 5 tasters and my favourite was a shiraz. Sitting having some cheese and biscuits on their patio area just beside some of their vines, in the sun, with a large glass of that and chatting with the rest of the group (there was only myself another couple and the driver) was a very civilised and enjoyable way to pass a little time before our next stop! We were also entertained by the estate's soft lump of a dog - Sam. He sat in an old wine barrel watching us while we tasted, then as we ate our cheese and biscuits he came top sit with us head cocked to one side staring at us and the biscuits until we gave him one or two and he went back to his barrel. He may be daft but he's certainly not stupid! A short visit to a muesli business and chocolate factory (lovely samples at each) to sober us up before our next estate. The Bettenay estate was in a beautiful sheltered and picturesque little spot and after trying two whites and two reds we moved on to a couple of light rose wines, lightly fortified, and infused with hints of chilli - one hotter than the other. They were actually really nice although the stronger of the two had a real afterkick which sent me reeling! I reckon it was just aswell I had a cold and my tastebuds were a bit dulled!! The final stop of the day was at Adinfern estate where we had yet another 4 or 5 lovely wines to sample. (I cant quite remember how many exactly I don't know why my memory fails me slightly over the course of that day!!) After staggering out of there Pat dropped us off safe and sound back at our accommodation. It was a great tour and nice to visit the smaller estates rather than the big names which are more readily available at home. It also meant that there was a good bit of friendly banter exchanged between the owners and the visitors making for a fun day out and certainly no skimping on the samples on offer! When I left Margaret River I stopped at Lake Cave. Its not huge - about 62metres long and about 68metres deep - but it was enthralling. Originally a much larger and deeper cave, the original roof collapsed hundreds of years ago to expose a large crater. Nowadays you descend down walkways in the crater past Karri trees growing in the bottom of the hole and estimated to be about 350 years old. The limestone walls were mainly sheer but there were still examples of previously covered stalagtytes and stalagmytes on some of the faces, now slightly blackened as a result of sooting from bushfires which have passed through the area. Many were also covered in fine fleecy looking cob-webs making it look slightly eerie. Once at the bottom of the crater we went down a stairway into the cave as it exists now. It was lined by dripping straws, stalagtytes, stalagmytes, heliotytes and towers. The hollow straws drip rapidly and if they become blocked for any reason (a bit of grit possibly) then they slowly evolve into 'tytes'. No-one seems to be able to explain heliotytes which twist away horizontally forming a gravity defying structure balanced in mid air. Towers form when the tytes meet stalagmytes rising from below. With the surfaces of the cave in various formations it was easy to pick out some resembling different objects: dragons. cherubs, animals and so on. As the name of the cave suggests there is a little lake of water on the floor and with some gentle background lighting the reflections become clear and beautiful. Most striking was the central 'hanging table'. Two thick pillars support a flat base not far above the water surface creating a somewhat hypnotically mesmerising image. A subtle change in the colour of the lighting creating a wonderful show and with it being so peaceful it was easy to linger a while. Back at the surface, however, I carried on stopping briefly at Cape Leeuwin. The most south-westerly point in Australia it is the sight of Australia's tallest lighthouse and also where the Indian and Southern oceans truly meet. The coastline reflected the ruggedness that the meeting of two such powerful forces bring - dramatic rocky coastline with little sandy beaches, and whales passing in the distance. Travelling eastwards now as I headed towards Walpole I paused in Pemberton to see "The Gloucester Tree" Its 61 metres tall and has a spiral "ladder" of rungs embedded in the trunk so that you can climb to the top for spectacular treetop panoramas. Standing at the bottom seeing the rungs vibrating as people gingerly backed down (its only wide enough for one and an almost vertical climb in places) I knew there was no way in this world I was going up. I had visions of me stuck with trembling limbs part way up too terrified to go further up or down!! I contented myself with a ground level bushtrail instead before continuing on my way. After a meander round the friendly and scenic little township of Walpole I went to see a giant Tingle tree. Tingle trees are unique to that corner of South-west Australia and there are 3 types" Red, Yellow and Rates. The Rate tingle was named after John Rate, who persevered with research to prove that there was a third distinct variety (only two having been recognised for many years), but who ironically was killed by a falling limb from one of those same tingle trees! The reds are most interesting in that they are a very hard timber and exceptionally strong but can't be used in construction as it warps and bends. The trees are butress based and can grow to 60m high and 16m in girth. It has a very shallow root base that spreads out only about 1m at the most underground acting a bit like an angle bracket to support the tree. The base of the trunk is often hollowed out by diseaes, termite, fire or whatever, but the tree will still survive and thrive for its 400+ year lifespan. The famous giant tingle I visited is about 16m round and is wonderfully gnarled and hollow based. its supporting legs look wrinkled like a huge elephant's foot yet was beautiful too! Wandering round the area there were also lots of vividly coloured birds of varying kinds flying around catching the eye as a dash of colour passed by and more were calling noisily in the background. Blue wisteria plants tangled through the undergrowth adding a splash of colour to the ground foliage. It was a super place to spend some time. From there I headed to the "Valley of the Giants".  Part of a national park area there are a couple of trails through the Karri forest and Tingle trees, including a treetop walkway suspended at about canopy level to allow you to appreciate the forest at leaf height. The walkway is up to 40m high amd about 600m long and gave a lovel vantage point to enjoy the beauty if the place. My highlight of the visit though was a guided walk on the forest floor. Tony the guide was great and talked non-stop about the trees, bushes, animals and so on switching effortlessly from one to the other and back again as we were prompted to ask questions. He talked about the tingles and Karri trees. Karries have a very smooth almost white bark on their very tall straight trunks until winter turns to spring when the thin white layer dies back turning darker and greyer. As summer moves on the thin bark peels away in great strips exposing a rough stringy bark with lovely yellowy-red colouring. The leaves too have a marvelous pink-green colour. He pointed out the tunnel network used by the bandicoots as their highway round the forest floor, and explained how some trees (I can't remember which ones now - there was so much information imparted) give off a strong aroma like a female wasp to encourage the males in to the flowers to ensure its pollen is collected and transferred to the next tree. Another titbit of information he had for us was how if there is a problem with a tingle tree not getting enough light it will rapidly sprout another limb from wherever the light does hit the tree. Once it reaches the canopy level and balance has been restored redundant limbs will be shed. He also pointed out huge burles on some of the tree trunks. Any disease is pushed out to the edge of the trunk like a huge wart where it can sit without causing further harm. Woodturners love it as it creates great colourings to work with, but when the park first opened they had touble for a while with over zealous wood turners coming with chainsaws to collect the easy pickings from the boardwalks! All in all it was a really enjoyable and informative visit. (and somewhere you'd love, mum and dad) When I left that area I headed to the pretty port town of Albany stopping at a picturesque little cove called William Bay. A short walk down through thickly vegetated dunes brought you to a curving band of light sands edging the large stones and rocks filling the bay and protected at the rear on three sides by the land climbing away from the coast. It was windswept and wonderful. Leaving a wet Albany behind I returned for a last night at Mike and Lesley's before the took me to the train and I bade farewell to the Western state, having really enjoyed the month or so I spent travelling round it since arriving in Kununurra. It's certainly a state of contrasts. In many ways a true reflection of all Australia has to offer.