Down in the winter woods - Manjimup - Western Australia

 Hi everyone, I hope life is treating you and yours well. It has been cold and wet here the last few weeks, which has given me more time for other things including my photo book from our recent holiday. 

I am doing a little sidestep this week away from my Across Australia series - don't worry I will be back with the next enstallment next time. 

However I wanted to share some photos I took recently on a photography group day out with another photography group in Manjimup, Western Australia. We went looking for fungi in Foresters Wood and Four Aces near Manjimup. It has been a yearly catchup. It was very damp underfoot - perfect for fungi. Thankyou Manjimup for the great day out! 

I didn't take my tripod (I find it so restrictive), so upped the ISO so I could take photos handheld with my macro lens. I was reasonably happy with the results. 

Life in minature - 

I think this one needs a fairy or an elf sitting on top - not a native species and highly toxic! 

Life on the log

Not just fungi ....

Below is - Paraserianthes lophantha - commonly known as Cape Leeuwin Wattle or Crested Wattle - it is the only species occurring in south-west Western Australia; the other is found in tropical Australia. Australian National Herbarium. It is very different to the usual Australian wattles which come from the Acacia family. 

Last time we visited Four Aces in 2024 we saw this Spotted Pardalote pair - female on the left, male on the right. Thanks to my husband for the bird photos. 

This time we could hear them way up in the trees, but didn't see any on the ground. 

We also recently went searching in our local nature reserve for the tiny Helmet Orchids (Corybas) which are usually starting to appear in the leaf litter this time of year. I think we might have been a little early, but we did find one group. 

and a tiny Midge Orchid - Inaturalist.org-Cyrtostylis-huegelii

If you are lucy you might see and kangaroo or a red tailed black cockatoo

Thank you so much for stopping by. Do you go fungi or orchid hunting? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments. 

You might also like - 

Manjimup-Four Aces and One Tree Bridge, Western Australia

Hunting for wild orchinds in the Western Australian wheatbelt

Down in the woods hunting for wild orchids

Wild orchids in Manea Reserve

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
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!

If you are looking for a translate button - it's there near the top on the right hand side. 

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Monday Morning Blog Club @ Sticky Mud and Belly Laughs

Cosy with Coffee - Weekly Wonders 

Monday Murals @ Colourful World

Peabea's Pictorial Tuesday

Travel Tuesday

Talking About It Tuesdays @ Slices of Life

Through My Lens 
Thankful Thursday 

H2O Thursday
Nature Thursday

Sky Watch Friday

Life Captured

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

Until then, enjoy your day...Life only comes around once, so do what makes you happy, be kind, and be with people who make you smile. 

Wild and windy Canal Rocks, Western Australia

On the weekend we visited my sister and her family at their beach house in Dunsborough on our south west coast. It is a very popular holiday destination particularly in summer. 

While we were there we took a short drive to Canal Rocks only 14 kilometres away and easily accessible off Caves Road.  Here you can see the power of the Indian Ocean as it ceaselessly wears away the rocks to form the canals.  Particularly spectacular on a wild and windy day. 

 However, please be careful as this is a risk area where big waves can suddenly surge up onto the rocks and wash you into the ocean. Once you are in this "washing machine" there is little hope of recovery. 

We have visited Canal Rocks many times over the years. The younger me would clamber over this rocky part attached to the shore to see the water surging through the canal. Not this weekend though with my recovering ankle and perhaps I am a little more cautious now. 

This bridge you see in the above photo across the side channel was washed away recently in a particularly wild storm. It hasn't been repaired yet. 

Who would be wanting to launch or recover a boat from this boat ramp?

Here is an aerial view of Canal Rocks from a light plane ride we had a few years ago. You can see the canal.

Nearby is Smith's Beach - popular with surfers - but rather blown out on the weekend.

You can visit both of these on the 123 kilometre Cape to Cape walk trail from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, in the south west corner of Western Australia. 
We have only done little "bits" of this trail, but our son has done it twice, the first time was on his own. 

 You see and read more about this area in a couple of my previous posts
The Ocean's edge - Yallingup and Smiths Beach - 2011
10 things to do in Yallingup without going to the beach - 2015
Flight over Busselton & Yallingup - 2016

And here is this last weeks Covid photo a day project - 6 - 12 July 2020

8 July - tiny midge orchid at Manea Park

10 July - and kangaroos watching me in the late afternoon light at my son's block. I think the one in the middle is the "boss" - he didn't move - just sat there watching me. I was glad there was a fence between us as you don't want to mess with these big boys. And you certainly don't want to approach kangaroos in the wild.
We had a roast dinner and damper cooked over a camp fire with our family - lovely. 

 Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this little visit to Canal Rocks. 
I hope you are doing well despite the current world health problems and that you are your families are safe. We have had a worrying upward trend in Covid virus numbers in one of our Eastern states, Victoria, this past couple of weeks. And I know numbers are on the rise throughout the world. It worries me. 

It was lovely to be back with my Spanish dance group - Sol y Sombra - last weekend and not think about viruses. 

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Stay safe and well and have a wonderful week. 

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!

   
All Seasons
MosaicMonday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf
Sharon's Sovenirs 

Our World Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 

Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity.

The Lovin' Life Team over at: Deep Fried Fruit
 Month end link up @ Live love craft me

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.