3^rd January 3017 Pemberton to Albany

We left Pemberton and headed for the Gloucester National Park, which is a forest of Karri trees. In particular we were heading for the Gloucester Tree. This is 187 feet high (57metres). 

The Gloucester Tree

In the 1920’s when forestry was first introduced there was an interest in fire protection and appropriate lookouts.  The approach adopted was to choose the tallest trees on the highest terrain and build a lookout at the top. This was implemented with tapered wooden pegs of a metre in length driven into the trees to form a ladder. Eventually the wooden pegs were replaced by steel pegs. The Gloucester Tree is one such tree with 153 pegs winding up to a platform at the top. Mike scaled the tree and got a view of the tree canopies from the top.

Scaling the Gloucester Tree

Mike on Gloucester Tree platform

The road heading south

From the Gloucester National Park we headed to Northcliffe then onto Walpole where we took a trip around the bay and headed up on a dirt track road to see the Giant Tingle Tree. 

Giant Tringle Tree

From Walpole we headed through Denmark, stopping for tea and a view of the bay and then onto Albany, a relatively large city.

Pelican over Denmark estuary

 In Albany we were staying near Middleton Beach and should have stayed in the Dolphin Lodges but actually stayed across the road in Balneaire, in a double storey town house big enough to house at least 6. 

Balnearire accommodation