Thread: All the way around Aus

Well Albany is larger than I thought and apparently the first major port for WA. Lovely scenery, open sea into a large bay, then a smaller opening between granite hills into the smaller port harbour then into the river system. Drove around a bit looking at quite a few sites then headed off.


Albany view to beach.jpg albany bay.jpg albany port.jpg

albany ship.jpg


Next stop was Denmark and visited a well known timber/woodworking gallery (http://www.southcoastwoodworks.com.au/Home.html), not open tomorrow, then tomorrow to see another one of my favourites (http://www.djarilmari.com/) not open today.


Tomorrow I will also visit the "Valley of the Giants" and their tree top walk (http://www.valleyofthegiants.com.au/)

Originally Posted by HazzaB

Hey Neil,

pemberton Hotel had some awesome pics of the Logging history of e region, also a pretty good counter meal, when I was there a couple of years ago, when do you plan on being in Mandurah? I'm going over to turnfest in about 10 more sleeps for 4 days

HazzaB

Good question, but knowing my/your luck, about then . I'm sure I'll work something out if you are AWOL , have fun at Turnfest and say g'day to all for me.

On your way to the Valley of the Giants call in to Green Pool and Elephant Rocks ,also Parry Beach [great camping spot and there might be some Salmon running], if you decide to make your way up Caves Road from Augusta to Dunsborough ,you`re more than welcome to drop in and say G`day .
Cheers David

Love to meet up and I always wanted to go to Margaret River, someone said it was a really good spot, but still debating on whether I can afford the detour (time & money) at the moment as it adds at least another day or two on. What's out that way?

Four things to consider: the Margaret River chocolate factory (lots of free tastings!!!); the Margaret River cheese factory (more free tastings!!!), diving on the former HMAS Swan at Dunsborough and the odd winery or two...

ooohhhh chocolate factory hmmmm

My diet , oh well

I`m surprised that only "someone " said it was a great place, hard to please some people.Actually there`s two chocolate factories ,one of which is next door to us,but don`t let that sway your decision .the Capes Region would have to be one of the premier spots in Aus to visit,and if there`s any room left in your trailer I`m sure we can fill that in no time.

Originally Posted by dai sensei

ooohhhh chocolate factory hmmmm

My diet , oh well

Get to the chocolate factory before midday. The calories don't get active until after lunch

Alan...

Originally Posted by dusteater

I`m surprised that only "someone " said it was a great place, hard to please some people.Actually there`s two chocolate factories ,one of which is next door to us,but don`t let that sway your decision .the Capes Region would have to be one of the premier spots in Aus to visit,and if there`s any room left in your trailer I`m sure we can fill that in no time.

I meant with wood not chocolate ,although it is tempting

Well what a day yesterday. I headed off to Djarilmari Timbers but as I passed the information centre I noticed the door to the wood turning club was open. Popped in to say hello to the 3 members there turning odds and ends. Nice little set up and they have 25 members putting out some pretty nice stuff.

Then on to Djarilmari timbers to meet Neale & his wife Carla. Neale had just got back from the big timber auction at Harvey, the one I missed, with a huge trailer full of burls and slabs. I continuously drooled over their stuff for sale plus Neale’s private stash of burls and slabs. Wow, what a collection of magnificent timbers, from which I scored a few little pieces of ones I don’t have and stored them under/over/around trailer. He wrote the names of the ~10 timbers species I bought as there was no way I would remember them. My favourites would be the Crack & Rattle burl and the Acacia he had (no common name he knows of but it looks like WA’s version of ringed Gidgee). He also believed those burls I got were Gimlet, although the Gimlet he has seen normally has sap veins so not entirely sure, but definitely not Salmon Gum burl.

Then I had lunch down at the mouth of Wilson Inlet looking out onto Denmark’s beach.

denmark inlet and beach.jpg

Then I went to Green Pool, wow what a spot, open ocean with a natural rock bar sheltering beautiful deep pools.

green pool.jpg

Too cold to swim and the fishermen were not catching much so I headed off again to Elephant Rock Cider Shop that has the best and biggest ice-creams I have ever tasted. Never actually saw Elephant Rock bit also called in to Parry Beach only to find packed out and now where to park let alone camp.

Then off to the Valley of the Giants, a tree top walk through the giant Tingle Trees. Huge trees usually covered in mouth watering burls every where just to tease this old wood worker.

tree top walk.jpg trunk.jpg

burl5.jpg burl1.jpg

big burled trees.jpg burl6.jpg burl4.jpg burl3.jpg

You could easily spend weeks here looking at the sites, all the galleries, wineries, cheese factories and breweries amongst stunning natural scenery. I think if I stayed any longer I’d be tempted by the numerous timbers and burls around but I neither have the room nor the money to pay the fines if caught. So I’m moving on again towards Margaret River.

So I'm on my way Dusteater, probably get there tomorrow (?), PM me your details.

Thank you for this continually enjoyable thread, Neil, and the wonderful photos.

Really good reading this thread.

Well decided to head to Margaret River via a number of touristy sites. The first stop was Quinninup for a decent coffee but found everything was shut at 11am??? Anyway they did have a giant cork tree declared b the nation trust that was interesting, certainly the biggest I have ever seen.

cork tree.jpg

Next was the Gloucester Tree at Pemberton, a giant Karri tree with a fire observation hut 72m up the tree via a steel reinforcement steps.

gloucester tree1.jpg gloucester tree2.jpg

Then Beedelup Falls before falling victim to the Chocolate Factories at Margaret River

waterfall.jpg

Then I called in on Dusteater to marvel at his 100 acres of all sorts of trees and his timber stash and have been there ever since . Tried to turn some Grass Tree resin and almost had success, until I tried to part it off, then bang . I then turned some Dugong bone into a pen and it almost worked, but the cap end piece was NBG so had to settle for a piece of Sandlewood for the top. All good, Dusteater is going to post in pens

Hey Neil,

Sounds like you are having a fat time (chocolate and all) and seeing places that I haven't yet.
I had a guy tell me he has a log of 'Birds Eye Iron Bark' I've never heard of it, I can have some if I can get it Milled ;-)
you said the other day that you will be in the area for about a week, I should be able to catch up, hopefully we can catch Ian as well, I know he's keen for a meet and greet.
When you are in Perth, it's only an hour or so from here
Keep up the commentary and Pics they are great.

HazzaB

Originally Posted by HazzaB

Hey Neil,

Sounds like you are having a fat time (chocolate and all) and seeing places that I haven't yet.
I had a guy tell me he has a log of 'Birds Eye Iron Bark' I've never heard of it, I can have some if I can get it Milled ;-)
you said the other day that you will be in the area for about a week, I should be able to catch up, hopefully we can catch Ian as well, I know he's keen for a meet and greet.
When you are in Perth, it's only an hour or so from here
Keep up the commentary and Pics they are great.

HazzaB

I'll be up your way by the weekend Hazza. You will need to tell your mate the miller normally gets the majority, the owner only gets a slab of the miller's choice . But I'm sure we can work something out

I still have to call in on BlackbuttWA on the way, but it would be good if there was a BBQ some where up there maybe Sunday , then maybe do some milling during the week before you go .

Internet is real dodgy here, I got 0 to 2 bars tonight off and on