Stop Sooking And Just Do It.

So I really wanted to go away for my birthday.  By myself if I had to.  And as husband was going to be away working then I had to.  So I decided that I would.  I'd go down to Hamlin Bay to see the stingrays.  My birthday was a few weeks away so I had to decide where to go, where to stay, how long to go for, what to do while there, get the van packed...  

Then I sooked out and wasn't going to go, so I sooked because I'm such a sook I can't do things I want to.  

Talked to people, read blogs and Facebook groups where people are doing it all the time and decided I'd go anyway, even if I was scared of boogymens.  So I was gunna go.  And then there were storm warnings.  Was going to be big storms. So I sooked about that, cause there was no point going as I wasn't going to drive anywhere in a storm and if I couldn't do anything while there what was the point.  

Two days beforehand the storm warnings dropped, might be a bit of weather but should be OK so maybe I could go... 

My birthday was the Wednesday and if I was going to go I'd drive down Tuesday, car camp Tuesday and Wednesday night and come home Thursday.  

Sunday night and I still hadn't definitely decided.  I worked Monday, had the grandkids after that and was so whacked I didn't get time to get the car ready so hummed and hahhed about going.  Woke up Tuesday morning knowing I was going to go so rang and booked a site.  Then had to rush around getting everything ready.  Clean out the car, get food and drinks, get the portloo set up, get lights, kinda tidy the house before I left, rushrushrush and then I was ready.  I was going.  Now, could I drive 3 hours without falling asleep.  

It's been awhile...

We, husband and I, have been away a few times over the last few years but ol' slacko me hasn't bothered to write anything down.  I have photos on a phone and his camera but if I wanted to find them right now... Na, not gunna happen.  I know this as I have been looking for pictures of 2 trips to Tassie... I've been to  Tasmania twice and there is no information or pictures here.  Where are they?  Yep, you guessed it, I have no idea.  Not where I thought they were, not where they should be, not here!   HoHum.  So I have no record of the few trips that I remember and there is no proof that we have been to the places that husband remembers and I don't.  

So I need to start writing things down.  

I still haven't been anywhere by myself, still too damn Sookylala but on the off chance that that changes over the next week I want it written down so I believe it!

Here's hoping.

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.