21/3/16 More Ups Than Downs

Today we decided to take up where we left off the other day , yesterday being a maintenance day !! Off we go , first stop Beedelup Falls - now we weren't expecting too much from these falls  due to the levels of water in the rivers & brooks we have seen of late . We arrived at the carpark in about 15mins and wandered down the track to the falls . The setting was great - there's not enough words to describe the majesty of the trees here , they tower above everything , back to the falls - there's boardwalks & a suspension bridge over the falls and below the falls - very accessible . The best time to visit is clearly not in early Autumn - unless they've had some rain - not yet this year !! There's a trickle of water flowing over , it would be great with some more , but not today .

  From the falls there is a walk to the Split Tree - 2.4klms return , Beedelup Lake and Karri Valley Resort - 4.5klms return , we decided to walk down to the lake and see how we felt . It was all downhill and through more majestic forest of the Beedelup National Park . After 20 mins we were at the lakes edge looking toward the resort - they hold a triathlon here - that was on the weekend !!  The water is clear and the forest comes right to the waters edge - beautiful !!

  There's something about seeing all the trunks of these trees rising above all the rest of the forest !!

A lot of the under storey below the towering Karri trees are the Karri Hazel - the new growth looked good in the sun .

  From the lakes edge we headed further along the track , following the lakes edge for another 400m , before starting to climb . The track got steeper and steeper , heart rates climbed , the breeze blowing in the tree tops didn't stand a chance at ground level , it was still , it was getting warmer as well , but we took regular breaks and drinks , and kept climbing upwards . The trees kept us from thinking about anything else , it was hard to think about anything else as you continually looked from where
you were putting your feet , then upwards to the treetops .

  Continuing on , we found the top of the hill after a solid climb , and turned , heading to the Split Tree - a Karri Gum 75m tall & 2.4m across the base - it was about 200m along the track . When you approach , all you can see is another large Karri Tree - it's not until you get to the side , you see the hole going right through . It's big enough to walk through , sit in , turn around and come back again - whatever you like !!

  See , there we are , just in case you didn't believe it or thought we were making it all up !!

  These forests are all around the 80 to 90 year old mark , having been used by timber getters till then, then left to regenerate . There are a few very old trees that survived the logging process - most didn't get cut down due to having twisted grain and that makes them harder to mill , and prone to warping & twisting .
 The walk back to the car was much easier , being generally flat or downhill . Time for lunch before heading off again . We had a friendly kookaburra join us for lunch .

  Our drive took us along Channybearup Rd to the Big Karri - it must be big we thought, but upon arrival we discovered a great tree , but not bigger than any of the others we've seen today or previously . Next was the Warren River Cedars , which aren't really cedars at all , they also didn't really impress . Next the Big Brook Arboretum , a section in the forest where you can camp , there are also many species of tree that were planted in 1929. There's a grove of Sequoia's       ( Redwoods )from California , there's also some rather large radiate pines and others  The camp ground was full , so we drove through and carried on further down the road . Next stop - Big Brook Dam - Pemberton's water supply . There are picnic areas , a sealed walking/riding track around the lake , a swimming area complete with white sand and as usual , a white sand beach , tables & chairs and Bbq's . It's a very pleasant spot to sit and enjoy , a couple of people were having a swim , but the wind chill when they got out made them grab their towels in a hurry !!

  After soaking as much in as we could , we headed back - it was only a 5 minute drive to get back to town . 

 The landscape around Pemberton is dominated by forests , but today we discovered a lot of vineyards and avocados as well !!

 That's todays lot , and for the next week we will be a little bit out of contact , we are disappearing into the country away from all the popular areas that will be chock a block full over the Easter period!! The internet and mobile access will be severely restricted , so the blog may be a little bit behind - but we will catch up when we can - we won't forget you !!

 Todays map , such as it is ( thank you google ) :-https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z1G8gwwxwyYo.kLiByFRTdnjg&usp=sharing