Down in the woods today.... in the Western Australian bush

We took a drive up to the bush today inland from Harvey about an hour or so from home. I love walking in the bush as long as it is not too hot, which it wasn't today with winter starting to take its grip on Western Australia's south west.

This area is predominantly jarrah forest. There were no wildflowers out yet, I will have to wait for spring for that, but did I care? No not one bit. There is always something to photograph. And anyways just being in the bush, walking, absorbing the quietness, and then sitting with our cup of soup and bread for lunch, was just perfect for me. 

There are greens

 The Prickly Hakea - Hakea amplexicaulis - which flowers August to October. I love the way the prickly wavy leaves wrap themselves around the stem. The flowers sit on top of these leaves. 

This was taken last year - not quite open

The Leucopogon verticillatus, or Tassel flower, is the tallest epacrid in Western Australia. Its striking form and similarity to bamboo made it the first Western Australia export to Japan, where it is used in flower arrangement. The small flowers form tassels of pink or red. This is an understory plant which grows in heavy soils in Karri, Jarrah, Tingle and similar forests in the south-west.  Wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucopogon_verticillatus

There are browns on the forest floor, and in dying leaves - which are still beautiful

There is bark. I love the textures of bark. The one the left and right are burnt bark. Some of this bush land was devastated by the horrific bushfires which raged through Western Australia's south west in January 2015. I showed you some pictures in my blog post - Bushwalking at Hoffmans Mill
It is good to see the forest is slowly regenerating.  

In that particular blog post I showed you images of the bushfire devastated bushland and the historic Long Gully Bridge which was destroyed in those bushfires. The bridge had been an important river crossing for the Bibbulmun Track over the Murray River.  Sad to say the bridge has not yet been replaced and there is now a 30 kilometre diversion in place on the track. Please make sure if you intend walking on the Bibbulmun Track that you contact them or check their website for up-to-date information, track closures and diversion etc.  
 Here is their link - Bibbulmun Track and a link which shows images of the historic bridge and ways to donate - Bridge the Gap
 

My favourite "Snotty Gobble" top left hand corner below - which I shared with you last year - Enjoying the Australian bush - and at the top right hand corner I think is the Couch Honeypot - Dryandra lindleyana. I saw it flowering for the first time last year, and was fairly sure of its identity. It is a low ground plant. Below that are fresh and dried versions of fern.

And a photo of the Couch Honeypot which I took in late September last year. 

There are also other treasures to discover hiding in the undergrowth. The sun kissing the orange-red of a fallen leaf.

Raindrops

And how about playing around with some blur just for the fun of it. I hope this image doesn't make your head spin!

And the best thing? Being out in the fresh air away from the stresses of life, indulging my passion for photography, and it's free!

 Lastly..... today I was reading in The West Australian weekend newspaper about the creator of Canva, Western Australian Perth girl Melanie Perkins, in 2012. They now have over  100 team members from 12 countries in 3 offices, and have created over 100 million designs and have over 10 million users. So I thought I should have a look at Canva. At the moment I am using Picmonkey for my collages (it is super easy to use), but it looks like Canva have lots of cool features. Obviously it takes a little to find your way around (I can't figure out how to just get a basic 6 opening template yet.....), but here is a small start.  I'm not sure I like the way they just changed the colours of the leaves without me asking them to. What do you think?
I was wondering what program do you use for your collages?

Do you enjoy bushwalking? Perhaps you'd like to tell us about your favourite bushwalking track in the comments. 
In the meantime, thank you so much for dropping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little walk in the Western Australian bush in late autumn with me. I appreciate each and everyone of you who take the time to stop by, look, and comment. I will try in return to visit your blogs.  Have a wonderful week. 

I just found this site you might find of interest -
Wildflower Society of Western Australia

You might also enjoy -
Enjoying the Australian bush
Bushwalking at Hoffmans Mill, Harvey
It's time to be out on the Bibbulmun Track again 


I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
 

Mosaic Monday 
Life Thru the Lens 

Our World Tuesday
Through My Lens 
Image-in-ing
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global
Travel Photo Thursday 
The Lovin' Life Team over at Lifestyle Fifty
The Weekly Postcard 
Sky Watch Friday

A walk on the Bibbulmun Track with track volunteers

On Saturday we had a fabulous day bushwalking and assisting Bibbulmun Track volunteers on their section of the Bibbulmun Track at Grimwade.

The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world’s great long distance walk trails, stretching nearly 1000km from Kalamunda in the Perth hills, to Albany on the south coast, winding through the heart of the scenic South West of Western Australia
Please click on the link here to read more - Bibbulmun Track

 It has been some time since we had been out on the track, and it was great to revisit it with like minded people who enjoy bushwalking. This time however we were not there to just bushwalk, we went along to find out what my friend Wendy does as a volunteer for the Bibbulmun Track. As you would expect for a track which is nearly 1000km long, volunteers are essential to help maintain the track and campsites to a high standard for those walking the track. 

Bushwalking at Hoffman's Mill, Harvey - Western Australia

Do you like bush-walking? Do you have a favourite walking track? 

I enjoy bush-walking when conditions are not too hot and the wildflowers are blooming. It is always a peaceful way to escape from our usual work-day lives. 

I also like to take photos of wildflowers, and I have always said you can always find something flowering in the Australian bush somewhere. And autumn is no exception.

Last Monday the rain eased and the sun welcomed a beautiful autumn morning. We hadn’t been bush-walking for a while as summer down here really is too hot, but with the arrival of autumn and a rare day to ourselves, we decided to take the opportunity to visit Hoffman’s Mill.  


Please click on "read more" to keep reading and seeing more pics.

It's time to be out on the Bibbulmun Track again

It is autumn and so it is time to be out on the Bibbulmun Track again.

On Monday we walked 6.5kms from the Grimwade-Kirup Road along the Bibbulmun Track into the Grimwade hut, had lunch and then walked back out again. It was wonderful to be out bush walking again. This section of the track is through jarrah forest, with pockets of banksia, grass trees and a scattering of pines. Unfortunately too early for wildflowers - these will have to wait till spring.

We probably should have left home earlier because we were walking in the middle part of the day, and it was rather hot for April. So always be sure to have sunscreen, covering, a hat and carry plenty of water. We each drank our litre, and were glad for the extra litre of water we left in the car for our return. Good hiking boots and walking poles are also recommended.

Here is a picture of the Grimwade hut positioned high on a ridge over-looking the bush. Such a beautiful setting. It was lovely to just sit and absorb the peace and listen to the bird song.

The Bibbulmun Track is Western Australia’s longest walking track, stretching 964 kilometres from Kalamunda in the Darling Ranges near Perth to Albany on the south coast, traversing some of the South West’s most beautiful forests and wilderness over varying terrain through shady valleys to mountain tops with 360 degree vistas and spectacular coastal scenery.  It has become a Western Australian icon since it was opened in 1979 after Geoff Schafer presented the idea for the Track to the WA Minister for Forests in 1972. Further upgrades and extensions followed in 1988 and 1993-98.

Here is a section walking down a hill along the track to the Grimwade hut.....

Even though the Track is almost entirely through wilderness areas, it can be walked in relative safety.  It is easy to follow the triangular directional markers which are placed approximately 200 metres apart on trees or posts.  The markers feature a black stylised “Waugal” (rainbow serpent) on a reflective yellow background.  They give you a sense of security knowing you are “on track”. Walkers are advised to check their bearings and perhaps double back to the last Waugal if they don’t see one for 500 metres (approximately 8 minutes of walking).

Here is what a Waugal looks like....  

The Track is maintained to a high standard by track volunteers, and passes through nine towns.  Vehicle assess points, make it suitable for a short stroll, day walk, or overnight hike, so more people can experience our natural environment, not just those wanting a more adventurous trek. Three sided timber overnight huts are conveniently placed about 16 to 20 kilometres apart, a comfortable day’s walk.  The huts sleep approx 8 to 10 people and have a water tank and drop toilet - although the amount of water in the tank really depends on what time of year you are there and how much rain there has been.

And this is the inside of a hut - simple accommodation - open at the front - but very comfortable. I suggest bringing a very warm sleeping bag and thermals if you intend hiking during winter - it can get freezing cold in these huts at night!

There is plenty of opportunities for people to do short day walks or over night walks on the Bibbulmun Track.

These are outlined in the Bibbulmun Track guides and maps and on their web site. Click on the link here -  Bibbulmun Track

Who wouldn't want to wake up to a view like this.............

If you would like to read more - please click on the links below  to go to some of my previous posts about the Bibbulmun Track.

here - Photography on the Bibbulmun Track

and here - Walking on the Bibbulmun Track

and here - Bibbulmun Track at Balingup

and here - Bibulmun Track near Collie

I hope you have enjoyed this post. Perhaps it has given you a taste, and you might take a walk on the Bibbulmun Track one day soon.

Walking the Bibbulmun Track, Western Australia

WESTERN AUSTRALIA, August 2007

We are sitting in the small circle of our campfire reading Banjo Patterson. The soft whisper of the wind through the trees and the sound of water falling over rocks in the nearby creek seems fitting background music to Banjo’s poetry.

 

It is late August and I am at the Gregory Brook Hut on the Bibbulmun Track between Balingup and Donnelly River in Western Australia’s South West with two friends, 63 year old “End to End” walker Bernard Glasson from Perth and Trish Gibbs from Donnybrook who has been walking with Bernard for the last five days from Collie.

When I joined Bernard and Trish on Friday morning at Southampton Bridge just south of Balingup, Bernard had been on the Track for four weeks. Nearly halfway through his nine week walk along the 964 kilometre Bibbulmun Track from Kalamunda to Albany, Bernard was looking fit, healthy and happy.

The challenging up hill walk within the first hour, with sweat pouring out of every pore and my leg muscles screaming at me to stop or take the twelve kilogram pack off my back, had me wondering how I was going to cope for the next two days on the Track.

However as the day unfolded, so did my enjoyment of the experience. The flush of colourful wildflowers, bird song, the gentle cooling breeze, the canopy of trees, the log we sat on for lunch, the handful of dried fruit, the intoxicating smell of a patch of Boronia, the light drizzle of rain, the trickling water in a creek we crossed, the magnificent towering Karri trees, the space for my own thoughts, the welcome sight of the hut at the end of the day, and most of all the constant comfort of the company of my friends and the Track itself.

The Bibbulmun Track is Western Australia’s longest walking track, stretching from Kalamunda in the Darling Ranges near Perth, to Albany on the south coast, traversing some of the South West’s most beautiful forests and wilderness, over varying terrain through shady valleys to mountains with 360 degree views and spectacular coastal scenery.

To read this complete article see Go Camping Australia magazine, Winter 2008 Edition.