I totally overdid it today. 9 hours driving almost nonstop is even too much for me. I set off from Perth at an early hour to try and reach Denmark, Western Australia as quickly as I could. For the first 180 kms it was a four lane separated highway. The scenery was green and brown ground with short trees. Then when I got to Bunbury (where I would be staying for two nights), the road turned into a two lane highway and the trees were taller and the forest greener.
There were many interesting sites along the road. Also some parts looked like East Texas with huge green pastures with cattle and horses. Then south of Manjimup (yes, that’s it’s name -- “Man up” :) love it), it became a national forest with huge massive trees for about 100 kms.
On the way down there, I thought the road was quite bendy and curvy, but for some reason on the way back, I just stayed behind a little Mazda and the road wasn’t that bad.
This South West Coast Road got me to Walpole, where I got gas and got a nice hand gesture from some bogan who slammed on his brakes in the middle of the road. There are idiots everywhere. Why flip me off when you were the one who almost caused the accident.
Check out the rainbow --
The Valley of the Giants Treetop Walk is not for those faint of heart, ie my friends with vertigo couldn’t do half of this area. There was a walkway made of metal that swayed and moved under the walkers. (um, not good) It was at a incline and a few different levels getting you right to the tops of these massive trees -- I think they are Tingle Trees. It was a very interesting perspective to be this high up, but even I got a little off when I looked down.
There is another part of the walk that anyone could do. It’s more like being in the redwoods of California. I always think of my brother when I think of the redwoods. Because I was with him when I first explored them. We took all the silly pictures inside the trees. No one was taking silly pictures inside trees here.
The weather was great until I hit the Giants area and then it got a little misty. After a 5 hour trip to get there, I stayed about an hour and half then turned around and headed back from where I came to Bunbury. On the way, I stopped at the Fruit Barn for some $15 bananas :) and other fruit. Check out the pumpkin? squash? -- FYI that is an ICE holder like you see at a convenience store to give you perspective of how big that thing was.
On the road there were heaps of signs about don’t drive tired, but one surprised me -- Free coffee for driver. There were other interesting signs too.
In Bunbury, I lucked out with the hotel pick. I got a great online deal on the Lord Forrest Hotel. When I arrived it looked like an Embassy Suites with an indoor pool -- sweet. How do I always end up in a nice hotel? I guess I have decent hotel karma. When I was unloading my car (yes, with my “too much” stuff) this man took the cart down there and helped me and then took it to my room -- he was the manager of the hotel, what’s up with that? Very nice staff or maybe he just wanted me to move my offensive yellow car as quickly as I could to the parking garage.
The restaurants and main drag was quite close to the hotel so I went to the Rex Cafe for dinner (yes those are fries with the lasagna) and then Josephine’s for dessert.
Now to see if I can slum it in this hotel and recover from my long drive.
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