On the road again - Denmark weekend, Western Australia

Only just over a week into the New Year and we are on the road again. Just a short three day trip down to beautiful Denmark on our South Coast. I have family living in and around Denmark and so the main reason for our trip was to visit them. It is a stunningly beautiful area, and we have visited many times over the years. My cousin owns a farm bounded by State forest - so beautiful to walk those hills and paddocks.

We take the South Western Highway south through Balingup and Bridgetown. Just beyond Manjimup you enter the beautiful Karri forests region.
We took my Dad with us on this trip, so I was relegated to the back seat from where I took this pic.

Western Australia’s southern forests are dominated by Karri trees which grow only in WA’s wettest corner.  Belonging to the eucalypt family, many of the Karri trees are over 400 years old. Reaching a maximum height of about 90 metres they are one of the tallest forest trees in the world. Karri’s are easily identified. Their long straight trunk has a smooth bark which is shed every year, and changes colour as it matures. Interspersed with the Karri are Tingles, Jarrah, Marri, Bullich and Blackbutt and a stunning display of over 1500 wildflower species from September to November. 

The Karri is my favourite tree of the southern forests.  They are such a stately magestic tree, and I love the patterns and colours created by the shedding bark. 

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10 kilometers south of Manjimup is the Diamond Tree Lookout. At the top of this 51 m karri tree, is the only wooden treetop tower in the world. It is still in use as an integral part of the fire management and spotting programme. 

 If you are fit and have a head for heights you can climb the tree. This is one of three climbable treetop fire lookouts located within the Southern Forests region. The other two are Gloucester Tree (60 metres) and  Bicentennial Tree lookout (more than 60 metres high) - the highest treetop lookouts in the world.  

We stopped at Diamond Tree for morning tea, and lucky for us a young lady arrived to climb the tree - it was a perfect day for it as there was hardly a breath of wind, so the tree wouldn't have been moving much - at least in the lower parts. Her boyfriend stayed at the bottom and watched.  A few years ago I climbed part way up to the midway platform of Biacentennial Tree. It was an amazing view but climbing as far as this was enough for me! That laddar doesn't give you much safety protection!

From Manjimup you drive through the Karri forests through Walpole and Nornalup, past the Valley of the Giants (where you can walk along the tree-top walk), and then to Denmark.

Situated 52 kilometres west of Albany and 66 kilometres east of Walpole on Western Australia’s south coast, Denmark is attractively located on the banks of the Denmark River which flows into Wilson Inlet and then into the Southern Ocean.  
Denmark, whose early history revolved around the timber industry, is now a thriving, diverse community with a friendly, relaxed feel, which attracts visitors to its vineyard covered hillsides, towering wilderness forests, spectacular coastline, pristine beaches, scenic drives and walk trails which showcase the natural beauty of Denmark.

We stayed at Denmark Waterfront Motel where we have stayed before. It is just beyond where the Denmark River enters the Wilson Inlet.  On the first morning I walked down to the banks of the Inlet to take some pics. I probably should have gotten up earlier to catch the light. The paperbark trees come right down to the water's edge.
ok - the middle right photo was taken on a previous trip, but when the light is perfect and you love a photo you want to share it again..... 

There are several easy walk trails close to the Denmark town centre which help you appreciate Denmark's natural beauty.

The Little River walk is one we hadn't explored before. I was alerted to it by Bonny at - Western Australia-travellersguide-Scenic-drive-in-Denmark
 - thanks Bonny! 

This walk takes in a short section of the Bibbulmun Track and runs along the wooded foreshore of Wilson Inlet from Rainbow Close to Campbell Road - 5km return - allow 1.5 hours walking.  Or you can do a shorter walk from Little River Road to Rainbow Close (and return) as we did. It was a lovely shaded walk through the trees, and across a bridge, with views of the Inlet.  You can see pelicans and there are a couple of seats.

Closer to town is the Mokare Heritage Trail - a three kilometre circuit from town down to the river mouth, across the old rail bridge, returning to town on the other side of the river. This walk was named after Mokare, an Aboriginal tribal leader from the Albany area who accompanied Dr Thomas Bradiwood WIlson on his 1829 expedition to the Denmark district. 

You can extend this walk by joining the 12km (4 hour return) Wilson Inlet Heritage Trail at the bridge which follows a section of the Albany-Nornalup railway line.  Or the 4km (1.5 hours) Karri walk from the bridge to Barnett Street in town, winding through karri, paperbark, jarrah and yate trees. 

The blue bird you see in this collage is the Splendid Blue Wren - an icon of the area.
You can explore the waterways by hiring a canoe at the riverside park in the centre of town.

About 12 kilometres out of town along Scotsdale Road is the Harewood Forest Walk. This beautiful 1.2km return walk (allow 40 minutes) winds upstream through karri regrowth forest which has regrown after having been logged and clear-felled in the early 1900s when Denmark was a mill town.  At one time Karri blocks were used to pave some of the streets of London. Interpretive signage describes the history of settlement and logging in Denmark and plants of the forest. It is amazing to see how the forest has regenerated.

Further afield are more vigorous walks requiring a reasonable degree of fitness - 
- the 9km return (allow 3 hours walking) Mr Lindesay walk
- the  steep and rocky Sheila Hill Trail (allow 2 hours one way)

- the Denmark to Nornalup Heritage Rail Trail (60km currently open)

- there are also beach walks with spectacular ocean vistas, and other sections of the Bibbulmun track which wind through the Denmark-Walpole area
- and the Denmark town heritage walk. 

ooo - just discovered "picmonkey.com" mosaics and photo-editing - what fun!

After all that walking you might want to chill out with a glass of wine or lunch platter at a winery - trust me when I say there are LOTS to choose from!

Information on all these walks are contained in the booklet - Trails of Denmark - available from the Denmark Visitor Information - Denmark Tourism
 

You might also like - 
Denmark and Walpole Wilderness, Western Australia
Denmark - where the forest meets the sea, Western Australia 
Hopetoun & Fitzgerald River National Park, Western Australia

Thanks for stopping by I hope you have enjoyed this visit to Denmark. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you.

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