Balingup Golden Valley Tree Park - Western Australia

Hi everyone. How are you? I hope you and yours are doiing well. We have been having glorious autumn weather. Clear days and cool evenings. 

But to be honest I have been feeling out of sorts for several weeks now. No particular reason - just an accumulation of things - a few health issues with family and friends, the ongoing Covid situation, and housing problems for a family member. I just feel like I need to go and sit in the bush (forest) for a few days - forest bathe - and get back on an even keel. 

So it was rather lovely to go for an autumn walk in the Balingup Golden Valley Tree Park which is about an hour or so from our home in the south west of Western Australlia. In a country where we have predominantly everygreen trees, the tree park is very special. We have been coming here almost annually for about 10 years. 

The Golden Valley Tree Park is a sixty hectare landscaped park set in the picturesque hills of Balingup. The heritage listed site has a collection of international trees that was begun over one hundred years ago, and is now the largest arboretum in Western Australia. The land was bought by the Government in the late 1970s and  park was establshed around 1980. 

I have blogged about the park before - here are a few examples: 

Autumn season of change - 2016

Autumn in the Golden Valley tree park - 2017

Autumn colour in Western Australia - 2019

We were maybe a week or so early this year, and it was a cloudy overcast day, but it didn't matter, it was still beautiful, the weather was good for walking, and being able to go midweek meant that we could wander without the crouds. Mother's Day in the second weekend of May is very popular! 

The tree park is 1.5 kilometres south of Balingup, or you can walk to it from Balingup via an easy 2 kilometre walk along the part of the 1000 kilometre Bibbulmun Track, which passes through the park. Please shut the gates as sheep graze on the property. 

The area that comprises the park was first settled in 1898 by Frank and Margaret Cleverland.  Their home was built of bricks made from clay dug from nearby Yungerup Spring. The original 20 plantings of exotic species by Olwyn Cleverland during 1930-1940's has grown to an impressive world collection of over 500 species, represented by over 3000 individual specimens. The Park, which is heritage listed, is maintained by volunteers and sponsorship. From its first plantings over 100 years ago the the Golden Valley Tree Park is now the largest arboretum in Western Australia.

The Australian tree collection covers 25 hectres for Australian trees and the World Collection covers 35 hectares. 

You can read more about the history and management of the park here - Golden Valley Tree Park - about us.

Here are a few pics from around the park. 

Sit and enjoy the view from the pear walk

There are lovely places to sit along the way, as under these Chinese Tallow trees. 

There are over 30 species of oaks in the park. 

The Chinese Pistachio walk is one of my favourites in the park. 

Beyond this gate is the London Plane trees Avenue to Nowhere planted in 1908 by the Craig family in anticipation of a newer grander house. However the plans were abandoned after a leg injury sustained in the First World War and the property was sold in 1920. 

These are Red Miexican Hawthorne trees. The bright red berries remind me of Christmas. 

These are persimmon trees

And a huge Chinese Pistachio tree

This delightful map which I think is aimed at children, outlines some of the features of the park

The old mulberry tree

Sadly our day ended prematurely when it started to rain. We sheltered under some trees, until they too released their water burden, so we ran back to the car and headed home. We had had a lovely day. Make sure you take your lunch, so you can take your time to meander through the different areas of the park. Or buy your lunch in Balingup on the way through. 

• Entry is free but a donation will help the work of our volunteers
• The Park is open seven days a week. Camping is not permitted
• Dogs are permitted but must be exercised responsibly, with consideration for other visitors and livestock in the Tree Park
• Toilets, wood barbeques, picnic tables and gazebo shelter provided (suggest you bring toilet paper) 
• Walk tracks are clearly marked
• Many of the trees are labelled in the field. Maps and lists are provided at the information shelters
• More information at Golden Valley Tree Park
• Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed this walk through the Ballingup Golden Valley Tree Park. You might also like:

• Autumn season of change - 2016
  

  Autumn in the Golden Valley tree park - 2017
  

  Autumn colour in Western Australia - 2019

• 
• 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!
• 
  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. 
         and Little bird - Pienilintu
  Thankful Thursday 
  Welcome to Nature Thursday
  
• Skywatch Friday
• 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.

ANZAC Day Dawn Service - 25 April 2022

It is three years since we were able to attend an ANZAC Day Dawn Service due to Covid restrictions. But today we were able to attend again at the war memorial in Bunbury with many others to commemorate and remember those who lost their lives or came home broken defending our freedom. It is a solemn and reflective occasion as we stand with heads bowed during the minute silence, the reading of the Ode, and the sounding of the last post on the bugle. 

It was not lost on us this morning the significance of the Ukrainian and Polish flags also flying at half mast at the memorial in remembrance of the deadly destructive war raging in the Ukraine today.  

As we drove home we stopped to view the magnificent blood red sunrise over Koombana Bay. It seemed a fitting reminder of the blood still being spilt in conflicts around the world. Will humanity never learn from the past?

A few facts about ANZAC Day. 

"ANZAC" is an acronym for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. -  the name given to a combined force of First Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Army troops who rowed ashore on Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula at around dawn on Sunday, the 25th day of April, 1915, barely nine months after the outbreak of World War I. 

ANZAC Day marks the anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign of WWI- the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during WWI.

Each year on the 25th of April we reflect on all Defence Force personnel, past and present, and the sacrifices they’ve made. ANZAC Day is one of Australia’s most important national occasions.

Not only at the grand momuments, but in the little towns too, throughout Australia, people gather to remember and pay respect.

Traditionally, rosemary is worn on ANZAC Day. Rosemary is found growing wild on the Gallipoli peninsula.

The Australian War Museum in Australi's national capital, Canberra, is one of our most important memorials, achives and museums. The names of those killed in action in the first and second world wars are written on the remembrance walls.

Here we laid poppies for my Great-Uncle Norman Clayden who died at Gallipoli on 27th April, 1915 (aged 19 - no known grave), and my husband's uncle Richard Ramsden who died in a prisoner of war camp in Myanmar (Burma) on 29th October 1943 in World War 2.  (aged 23 - buried at Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Mynanma).

The RED Poppy symbolises peace, death and sleep of the fallen servicemen and women. While the PURPLE Poppy represents remembrance of the animal victims of war. The ORANGE Poppy represents the acknowledgement of the Service families, and also acknowledges the families’ loss due to veteran suicide. The WHITE Poppy worn between 1918 - 1939 symbolises the wearers’ commitment to peace.

'Lest We Forget' is an expression of remembrance

The 'Ode' comes from the poem "For the Fallen", written by Laurence Binyon. The verse, which is commonly known as 'The Ode Of Remembrance', is as follows:

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them."

Lest We Forget

The first ever recorded Dawn Service in Western Australia was conducted by Anglican Chaplain Padre White (44th Battalion AIF) on 25 April 1923 in Albany, and has been held ever since with several thousand-people participating each year.

For many Australian's Albany was the last sighting they had of Australian soil before sailling to Egypt.  Below is the war memorial on Mt Clarence in Albany.  You can read more here: Albany Field of Lights for ANZACs

On the way to the Dawn Service this morning, we heard the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo on the radio from Canberra. The sound always stirs something deep inside. For the first time, Ngarla Maumahara, the Indigenous ANZAC Day Service was held in Perth.

I have just now picked up off my shelf a small poetry book which was my mother's entitled "The Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels" collected by Sapper Bert Beros and dedicated to Australian soldiers and the peoples of New Guinea, the Fuzzy Wuzzy Angels, who gave invaluable help to the Allies during WW2. I opened the book randomly and this poem was on the page - here is an exerpt -

The Coloured Digger - written at Donadabu rest camp, dedicated to Private West

He came and joined the colours when the War God's anvil rang,

He took up modern weapons to replace his boomerang,

He waited for no call-up, he didn't need a push,

He came in from the stations and the townships of the bush.

......

He proved he's still a warrior, in action not afraid,

He faced the blasing red-hot fire from mortar and grenade;

He didn't mind when food was low, and we were getting thin,

He didn't growl or worry then, he'd cheer us with his grin.

......

You might like this You Tube video

This afternoon we went for a drive around to some of the war memorials in our local area - Burekup, Dardanup, Boyanup, Capel, Bunbury and Rathmines (also in Bunbury). It was a lovely afternoon and we saw some memorials which we had never seen before, or had seen but never stopped at. Thankyou to Capelberry Cafe in Capel for serving us coffees and delicious Anzac biscuits sandwiched with chocolate ganache, even though they were about to close up for the day.

A few of my previous posts about ANZAC Day here:

Darwin Remembers, Northern Territory, Australia

Anzac Day 2016

Spirit of Anzac Centenary - 2017

Gallipoli and ANZAC Day 2021

ANZAC Day 2014

Thank you so much for stopping by this ANZAC Day. 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!
   
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. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

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.

Eucalypt Swamp Yate

 Hi everyone, sorry I haven't been around much the last couple of months, but I am still here. Just life seems to be keeping me busy busy. And I just don't seem to be able to get into the blogging groove. But I will. 

I hope you are all well, as we are here. 

This is Eucalyptus occidentalis - Swamp Yate - a eucalyptus new to me. Well I had seen it before, but not registered it was something different. It is flowering right now along the Leschenault Estuary near Bunbury in Western Australia's south west. A great place to go for a walk.

If you are interested in seeing more I have blogged about the Leschenault Estuary before here:  Lescheanult Estuary and the Paperbark walk

Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope you and yours are doing well. 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!
   
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. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

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.

Written from a writing prompt - inspired by Ukraine

Something a little different from me today, inspired by the heart-renching situation in the Ukraine. One month in from the Ukraine/Russian conflict.  I have never been to Russia or the Ukraine, so the few photos I share today are from other parts of Europe in a happier time.  I really enjoyed taking photos of balconies on our trip to Spain, Malta & Italy in 2018.

This piece I wrote the other day from my writer's group home writing prompt - 

No-one answered the door, so Tina took her mobile phone out of her pocket.

With only a backpack hastily stuffed with a change of clothes and her passport, Tina had travelled all day and all night to get here. First by train, almost empty of other passengers, then hitched a ride in the back of a truck, the weary men looking askance at her. Lastly on foot through the ravaged countryside and deserted streets, hardly recognising her surroundings since her visit last spring.

How could it be that at the end of her journey no-one was here to meet her? Tina looked again at the text message from her sister asking her to come quickly…or was it pleading? She had tried to call her sister several times since leaving home, but couldn’t get through. With each kilometre she had grown more anxious.

Tina stepped back from the heavy wooden door and looked up. Above was an iron balcony and an open door with lace curtains wafting gently in and out. She glanced up and down the street. No-one was out at this early hour but she didn’t want to draw attention to herself by calling out. A lone dog snuffled around a rubbish bin.

Tina blew her warm breath into her hands and then reached for the ornate brass door knocker. The thud echoed dully within. She waited but no-one came.

She pushed on the door and it creaked slowly open. Dry leaves scattered around her feet. Stepping cautiously inside Tina scanned the deserted courtyard strewn with dying plants and broken furniture.

A cat slunk away through an open doorway. She followed and was shocked by the disarray inside. Broken tiles and debris littered the floor and plaster hung limply from the exposed roof beams.

On the gilt framed mirror on the opposite wall was one word scrawled in lipstick or was it blood – “run”

I hope you and yours are doing well. I pray for a peaceful resolution in the Ukraine, and cry for the children and families who are suffering. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. 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!

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. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

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.