Bumping the sandbars

It was a beautiful sunny day when we woke at 6am ready for a big day of cycling and sightseeing.  By the time we left at 7:30 the clouds had started to roll in, though the sun was still shining.  We bid farewell to the alpacas that we had not met on our arrival and headed down the steep path to pick up the dirt road towards Walpole. 

We had allowed 2.5 hours for the 20km into Walpole, and initially i thought we were going to need all that time, as the hills were regular and steep, with the occasional gust of wind making for challenging riding.  But soon we were on the downhill into town and we even had time for a coffee and muffin at the bakery.

We had booked the WOW wilderness eco cruise at 10am and arrived 15 minutes before as instructed to be signed off and briefed on how to ensure our shoes were clean as we worked through the three stations designed to remove any potential dieback contaminants before embarking the Rainbow Lady.  The tour was run by Gary Muir (Gazza), and his offsider (niece?) Emma.  Gazza’s family has lived in the area since it was settled by Europeans and he was full of knowledge on the local history.  His previous experience as an environment and conservation officer also gave him a good understanding of the natural history of the area. Best of all, he was an amazing story teller and keen to share his knowledge, supported by lots of laminated visuals. He was full of enthusiasm and used an array of props to tell his stories about the history of the local area.   

The tour departed from the town jetty, crossed  the Walpole Inlet, passed through some forested knolls, passed the Moses line, (the border between fresh water and sea water) and out into the Nornalup inlet.  Gazza was beside himself with excitement that he could actually navigate through the sandbars to reach the mouth where the Nornalup inlet meets the ocean.  To make our way through, Gazza had us moving around the boat to create a natural ballast. The boat hit the sandbar and the wake from the boat moved us over it.  Finally Gazza ran us aground near the mouth of the inlet so we could climb a hill with views over the ocean and towards an enormous plume of smoke due to prescribed burning.   

Back on the boat we again acted as ballast by moving to the back of the boat to help it lift off the beach and made our way back through the inlet, bumping the sandbar again, and passing the osprey nest we had seen on the way in. We returned via an island at the mouth of Deep River where Gazza stopped the boat again, this time to make a quick trip to the tallest Malaleuca tree in Australia whilst we enjoyed a cup of tea and Nanna’s homemade lemon cake.  Those wanting the recipe were instructed to write directly to Nanna who would post them a copy. 

It was a most enjoyable 2.5 hours, and we came away with a detailed knowledge of Walpole, its history and natural environment.  We returned to town and stocked up on breakfast provisions and wine at the village grocery store before stopping in the park for our tasty bakery sandwiches. 

We had 20kms to cover to the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk.  We started off on the highway and then picked up the Munda Biddi trail.  It was slow going and the flies were terrible - I managed to swallow three in the first climb.  We reverted back to the highway which was faster going and the wind kept the flies away.  We stopped at Nornalup for a quick look at the Frankland River then continued along the highway to the turnoff.  It was a long climb to the Tree Top walk and we were pleased to reach the top. 

The Tree Top Walk reaches a height of 40 metres above the forest floor as it winds its way through the canopy of magnificent tingle forest.  It was a stunning walk and you really felt like you were walking through the tops of the trees  We followed it up with the Ancient Empire walk which gave us a ground level view of the magnificent tingle trees and their hollow bases, created by fire, fungal and insect attacks. 

Fortunately, the last 10kms to our accommodation was easy riding, mostly flat and downhill with lovely views across green fields and dams.  The Airbnb was in a beautiful location, and we enjoyed watching the sun set across the fields with a glass of a local Pinot noir

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