Just For Fun - Creatures that live

 I've been on a couple of bushwalks this year and plan on lots more.  But out in the West Australian bush many creatures and critters live, walkers and hikers need to stay aware and not wander too far off the path.
On our recent walk in the Crooked Brook Forest there were many signs that creatures could be living in the area...



What thing has knocked over this tree?  Is it some sort of sign for fellow creatures...?   

                                                             Is this where they live...?


I'm not saying these creatures are real, I'm not saying they are not real...I'm just saying...

Crooked Brook Forest

Crooked Brook Forest is kinda between Dardanup and Boyanup, can be gotten to from both and also from Gnomesville, so I was right in my thinking that we could get there from there.

When we arrived we were surprised that it was so busy, quite a few cars, lots of people, lots of people with dogs so lots of dogs, none on a leach.     I let the kid out and he went to play while T got the pram then baby out.

There are a few walks to choose from but first we just followed some other people along a path.  came to a bridge and crossed that, walked a bit further and came to this sign.   We had the pram so weren't sure we could do it with that so we took pram back to car then walked back to here to start this walk.

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 It was a good walk and the 3 year old, the unfit 60+ woman and the woman that was only 6 weeks from having a baby enjoyed it.  We will come again.

Crooked Brook Forest - Getting there...

Went on a day trip with daughter & and grandkids on Sunday.  We were "supposed" to go down to Busselton for a school thing but decided not to so my new plan for that day was to get the house reasonably tidy again, washing done, some mowing...Then T rang and asked what I was doing and suggested a bushwalk.   Crooked Brook Forest was a place that we had read about a few days before so that's where we went.

I thought I knew where it was, I had read about it, how it was close to Gnomesville but knowing how I am with directions we thought we'd call into the Visitors Centre in Dardanup to confirm my knowledge.   Hmmm.  The woman at the centre showed me a map and pointed me in the opposite direction.  

This adventure was a rushed decision so neither of us packed lunch and by the time we got to Dardanup grandson, and us, was getting hungry.  I "knew" there was a bakery in Dardanup, I'd been there so suggested that we go buy something before continuing on.  Hmmm, again.  Daughter also knew where the bakery was...Except she really knew whereas I only thought I did.  Her bakery was the real deal and packed with people inside and out so we decided to walk down to my bakery which was actually the Dardanup General Store.  I only wanted a grainy roll but seeing as neither place had any we decided to continue driving on an extra 5 minutes down to Boyanup.  Where there were also no grainy rolls.  By this time though the kid needed food so we bought some hot chips and other things and sat there to eat while we read the map so we knew where to go to get to where we were gong.

On leaving Boyanup Bakery we set the phone GPS just in case our map reading skills weren't any good.  T wanted to turn left, I knew we had to go right, GPS was telling us we needed Hurst Rd...We knew where that was so went that way. GPS says turn left, 600 metres then take 4th exit at roundabout...We looked at each other and laughed, stupid GPS knew less than me. 

We finally were on the correct road, turned off of that onto another correct road, I say left she turns right then does a Uey to go my way.  Her way would have still got us there but on a gravel road.

Finally we are on the way, kinda confident that we knew where we were going and was going to get there.  And we did!

Things Found In Bushland

On our walk around the water at Noble Falls we had to go through a bit of bushland.  With all the Youtube videos that I have been watching it was a bit of a worry.  Now, not everyone believes in the Yowie and the big black panther that inhabits the bushlands of WA but some of us know they are real, we know they are out there...Well I don't "know" that the yowie is out there but can't see any reason why they wouldn't be!

 

I had a video to put in here but like all the Big Cat and Yowie videos that seem to be blurry or far far away...this one didn't upload

I do sometimes wonder though, could the black panthers of WA be the pets of the bushland Yowie?  I mean, we have cats for pets so it makes sense, right?

Noble Falls 26/07/19

Husband and I went for a drive up to Noble Falls this morning. I have been wanting to go for a few years but this week he had to go up to Midland, I casually asked how far from there to Gidgegannup, and there you go.  We went!

 

He drove, of course, and we were on the road by 8.30, up Forrest Highway, onto the Freeway and then onto Roe Highway taking the turn onto Toodyay Road.  Around an hour and 40 minutes from home so not bad considering we were in his old Cruiser and did cop a bit of traffic near Perth.

There is a walk trail around the river  so we started off thinking we'd decide the long track or short track when we had too.  I was thinking the short one seeing as I am so unfit now but when we came to the split we took the high road.  It wasn't too bad, a nice stroll along the waters edge, up a gravel road, through a bit of bush...all up a decent walk and it didn't kill me. 

We'd decided that we'd have lunch at the tavern across the road before we left to come home so after our walk, another look at the water, a quick stop to check out the toilets...



We crossed the road for lunch.










Our meals were really nice, he had lamb koftas, I ordered the pepper steak pie knowing it would be too much and I'd need to share. 












We had a great day and think we will come again.  I'd like to go to York and Toodyay so when we go up there we will make it a 2 dayer and will definitely call in to Noble Falls again on the way home.

Ironstone Gully Falls 29/6/19

Yesterday we took a daytrip down to Ironstone Gully to see if the falls were flowing.  They weren't.  Not anything dramatic like last time anyway, just a trickle going over the wall of rock.  The top area had a lot of water though.

"We" were myself and 2 daughters and 2 grandkids.  An older grandkid was sick so stayed home where it was warm and dry...

I keep telling myself that I will come here and camp, maybe I will, one day...

It was drizzling a bit, had obviously been raining, when we turned off into the big parking area of Ironstone Gully, quite a few puddles so the whole area was wet and muddy. We drove up and parked near a table and tried to get ourselves organised while the excited 2 year old took off.  After grabbing him we went and re-explored.




There was water around but not flowing over the rocks like last time we were there.  This is the top...

 

 And down the bottom...After scrambling through bush and clambering over rocks we reached the base.  That sounds much more exciting and adventurous than it actually was and was probably an easy scramble for the people I was with but this fat and unfit 60 year old scrambled and clambered and had a great time fighting through the wet and overgrown underbrush...





Last time we were here, August 2018, we would have been washed away if we stood here.

 

 

 

It was a great day, wet and cold but fun.   We will come back.