Albany ahoy!! (part 5)

With much excitement we head off today to go to the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk in Walpole. The South of Western Australia is not only reknowned for its incredible coastline, but also its trees, in particular the karri, marri, jarrah and the tingle tree. We are planning on returning to this area once we leave Albany prior to heading homeward bound in order to see more of it and perhaps attempt to climb some of the incredible karri trees. 

On the way to Walpole we pass through Denmark. This was a source of great interest to Boaz who could not figure out how one minute we were in Albany and the next minute we were in Europe. Today, we discover, was all about timing. A quick visit to the much awarded Denmark Bakery courtesy of Andy's pie fetish and Olga's recommendation, resulted in Rob and the kids bumping into some special friends we had met during the trip, Sarah & Matt. Where was Linda you might wonder? In the visitors centre of course!!

We understand that this tree top walk was built in order to preserve the tingle trees. The trees do not cope well when their root system is compacted and in earlier days you were able to explore these forests by either vehicular access or walking through the forest floor. Today you get to walk along a suspended gangway through the canopy of the tingle trees that at its summit has you 40 metres high in the sky.

On our way.

The structure, though incredibly sound, does tend to sway from side to side creating quite an unnerving feeling as you ascend higher into the canopy.

The pied piper and his following. This does not look like much, just wait till the next picture...

The kids experiencing their 5 minutes of celebrity fame. These funny japanese tourists asked the kids to pose in a picture for and with them.

On completion of the tree top walk we then continued on the Valley of the Giants walk on to the The Ancient Empires Walk with the giant Red Tingle Trees. A carefully constructed walk takes you through the forest and sometimes even inside the trunk of one of the giants that can only be seen in the Walpole Wilderness of WA's Southern Forests region.

A different sort of giant here!!

All about timing once more. As we were exiting the treetops walk, after spending way too long in the souvenir shop, we literally walked straight into another very special family that we have had the privilege of meeting along our journey. It felt like we were all talking so fast trying to catch up on the past months since we last saw each other. With us heading west and them continuing east, we sadly say farewells once more with the hope that perhaps our paths will cross again before this adventure is completed.   

Despite it not being swimming weather one cannot visit Denmark without visiting Greens Pool. On our arrival this once again proves to us why we love the WA coastline so much, with its white sand, transparent turqouise water and impressive granite rock fomations. These rock formations are from when Australia broke off from Antarctica when we were part of the super continent Gondwanaland.

With the days adventures complete we head back home to freshen up and to, most importantly, put on some more clothes as the temperature has dropped and the rain is coming, all in time to welcome in 2012. We head off to find some tucker, not an easy task when there are 16 of you and it is New Years Eve. We tried the fish and chip shop at the local harbour but were told we had an hour and a half wait for food!!

We eventually find tucker at a local fish and chip shop, eat it down at Middleton beach and with full bellies we head into town to the community New Years Eve celebrations. The weather has placed a bit of a dampener on the nights events and the crowd is not as big as expected.

This is Mokare, a man of peace. This statue celebrates the role played Mokare played in the peaceful co-existance between the Noongar people (aboriginals of this area) and the first European Settlers. 

What a shame about the rain, but we hang in there watching some local performances.

Some interpretive modern dance, but with no-one to interpret for us we were left in the dark as to what it was all about!

The rain eventually wins and we head back to the vans. No New Years celebrations are complete without sparklers, glow in the dark accessories and our winter wardrobe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all our family and friends old and new. It still does not cease to amaze us that we are actually away on a trip we thought was only ever going to be a dream. Now we have new dreams for more adventures around Australia. Welcome 2012 and all it has instore.