From the Chookpen: 2014

Thursday 25 December 2014

SOUTH WEST WA

Loving touring the South West. We have not spotted the ocean yet but it's been a bit chilly anyway. Red wine has been the preferred poison. Rolling hills, valleys, forests, big trees, lakes, wildlife, it's all there. We've had some moments too. The navigation system has sent us down some tracks to camping spots that can't be found. Twice we ended up in spots where signs indicated the areas were subject to aerial fire bombing. A quick turn around and a hasty exit were then the order of the day. We have since sorted that out with the local bush fire brigade.

Totem poles at Nannup

We found this bench interesting.

Footbridge made from the timber from original train bridge river crossing

Glad our digs are a bit better

Big Brook Dam

The original "One Tree Bridge" above & the current one below

Fonty's Pool - Great little camp spot. The pond, from an underground spring, was hand made by an Italian settler for his farm

Dwellingup Train Station

Spent a night at Lake Brockman near Harvey

Camping at Potter's Gorge at Lake Wellington. Loved our time here, great bush walks & scenery.

View from the loo

Wellington Dam

Blue Wrens were hopping everywhere

Sunset Wellington Dam

Santa and his helper called on us at Big Valley Campsite Margaret River. To Kim's delight left chocolates at doorstep.

Tuesday 23 December 2014

MANJIMUP CHERRY FESTIVAL

We had a wonderful weekend at the Manjimup Cherry Festival. The cherries were magnificent, best ever. The cherry pip spitting completion was an experience to behold. Despite all our practising we just couldn't cut it. Champion female cherry spitter.......7.3 metres, champion cherry spitter (a bloke).........11.2metres. Cherry spitting is serious stuff in these parts, part of his prize was a trip to New Zealand to take on their champ.

We are having trouble with our computer and reception at the moment so will post more when able.

Merry Xmas & a Happy NY

Got a photo with the champ.

Wednesday 10 December 2014

SAUNTERING THROUGH SOUTH WEST WA

We are just sauntering around, stopping wherever it takes our fancy. Not covering too many klms, just having a good gander. Normally we pass through Kojonup on our way south to destinations around Denmark or Albany. This time we stopped and discovered it to be a very interesting town. Besides having a great bakery, pies rate fairly high, the Kodja Place takes you on a walk from traditional times to the story of 3 local women's lives from early settlement partly told through a beautiful rose maze. It showed how different lives can be. We loved it. It also had an Art Gallery to rival anything in Perth.

If you have read any history regarding the history of Kokada, this bloke below is a true Aussie legend. Brigadier Arnold Potts and his men were given the task of retaking Kokoda Village and stopping the Japanese advance. Outgunned and outnumbered five to one, Potts realised, as High Command did not, that to stand against such forces would mean annihilation, leaving the way open for the capture of Morsby with all the consequences that would have on Australia.Potts chose a fighting withdrawal over a three week period which so depleted and delayed the Japanese advance, they were forced to start their long withdrawal.

AW Potts Kokoda Track Memorial - Statue of Potts is surveying the lie of the land in the direction of his beloved farm Barrule.

View from the loo Kojonup (old railway station)

View from the loo at night other side of Chookpen (Kojonup)

We have been driving out to lakes to camp and have found many of them dry and dusty. Imagine our surprise when we stumbled across Lake Towerrining. An absolute oasis in what is a water skier's paradise. We loved it and stayed for 4 days.

(View from the loo) Imagine our super surprise when this light plane scooted up out of the water and parked next to the Chookpen. Flew down from Perth for the night on its maiden voyage. Didn't mange to get a ride but Kim did mange to score a boat ride around the lake from one of our fellow campers.

Moon over Lake Towerrining

Wildlife Lake Towerrining

Rolling hillsides around Boyup Brook, Bridgetown, Balingup, Nannup outstanding. We have stopped in Nannup for a couple of days to catch up with things. A good day watching cricket too. (Can't miss out on the important things in life).

View from the loo Balingup

Tomorrow we are off to the Manjimup Cherry Festival so time now to practise our pip spitting.

LAKE DUMBLEYUNG

Loving travelling through the South East Wheatbelt. The amount of wheat in the fields is amazing. It's everywhere. We came upon Lake Dumbleyung and who can forget, Kel remembers anyway, when Donald Campbell broke the world water speed record in 1964 travelling at 276.33 miles per hour (444.71km) in his boat ‘Bluebird’. References to Donald Campbell can be seen all around the entire lake area.

Passed through Wagin. Can't resist taking a photo of something big.

The Big Ram

Saturday 29 November 2014

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Hi there, yes we are on the road again. We loved our time back in Freo looking after the gallery, catching up with rellies and friends but, boy o boy, its great to be out in the bush again. After leaving "Chookpen Paradise" at Pam and Barry's, a couple of long goodbyes saw us making it only as far as Coogee Beach. For those of you who don't know, that's 8 klms from Freo. We loved it there so much we stayed for 3 days. Plenty of walks along the beach and a top spot for cycling.

It was then off to Toodyay where we had a couple of days relaxing in the bush camp outside of town.

Peacock came to join us for brekkie.

We then ventured off through Northam and stopped at York. What a great little town York is. They provide a free camp with power by the Avon River 100 metres from the town. We hope this catches on in other towns.

York, main street.

Leaving York we headed for Kokerbin Rock. The claim is that it is the 3rd largest monolith in Australia. Everyone knows what the biggest one is (go on, guess) and we are yet to get there. The second is in SA. Google it. It was 38 degrees when we got there and the summit was a 2 hr trek. You guessed this one, we didn't make it to the top. However, we can verify that Kokerbin Rock is a bloody big rock.

Camped nearby the Rock and a storm was on the way. We copped the lot, rain, wind, thunder, lightning and hail. The Chookpen survived and we headed off the next day. We tried to dodge the bad weather but we seemed to drive into it. We copped 2 more thunderstorms when we reached Hyden. As weather watchers go it appears we are failures at this stage.

The town off Shackleton is an interesting place. Just a few houses, a general store and the smallest bank in Australia. But, a few years ago a bloke called Steve decided to set up a gallery and put a few sculptures around the place. He created a sculpture park next to his place and told us his plan is to keep placing his creations all over the town.

Steve's Sculpture Park