The Winter's Tale

A paradoxical winter’s tale as I was in Denmark in February and there was no snow… because it’s a town in West Australia and it is summer time.  

Ok, so this is the holiday I’ve had down south over the past 10 days. Split into sub headings for easy reading, I’d recommend a cup of tea, a chocolate digestive and a comfy armchair to get through it all (made you crave a chocolate biscuit now haven't I, apoligies).  Onwards...

Journey south

The traffic on a Saturday is… well… non-existent from start to finish. So taking the Freeway south (there is only one road south) we were soon into the rolling countryside surround by miles and miles of jungle, some points you couldn’t see further than 100 metres and then BAHM you had the sudden view the forest sweeping up to the hills in the horizon!

The trees were … err typical Australian, thin and tall, with grey or black bark (depending if had been unfortunately part of a bush fire, atop reddish dirt and low shrubs. This thick forest would suddenly give way to sections of trees that looked akin to Christmas trees, a tad confusing.

Further south the scenery turned to farmed land/ vineyards. It seems that every other turning was to a winery. Population is limiting to a couple of sizeable towns situated 100km apart. Forest sprang back up when closing to the Southern Bight (body of water south of Australia that separates the Pacific and Indian Ocean).

Unofficial traffic law - published in a Toffee Factory we visited

To my surprise, the south is significantly colder than the north, such that I had to don a jumper for the first time (albeit a thin one). I do appreciate the fresh air, away from the humidity of Perth, though i guess down south there is nothing between them and Antarctica!...When the south wind doth blow…it will be cold (or cooler at the very least)

Denmark

The town has a population of 5000 and it did seem like everyone knew everyone when I observed the people entering the local (and only) supermarket store.  The centre is a simple criss-cross of streets, with one supermarket, video shop, surf shop, bookshop, bakeries, arts and crafts and what not, quite nice, and again not too dissimilar to what one would expect in an American countryside establishment (though I’ve never been there but it is not too dissimilar to what is portrayed in the movies).

Observing the estate agent’s window advertisements, quite a few houses had a good bit of land attached, such that if the family sold their house in Perth they could get an 86acre plot + house down this way… though it would be in the sticks. The climate down here is quite English, summers never really get over 30*C and the winters are wet.

(saw wild 'Roos in the surrounding countryside)

The church we went to on Sunday morning was one of those simple quaint buildings what one would expect in an American country church (as comparison). The building was a small, pale green coated wooden structure with a cross affixed to one end. Inside, you initially find yourself at the back of the church, which is crammed with shelves containing mass literature and religious items. You then go through the partitions and face down a short aisle lined with simple wooden pews, circumferenced by a dark-wood panelled/white-washed split walls, with a music maker (e-organ) to one side and alter up front. The walls had the stations of the cross painted on as well as plints for statues of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Mass was lead by an Indian priest who smiled every time he opened his mouth, ande has just been moved to the area. He divulged part of his story during the homily and mentined that of his extended family, 9 of them entered the seminary (his parents initially didnt want him to go as well). He had worked in India and Africa prior to starting missionary work in Australia.

Albany  

40 minutes east, along the coast from Denmark, this is the biggest town in the area. Quick history lesson, it was colonised in 1826 by the Brits to establish a military port, a handy place for movement between the Cape of Good Hope (S. Africa, India and Java). Sure there were people living here before hand, the Minang peoples, but that’s never stopped anyone else barging in. There had also been explorers who had ‘found’ this land in prior decades, but it’s the Brits that decided to put up shop (a military post).

Why I start on the historics of this place is well the boat that brought these colonisers to Albany was the called the Brig Amity, and there was a 1:1 replica model of this ship outside the museum. Not everyday you get to walk around a colonial ship, so board it we did.

Ok so the top deck was  like any typical set up that you see in films, with the obvious addition of a paying booth (pretty sure that wasn’t the original deck-cabin’s intentions but anyway) but what was more interesting lay beneath. Ok so if you know my height… small, very funny… well on the middle floor aka sleeping and eating quarters for the crew, I had to slope my neck to stand up and the wooden beds only just fit me lengthways. It could therefore be deduced that either people were a lot smaller back then or they got severe cramped necks during the journey (more likely, I actually got a stiff neck from 15minutes down there…aren’t I the able bodied seadog…maybe not).

(not your 'ninetails' pokemon, this one's a cat)

The bottom floor was curved…not a big shock. But the curve was comparable to that of a half pipe… Indeed I thought that skateboarding would be a cool option… shame that they weren’t available back then as it may have made the voyages more enjoyable. Though yes to be fair the hold would have been full of hogsheads… no, not literally, a hogshead is the unit name given to 2 barrels. A word that I happened to come across the night before whilst reading The Swiss Family Robinson (classic read).

The captain’s cabin was not as cushy as I expected (as portrayed in the movies), but it did have ample head room and legroom in the beds. On the whole the boat itself wasn’t huge (again, over proportionate Hollywood expectations) Length 23m, Width 6.5m, Height 26metres carrying approx 65 people, the voyage was from Sydney to Albany (across the length of Southern Australia). But fun times to be had clambering around like a child in a playground.

A drive around the rest of Albany, which didn’t take too long, a few main streets, a small dock and the rest of the town were houses littered amongst the hill that overlooked a rather large bay. We drove up to the top of nearest hill and, aside from coming under attack by magpies (well technically they were more fussed by the car, rather than us) and spotting some rather fat lizards basking in the sun, the panoramic views of the bay (named: King George Sound) before us was stunning!

(rather fat lizard)

Surfing

The house we had for the 1^st week faced an inlet, just before river met the sea, and speaking of sea the house (aside from being very nice) had a SURFBOARD! Obviously this was an opportunity I couldn't pass by. So later in the week I tried it and inevitably realised that it was far different from the land based board sports of skateboarding and snowboarding. Consequently I came away with a bruise on my hip that is only a week later beginning to fade, but my desire to conquer the ocean continues unabated, but will seek professional help (lessons) in future.

Monkey Rock

Monkey Rock (strangely named as there are no monkeys native to Australia), which is essentially a huge rock situated on the side of one of the taller hills of the area. A 20 minute walk up the track (eyes peeled for any snakes) and then a quick scramble up to the rock top and we were faced with panoramic views of the coast line, with a sea trees fanning out below us. Beautiful.

I spent a good part of the walk back down stalking a green parrot with my camera. It is a bit bizarre to notice flocks of them in a park pecking away at the ground like any pigeon would. Quite different.

The valley of Giants

Giants, namely Treebeard and co. (Lord of the Rings reference) or more accurately his cousins as we are in Australia not New Zealand (Middle Earth)… anyway... yes we went to a local forest where there were some huge trees… like 20 feet in diameter HUGE. So yea the place was called Valley of the Giants (no prizes for guessing why) these trees were of the Eucalyptus genus, towered above, well except for when we went on the tree top walk, when we towered up there with them. This walkway was defiantly western in design (all metal), I could refer back to such a place in Ghana where a tree top walk there comprised of a series of stepladders with wooden planks running down the middle held horizontally aloft by ropes that provided side netting and something to hold onto.

I cited Treebeard because these large trees tend to split open at the bottom (due to fire, fungal infection etc) and gives the tree an appearance of having legs.

It was so nice being surrounded by trees and the smell of nature… I sound so British sometimes… but it’s the first time I’ve been in such an environment here since one normally avoids such scenarios because of the snakes and other things that are out to get you (paranoia is valid in this country), but this woods had well kept paths, so a lesser worry.

Paradise (not so) lost

A gem of all beaches this one, such that I would contend it to be the best beach I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. By nature, a stretch of water had been sectioned off by rocks creating a large and calm ocean pool area next to the shore. A couple of smaller rocks gathered in the centre of the pool, creating a diving platform into the crystal clear water. Amazing. And the best part of it was that it lightly populated with other individuals who were also soaking up its peaceful tranquillity

Even the sand is smiling 

(tilt screen for proper angle)

Gloucester Tree

Ok, this would definitely not pass the health and safety board in England. A 61metre tree with metal rods spiralling up the trunk to a small platform at the very top… and a loose mesh wire cage along the side of the poles… but nothing underneath. Essentially tree house heaven and this tree was the tallest of the surrounding wood so had some awesome views from the top. So I was a bit apprehensive as one has a fear of heights if one feels unsecure, but somewhat surprisingly I was totally fine climbing the tree and even paused on the ascent and descent to take pictures. Well worth it.

looking up

The tree was located in Pemberton on the way through to our next residence (below), but what was also noteworthy about the journey was for part of the journey through the forest, everything seemed to get hazy… it didn’t click until I voiced this observation aloud, and was informed that it was smoke… bush fire. A little worrying yes, as the sky was covered over and the sun dimmed to a reddish hue. We flicked over to a local radio station in hope of hearing where the fire was but no such help was given, so instead we kept on driving for another 10 minutes till the smoke began to thin out and the sky filled back out with its normal blue and white colouring.

Peppermint Grove Beach

This was where our next house was located, which the family were staying for the week but I was there just for the weekend as I was needed in work that week, something about restaurants being busy on Valentines Day. And as the name suggests we were indeed near the beach in fact as close as it was possible to get i.e. our balcony overlooked it, rather nice. John and Nina joined us for the weekend which was for all was a chilled out session, chilled but not lazy as the table tennis and pool table was the scene of much competitive activity. The place also had a couple of kayaks, so we took them onto the ocean (relatively calm) and had only just got into the water when a fin was spotted and we took a hasty retreat, only to realise the fin belonged to dolphins and not the a  more worrying fin wielding species that inhabit the sea. I got my consolation from the failed attempt of surfboarding when we flipped the kayaks and stood on top of them, so in the not so correct sense of the words, I have managed to ‘surf the waves’. 

…

So in a holiday summation (summaries always seem necessary after long text) probably had enough barbeques dinners to equal what I have in year back in Britain, the weather was overall warm enough to enjoy without overheating every hour and I leave convicted of Australia’s mongrel heritage of Euro-American human influence with a twist of African-like environment, creating a shower on the senses yet you are left with the laid back signature well know of the Australian people. Interesting, certainly. Enjoyable, immensely.

And to end, have a bin full of pig ears (sold in a local supermarket).