NORNALUP/WALPOLE – DAY 2

Top thing to do in Walpole according to Tripadviser is the WOW eco-cruise – and well worth the recommendation. 

Garry, who runs it, is a cross between David Attenborough, David Bellamy and Tommy Cooper – a historian, world traveller and dedicated conservationist, with the ability to keep the show on the road for 2 hours.  Should definitely be on TV.  Banter with the boat load of tourists from around the world and then up close to the creatures on the half hour walk up and over the sand dunes of “his” reserve.  Showed us fascinating new track marks that he couldn’t identify (but his assistant will leave a camera out there later today to trigger overnight) and was a fund of knowledge on very subject.

  

We later learn (everyone in the area knows Garry!) that Garry has run the Bibbulum Track in 2 weeks in bare feet – the track is mainly forest floor that has “attacked” our sandaled feet several times and is home to lots of deadly snakes.  He has also worked around the world and led expeditions – amazing guy, amazing trip.









He also knew every bird at the end location by their own names – Horace, the pied cormorant, here remains on his post as we pass, but signifies what he thinks of the daily tourists disturbing his fishing.

MORE SCULPTURES, MORE CAFES

Exhausted by the amount of information on the cruise, we head for the local herb farm (Thurlby for those who need to know) - yet another remnant of a past hippy retreat to the middle of the bush.  So we find a nice cheap place to live miles from anywhere to live off the land and then realise we can’t because the soil is rubbish, but still have to live – so plant herbs/lavender/make soap/paint/develop another craft/buy in cheap artefacts from our trip to Nepal/etc – then have to sell the stuff.  (There is soap at every turn down here!)

So I guess several years of trekking into local town markets and then we decide to bring the tourists to us – but the difficulty now is that we are way out of town, down unmade roads (location, location, location if you are running a business!) and no matter how good the cafe/shop – it takes an effort to get there.  Not sure how they all make a living doing this – but the cafes are all good, if empty, and in great spots with lovely gardens and bush views.  Worth searching out, so maybe enough people like us to make it worthwhile. 

So another arty idea is the Sculpture Trail – this time it is free with no visitor centre attached and winds around the bush again – but much smaller than the last one.  These 2 installations were pretty interesting though.

Double trouble

Thought about 2 more visits to a local woodland pool and another big tree, but all down miles of unmade roads and a bit late in an already busy day – so gave up being a tourist, as a bit tree’d out and went home for a siesta.  We can do this.