Coalmine Beach near Walpole

The friendly wildlife.
(I am very proud of my photo!)

COALMINE BEACH 10^TH – 12^TH MARCH    
                          

                                                                  

Coalmine Beach is just before Walpole on the edge of the inlet. We stayed in the Top Tourist C.P. which was set amongst the trees, you felt like you were bush camping, beautiful. We based ourselves here for three days to go explore the trees and inlet and we were not disappointed.

Oh Yeah! Before we got set up Pete had to do a minor repair to the trailer!




After finding a big pot hole and bouncing the trailer Pete found
that one of the springs had slipped out of it's guide! Oops!
Very easy to fix!




Think he liked getting his hands dirty again!


















 What also made our stay here very enjoyable was meeting the Adam’s Family, ha!  Tracy, Andy, Ben, Zach and Emily,a lovely family close to our age & the kids were only a couple of years younger then Tom and Charlie but they hit it off wonderfully.



Here are the boys, the crutches belong to Ben.



Walpole is famous for the Tree Top Walk and the age of the forest around it and one can understand why when you see it.

THE VALLEY OF THE GIANTS TREE TOP WALK

The tree top walk takes you around the tree tops via 6  platforms that are 60 meters in length they are made out of steel and you can see through them.  The platforms all sway slightly to give you that feeling that you are up in the canopy of the trees. The highest point s 40 meters. To our surprise this walk opened 6^th August 1996, so it isn’t that old but it has already had over 2 million people pass through it’s doors.




the start of the tree top walk




at the highest point




speaks for itself




Tom, Charlie and Pete are
at the end of this 60 meter
platform!





up in the branches




look how high compared to the tree!


We also did a short walk through the floor of the forest and we ended up on a free tour which was very informative. We now know that these amazing Tingle Trees are called “Giants” because of their girth size not their height. The girth is measured 1.4 meters up from ground level and some in this forest have up to and beyond an 18 meter girth which has to be seen to get a real view.

The age of these trees are also of importance because a lot of them are over or around 300 years old. What we found amazing was how they still manage to grow when half their trunk is missing or burnt out, and we did learn that it is all in the trunks structure and great design, nor do these trees have deep roots so it is the way the trunk spreads out at the base which gives it its whole support, allows it to absorb more moisture and also tells the age of the tree.



This is Grandma Tingle
her base is 18 meters and she
is over 300 years old!



A good example of how burnt out
a Tingle can be and still live.



Before the Tree Top Walk was built there used to be tree you could drive your car through. This tree fell down in the 90's and it is part of the reason the Tree Top Walk
was created, to keep people off the shallow roots of the Tingle Trees and
hopefully keep them alive for a lot longer.



NORNALUP RIVER CRUISE

After some consideration and thought we decided to do this cruise out on the inlet, it wasn’t really for the cruise ride itself it was more to do with the man running the cruise. Everyone we had spoken to said he is a very knowledgeable and funny man and if you wanted to learn the history about Walpole he new it.

We went and had a great time topped off with a magnificent day of weather. An absolute character with a passion for Walpole, Australia and the environment as a whole. His name is Gary Moir and he is a eigth generation to the area and has written and/ or been involved with a book or two on his family. No matter what your background is he could somehow place you back to some thing/ era or time which involved Walpole! His knowledge did not stop at Walpole though he could tell you about science, animals, politics, anything; a man with the gift of the gab!



views from the the boat 




The water was so clear  you could see the channels in it.




We stopped for morning tea near the inlet and you were allowed
to go for a swim, you may be able to see the fish below the boat
on the right.



GIANT TINGLE TREE

This tree is in another part of the Forest to the tree top walk and it has to be seen to be believed. It is over 300 years old and before it’s middle was burn’t out in fires its girth was 24 meters around, massive!



Trying to show how big it is!




Couldn't get far enough back to get it all in.



Circular Pools

We went for a paddle in the Frankland river which is what leads into the circular pools . Tracy and Andy had this canoe that they let the boys have a go on. Everyone was having a lovely swim till Pete found a leach under his arm pit!



One of the pools at Circular Pool




The top pool




Tom & Charlie on Tracy's canoe on the Frankland River




Mount Frankland

This was an easy walk as far as our walks have been, although it was a bit tough climbing up the 300 steps and two small ladders to get to the manned fire tower up on top, but good views form the top. When we arrived to do the walk a Park Ranger came over for chat about the car, ( he had just bought one), anyway he invited us to come and have a look at what he was building in the park as another look out. So after the walk we went around and found him and were amazed to see a long platform that will eventually take you straight out from the mountain side through the tree tops and to look out onto the valley. He said the Castle Rock Walk we did at Porongorup was a take off from this one, they just got contractors in to do theirs quicker and that this one has been going for 2 years due to inclement weather.

The manned fire tower up top.



Views from the top.










This is the rock that forms the top of the mountain.











The platform will be amazing when completed, will have to come back to see it.