Western Australia's SW Forests

Giant Tingle Tree

Traveling west from Albany my next stop was the Giant Tingle Tree.  This tree (so I have been informed)  is the largest living eucalypt and is one of the ten largest living things in the world.  It is around 400 years old and has a girth of 24 metres.  The Tingle Trees are the earliest eucalypts and now are found in only a small pocket in SW Western Australia, where the higher rainfall they require still exists, unlike the subsequent eucalypts that evolved from them adapting to much drier conditions.  A truly amazing tree and an amazing species.

My next stop was to be Shannon National Park but the 25km of burnt forest on either side of the road on the way there hinted a contingency may be called for.  So it was.  The campground was closed, the once beautiful kauri & jarrah forest sadly blackened and so I continued on to Pemberton to stay the night. 

 Pemberton is a quiet, pretty

 town supported by sawmilling, thus many of the houses are quaint older timber cottages.  Many small vineyards, art outlets and such give it a cultured ambience, thus a very pleasant place to visit.

Nightmare in Greenyville

Goblin Swamp!

The following morning on the way to Perth I visited Snottygobble Loop and Goblin Swamp. Snottygobble Loop is the name of the nearby campsite and – while a good campsite – is unspectacular other than in its fascinating name.  Goblin Swamp, however, is as intriguing bit of forest as I have ever seen!  I have no idea what forces have so sculpted these venerable tea- trees;  fire seems to be a factor but not the only one.   The Swamp is quite small, less than ½ hectare, but so totally unique!  It, unlike nearby Shannon NP, was fortunately untouched by the recent bushfires and was unchanged from when I first saw it two years ago.  From this primeval setting to the bustling city of Perth four hours later – quite a contrast.