Step 52 Albany – Denmark 152 kms

Friday 4^th March T.E.D.

Woke to the best weather Albany has presented since we have been here, clear blue sky and no wind. Not that it has been in anyway unpleasant until now anyway. Did all the maintenance checks on MM and filled what needed to be filled and emptied what needed to be emptied and then we were on our way.

Headed out on the scenic drive into town that follows the path that Steve has been walking along. Stopped off at a very scenic spot, Dan Murphy's, to pick up some essentials including some vintage classics at $2.50 a bottle (the vintage was Monday last week I think). It's important to have wine available for Wine O'clock or Di gets tetchy. Luckily she is getting used to the Chateau Cheapo. Also decided that buying beer for Steve by the slab makes more (price) sense than just picking up 6 packs here and there. Still trying to work out how Steve can pick up an (abdominal) six pack, but I think we are all agreed that ship has sailed.

Next stop Mt Barker in the Plantaganet district and home to the Plantaganet Winery (but not the Plantaganet Kings, starting with Henry II, who ruled England from 1154 until 1485,ending with the War of the Roses).

Decided to skip the winery and tasting (didn't think they would have any $2.50 specials) so drove on in to town and ended up having a salad roll for an early lunch at the bakery (which like all country businesses it seems, is up for sale).

The scenic route into Denmark was extremely scenic and very pleasant and the 152 km's just whizzed by.

Having watched one of the caravan and camping magazine DVDs the other night we were both very excited as we pulled into the Denmark Information Centre, all aquiver with anticipation at seeing Bert Bolle's barometer collection including his Guiness World Record Breaking GIANT barometer. Imagine our disappointment then to discover that Bert has packed up his barometers and left town. What a let down.

Nonetheless it's a big weekend in Denmark for this Labour Day long weekend in WA. A big wine festival, including the Waifs playing a concert at one of the wineries as well as a New Age (old hippies) Festival. The Waifs as you would all be well aware are one of WA's finest musical exports, and this weekend sees them returning home after a long stint in the US of A.

View from Mt Shadforth

All too exciting for Di and I, so after a quick trip to the lookout at Mt Shadforth (where we looked out and went aaah) it was time to check into the Ocean Beach Big 4 caravan Park. It is now not surprising that they had vacancies as the park is huge with a capital hugh. We have a nice, large enough site with a bit of shade from some trees. Although we are right opposite tent city.

Editors note: It's hard to be snobby when you are actually homeless and living in a delivery van, but honestly tents!

I took this photo from an angle so that you couldn't see the tents

We (well Steve) put the electric frypan to the test tonight and cooked up roast pork chops and roast vegetables. The frypan came through with flying colours. Very nice.

In another exciting finish to another exciting day we finished off NCIS Series 4. This is starting to get worrying now though, only 15 episodes left in our on-board collection. If Jake doesn't come through with the updates we are going to run out and that can only mean one thing. We will have to talk to each other.

Slight shower overnight but we are all warm and cosy in MM.

Saturday 5^th March

It was a little grey and drizzling when we woke up but it's trying hard to clear up, nothing that looks like spoiling our day though. Unlike the couple who arrived and starting setting up their tent. Their day was looking like being a long, unpleasant one. After spending over half an hour in “animated” discussion while setting up the tent, culminating in the wife going for a walk on her own. The tent was promptly dismantled and packed up and they climbed back in the car and drove off. Happy campers? Not these two.

Steve and Di however, the epitomy of marital bliss, strolled hand in hand through the dunes for a walk. Steve nearly spoiled that serenity by suggesting “I think if we follow this path here we will end up at the beach”. Luckily, while we didn't end up at the beach we did end up back where we started and were able to follow the main path out the front gate of the park that Di so succinctly pointed out “is the way I suggested in the first place”

I know the Black Swan is the emblem of WA (and a vey nice range of dips)
but there were hundreds of them right out the front of the park

I'm sure this guy was standing when I hit the button

Quiet afternoon but the day finished nicely as we were serenaded by the guitar playing couple in the tent next door. We made a point of getting the ear plugs in and trying to get off to sleep quickly once the guitar playing stopped though.

Sunday 6^th March

Unfortunately it was pretty miserable weather wise when we woke up but ever the intrepid explorers we decided to head on down to Walpole and the Valley of the Giants anyway.

Not far out of Walpole we noticed that this must be an affluent area. Of the twenty cars that passed us going the other way eighteen were Porsches. Di reckons that it looked like a Porsche Car Club Rally but I think she is underselling the people of Walpole.

With the rain continuing as we drove along, we started to question our pioneering spirit, but as has become normal for this trip, as we arrived at the Valley of the Giants the skies cleared and the rain stopped.

Now the Valley of the Giants is named after Aaron Sandilands, the ruckman for the Fremantle Dockers

I think he is standing on tiptoe

But in a strange coincidence, there is a forest there of Giant Tingle Trees. Must be something in the water.

The state government has built a tourist facility there, including a tree top walk. Unfortunately due to a continuing problem with Steve's courage (or rather lack thereof) we were unable to partake of the walk which takes you, on swaying, grid floored walkways, suspended by very thin cables 40 meters into the treetops to take in the majesty of the forest. In my defence I overheard a 10 year old girl who had already done the walk talking to her friend and she said it was “like, REALLY scary”.

You want me to climb up there??

We were however able to partake in the walk into the Ancient Empire, which takes place entirely at ground level.

These lumps are called "burls"
I think it's because they look like Burl Ives stomach

EDITORS NOTE: For those of you using this blog as a fill in until Richard Attenborough does another series: “The Tingle trees are some of the most enormous trees in the world and can only be seen in the Walpole Wilderness in WA's Southern Forest region. They are the largest of the Eucalypts and live for hundreds of years, growing up to 80 metres high and developing a girth of 20 metres (which is bigger than Oprah at her absolute biggest)”.

On the way back to Denmark we couldn't resist stopping in at the Ducketts Mill Winery and Cheesery (no really Cheesery is a word). Given we had stocked up on the $2.50 Bowlers Run range of wines at Dan's we didn't bother with the $30 Ducketts Mill range of wines but we did manage to pick up some very nice cheese.

Back at the van, fearful of a hot spell rolling in tomorrow, we ate all the cheese in case it went off.