PEMBERTON AREA

2 days to potter around the area - as ever there is more than enough to do.  The B&B owners have same problem as around the world - people come to stay for 1 night and want to see the whole of the South West of Australia/Lake District/Scotland/New Zealand - and spend the whole time in their car driving around to try and fit everything in.  We've all done it and all said "We must go back, there is so much to see" - so we are at least trying to spin it out by spending 3 nights in each town.  But still don't cover half of it.

DAY 1 - Swims and coincidences

I know this looks remarkably similar to our Airbnb - but it has a few sculptures in the garden and a brilliant wood working gallery - fabulous jarrah/karri furniture and odds and ends - love to take stuff home but the gorgeous bread boards weigh a ton and would destroy our luggage allowance!

And just for good measure - yet another great cafe attached - they just do it so well - gallery/antiques/good coffee/home made cakes/lovely views and cool - what's not to like.

Then a recommended local dam - Big Brook Dam with a small beach and lovely shady bush all around - Perth is in middle of heatwave of 40 degrees for 4 days (104 degrees in old money) and its just a tad cooler here.  

Walked all around the lake and had a remarkable coincidental meeting - not the fact that of 20 people on the beach (will be packed at weekend), 80% were Brits (that's just how it is everywhere we go - retireds from the UK escaping the winter), but a local couple showing some Mancunian friends round got talking - and are staying at the same place as us on Sunday, for the same 3 nights.  And we have pinched their regular favourite chalet!  The Brits have beaten them to it - had a bit of banter about that and they have threatened to party all night with their other retired boating friends to frighten us away!  So we will have instant friends at our next stop.

Had a beautiful swim in cool, calm water with no stingers/sharks/other-ocean-cuddly-things, after the walk and then made use of Niki's beach chairs, beach towels and coolbox (cooler/esky/icebox) for picnic lunch in the shade.

Then back via an organic winery (Mountford) to buy a couple of bottles, and BBQ on deck after yet another sit in the scenic hot tub - how can we not!

DAY 2 - Big tree and big pancake land

Early-ish start to the day, after breakfast in the bush, and back up to Manjimup for a few miles to check out the monthly farmers market - lot of veggies and fruit from surrounding farms, so stocked up on plums, avos (avocados), salady stuff for BBQ's, etc., for next few nights.  Several soap/olive oil stalls/new agey things - definitely descending into the fringes of old and new hippie areas, with some harder working loggers and farmers to balance things out.  

When we were fleetingly down here 23 years ago with Niki and Paul (pre-Tim days!) it was full of wandering artists and creatives trying to make  living - I guess they now own half the property here and have developed big businesses.  But always someone wanting to sell incense sticks and tie-dyed t-shirts from Nepal - just not sure who gets to buy them nowadays.

Then on to the major attractions of the area - big trees that used to be used as lookouts.  We visited 2 of them and their description is lifted from Mr. Google.

"Pemberton's Climbing Trees

A series of fire lookouts were constructed in the top of a few very tall Karri trees, mainly during the 1930s and 1940s. These lookouts were a way of spotting fires in the tall Karri forest. The first Karri fire lookout tower, called the Big Tree, was constructed in 1938. By 1952, eight tree towers had been constructed. A trilogy of karri tree towers remain and are open to the public.

Today you can still climb some of these lookout trees and take in their view:

The Gloucester Tree in the Gloucester National Park is only 2kms from the Post Office in Pemberton. The Gloucester Tree was chosen as a fire lookout in 1947, one of a network of lookouts built in the Karri forest between 1937 and 1952. The Gloucester Tree was named after the then Governor-General of Australia, His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, who was visiting Pemberton as the lookout was being built. Today, visitors can climb up the 61m to see one of the most spectacular views of the Karri forest.  

The Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree in the Warren National Park is a 15 minute drive from the Pemberton township, and off the Old Vasse Road. The Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree lookout was first pegged in 1988 as part of Australia’s bicentennial celebrations. At 75m above the ground, it is the tallest with a 360-degree view of old growth Karri forest.

The Diamond Tree between Manjimup and Pemberton is also a 15 minute drive from either town, on the Southwest Highway. The Diamond Tree is a 51m Karri tree on which a wooden cabin was built and used as a fire lookout tower from 1941 to 1974. It is the only wooden tree top tower in the world. "

Niki, Paul and Graham climbed the Gloucester Tree all those years ago - but neither of us were up to it this time around - an airey climb on a few spokes sticking out of the tree.  You can see a couple of youngsters clinging on to the right hand side about quarter of the way up.

This is another local large tree - not sure if the sign relates to the man's age or the tree!!

More information about the workers - these are a jarrah tree sleeper (as in railway sleepers) cutting team - for the history buffs there is more info here

Onwards for lunch at Pemberton Lavender and Berry Farm - specialty pancakes with hot berry sauce and ice cream - and this is the small one between 2.

but this little silver-eye bird ate it all, whilst we were wandering in the lavender garden!



Back to base for rest in the heat and washing catch up, in case next place doesn't have washing machine.  Yet another barbie to round off the day.