2nd - 4th January 2016
 
Walpole, according to the locals there is the North Pole, South Pole and Walpole, the belly button of the world. They also refer to it as the Snake Capital of Australia and we heard more than once that there were 53 reported snake bites in the last two years, so watch your step sonny!

Walpole sits at the inland end of two bays that form a squat figure "8", the outer Nornalup Inlet and the smaller Walpole Inlet joined by a narrow passage between two wooded hills. All roads out of Walpole head uphill, quickly leaving the township hidden by hills and the giant Karri trees. A stop at the Info Centre and we meet a super enthusiastic lady volunteer with deep knowledge of her community, and soon we are hooked and have bought tickets for the WOW Eco Cruise, more on that later. We head a few kilometres east of town and set camp in the very wooded Coalmine Beach Caravan Park. Wooded? Well it is difficult to find a site here that is not shaded and that suits us nicely, also it is protected from the wide Nornalup Inlet and a strong wind by a sand dune and trees.
 
Coalmine Beach sits along a narrow peninsula called the Knolls, and this becomes our first reconnoiter trip of the district, a short looped drive through the Karri with views of both inlets and the passage. Next morning at 9:50am sharp we are lined up awaiting to board the WOW Eco Cruise. We had been recommended this tour by other travellers before we arrived in Walpole. Apparently the owner and guide, a fellow called Gary Muir, is the main attraction of the day, out shining the flora, fauna and geography of the cruise.
 
Gary is amazing as he begins his tale that twists and turns through ecology, astronomy, politics, history, botany and nature. Gary is a genius! True! Gary doesn't have an official, by rote story to tell, his narrative is born from passengers conversations, questions and where they are from. Gary did link Walpole with wherever we said we were from. For Roscoe, the Gold Coast Mayor, Mr Tom Tate, has just signed off on Walpole school designed anti-bacterial boot cleaner designed to prevent infestation of habitats by organisms not native. For Evi, Austria's leading biologist had spent some years in Walpole to categorise native animal species. This Austrian continues links with the WOW organisation today.
 
The cruise lasted about 3 hours and Gary never shut up. Ask him what fish that is and he will provide a dissertation of its sex life, feeding habits, habitat, common name, local name and Latin name. Same with plants, trees or seaweed. History of Walpole, his family have been here for about 6 generation, in fact we bought the book on the Muir Family History. Tolstoy's private papers were hidden in Walpole, America Cup defender yacht were designed and built here, the place is alive with history and the community have embraced it. Check out this amazing guy and his tour of discovery ~ www.wowwilderness.com.au
 
WOW was certainly "wow" and after the cruise we decided to have an easy afternoon to do some shopping, reading and writing. Now, moving on, a drive north to Mount Frankland to enjoy a hike to the top of this granite mountain top. On the way a detour to Thusly Herb Farm for a wander through the herb garden, a coffee and a large wedge of Turkish Orange Cake to share. The road to Mt Frankland begins as a really good blacktop wide road, then comes the gravel that begins to wind up through both farmland and Karri forests, then a twisting and narrowing road that almost becomes a track, almost, then for no good reason becomes a perfectly wide and smooth gravel road as it runs across the ridges and a plateau to the Frankland NP. The forests are beautiful but very dense offering no view out over the escarpments to the coast.
 
From the carpark we embark on a 1.2klm hike which will take us to the domed bare granite peak of Frankland. The path is well laid and an easy walk, at first, as soon we come to the steeper slopes then onto sets of stairs that suddenly emerge from the surrounding scrub onto this egg shaped dome. The view is only constricted by a chain wire fence around the perimeter, but a few metres up the egg and you are above that eyesore. The view is now a panoramic 360° spectacle. In the distance north arise peaks and ranges in the far haze, closer and clearer stand forest punctuated by farmland. To the south the bay's of Walpole, Denmark and far off a glint of Albany.

Form the heights of Mt Frankland we had spied an alternate route to return to Walpole via a gravel road that struck out in a north east direction before turning south towards the coast. About 6klm down this very good road and we come to..."Road Closed" with a great whopping tree trunk across our path! Back we go until we find a road heading off eastwards off the main road, and this has an added bonus of taking us to the Walpole Wilderness Discovery Centre, Walk Above the Giants & Ancient Walk complex. Evi has been looking forward to the Walk (high) Above the Giants, whereas Roscoe feels that the tree roots are really neglected. Unfortunately, for Roscoe, the only path from the Discovery Centre is the ramp up, up to the tops of the Karri trees. The suspended bridge structure is impressive, tracing a large "U" about 800 metres from start to blessed finish! Evi marvelled at the view, Roscoe at his boots! After the high walk comes the Ancient Walk, a trail of about 1.2klm through some really huge old Karri trees, and that we both enjoy.
 
About 20klm from Walpole is Peaceful Harbour, a well known camping spot along the coast that we decided to spy out before relocating here (20klm is a good days travel after all). Peaceful Harbour is peaceful, but perhaps a little too peaceful for our liking. A short journey back to the highway and we stop at Bow Bridge Roadhouse, recommended for lunch. There is a bridge, Bow Bridge, and a roadhouse, that's it! The road house looks a tad rundown, it has a very dirty Diesel pump and two petrol pumps but one has an "Out of Use" sign on it. The roadhouse sits much lower than the road and the bitumen driveway is sloped and potholed. The old building is in need of a coat of paint and some new gutters, the windows are grimy, leaves strewn about, front door crooked...looks great and we're hungry.
 
Inside the old roadhouse is like entering Dr Who's Tardis...shop counter, convenience store, newspapers, basic hardware, a liquor shop and a café cum restaurant takeaway, all in 3 different rooms. Two women seem to own and run the place and after our tour of discovery we place an order for Snapper and fries for two accompanied by a couple of ciders from the liquor store, and we retreat to the "garden", a paved area out front with a few picnic trestles under a rickety pergola. So far we have been to only customers, but as we await our lunch several vehicles pull up and enter the place, none take fuel, but some come out with supplies and also mail, this is also a mini Post Office....apparently! The food is delicious and generous. The fish fresh and the fries hand cut and tasty. Never disparage a book by its cover!
 
Our last afternoon we find ourselves at Conspicuous Cliffs, the beachfront of a National Park to the east of town. Leaving the Patrol in a large though deserted car park we take to the signed track to the beach and lookouts the first detour is a lookout high above us which proves to be a spectacular panoramic view of a wide deserted beach bounded by azure ocean on one side and steep slopes to high hills inland. In the distance a headland rears to the east which appears to float on this beautiful setting. We are soon back at the car for towels and onto the beach track, east along the beach to a deeper pool sheltered from the waves by a rock shelf. The water is brisk, perhaps 17°c, but wonderfully refreshing for a brief swim. A deserted beach, swim, explore and some great photos is a good ending to an enjoyable and memorable stay.