DNLAROUNDOZ: 14th Jan - Excursion on the Suzi

We've been looking forward to getting down to forest country. Today we are going tree climbing and exploring. Talking to a couple locals at the pub they reckon you used to be able to climb one tree lookout and you could see the other two lookouts – Diamond Tree, Gloucester Tree and Bicentennial Tree, now the other trees have grown taller this is not possible. First stop for us today, is Diamond Tree, 52 metres tall. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, you just have to hang on. Great views from up top, can see out to the coast some 100kms away.

I'll be right there Darl!!

Spot the lookout up top

A couple shots taken on the walk trail

When tree blocks path, chop a bit out.....

We ventured into Manjimup, had a good chat to the lovely lady at the Visitors Centre, she was a 5 pound pom, come out here in 1958 at the age of 19, married a farmer, had 4 children and now has a brood of grandkids and great grandkids. Spuds and cherries are big in this area. We had a good look at the Timber and Heritage Park/Museum. A great display of the early days in the timber industry. The park also comprises a live display of “Significant Trees” throughout, 27 Australian varieties and 26 non-Australian. The four main timbers of the southern forests are Jarrah, Marri, Karri and Blackbutt.

I love vegemite!

A timber whim used to cart logs, way back in the good 'ol days

I'm going my hardest, but not getting anywhere.....

We’re off in search of the One Tree Bridge – back in the late 1800’s they chopped a tree down to fall across a creek to use as the foundations for a bridge. It was 25 metres long, however after one of the many floods, it was washed away and they managed to salvage 17 metres of the bridge which is now on display on the bank beside the new bridge. I must say it has been a pleasant ride today, no dust, no sand and no corros, fantastic!!

Fonty’s Pool next stop – Originally dammed with a log by Archimede Fontanini, the locals convinced him to cement the dam and develop the gardens and charge an entry fee to cover maintenance (funny that seems to happen a lot even to this day for a lot of places). Archie maintained the pools and garden until 1973, when at 93 it became too much for him and the pool was closed. Today it is now the site of a caravan park, which can be enjoyed also by visitors, but yep at a cost $3 pp if not a park resident.

Fonty's woodchop arena - est 1947

The pool, lovely gardens, they supply tyre tubes for swimming

We’re off now to go Truffle hunting!! Just down the road from Fontys (I keep wanting to call it Montys) – Out of luck today, hunting season is June-August only. I did manage to get a shot of their top hunting dog. It is quite a process, they send the dogs out to sniff out the truffles which grow under hazelnut and oak trees, the dog handlers mark the spots, then the hunters come along, dig around, take a sample and see if they ripe for the digging up, if not they cover up and come back a couple days later. Black truffle fetches $3000 per kilo, they harvest approx 30 tonne each season (not of all which is marketed). They export to 25 countries and apparently the French don’t like it, as the Aussie supplies the markets in the “off season” of the French……. The oil was okay, the mustard was nice but the honey just didn’t taste right. We really don’t like mushrooms much so I think it would take a while acquire the taste for this one.

Who's a clever doggy then? Truffle co's top hunting dog..

Looks like? Smells like? Tastes like? Nah don't want to go there

Last stop of the day, the big one - the Gloucester tree – taller than Diamond at 61 metres tall. We are glad that it is not a windy day, as you can imagine it would get quite a sway up, up top. The views are great, the steps are made with rio driven into the side of the tree. Big day out, we were going to go out to a country pub tonight but we are knackered, might get there tomorrow…….