Australia So Much to See
Copyright (C) 2013 AustraliaSoMuchtoSee.com. All reights reserved
Living and working in the south west, wheat belt and great southern regions of Western Australia we don't take many photos or go to
tourist attractions.
I will share a few photos I have collected over the past few years.
Pemberton is a former timber mill
town in a beautiful forest area. The buildings and character of the era have been maintained in the townsite. There is
a pleasant caravan park in the town.
A tramcar travels down the former Pemberton to Northcliffe railway and makea a pleasant
day outing. Pemberton Tramway Company have notified that the tramway will not longer operate. Note that the steam train
to Diamond Tree no longer operates.
Since rains in 2012 water was flowing fast at the Cascades on Lefroy Brrok, however it was low for the time of year. With climate change and drier seasons, September 2009 was the last heavy rain and high flow. 2013 was a wetter year.
The Warren River Bridge is the longest, curved timber trestle bridge still in use in Western Australia at 128 metres with 13 timber
trestles. Currently closed due to instability.
Even during the dry summer months, it is relatively cool and pretty in the bush
The Blackwood River doesn't flood very often now, with the reduction in rainfall, but in 2005 the river was in full flood.
Here seen at a crossing near Dinninup.
Mist fills the valleys until the sun shines through
After a wet and wintry day, look for magic experiences such as the sight of this double rainbow
Golden mist rolls down from the hills at dawn
A surprising find in suburban Bunbury is a remnant mangrove swamp; something usually found in tropical latitudes. It is the southernmost
mangrove in Western Australia and relatively young at around 20,000 years old. A boardwalk has been constructed though
the mangroves.
Looking across Leschenault Inlet, Bunbury, Western Australia to a ship loading grain at the Bunbury Port.
If you have young children, they will enjoy stopping at Donnybrook and the Apple Fun Park. This playground was made possible
due to the generosity of a number of local businesses and hundreds of volunteers. Opened March 2008. This playground was
replaced with all new equipment in 2021.
Donnybrook provides a small Transit Park for short term stays for tourists in a fully serviced park including laundry and dump point.
Not so obvious but in the main street (South West Highway through the town) is a small park, Gnangangarich Park, where the journey
of the Waugyl is told and depicted. Walking through this small park leads to a suspension bridge across the Preston River and
on to residential areas.
The Pemberton Tramcars travel though stands of Karri, Marri and Jarrah forest, crossing six bridges, stopping at the Cascades and
ending at the Warren River Bridge where the Lefroy Brook joins the Warren River
Only the 1913 built chimney remains from the original mill which burnt down in a fire in the 1930s.
The Pemberton Mill was taken over by Auswest and for the first time, the Mill has seen timber other than Karri pass through its blades.
It milled plantation blue gum and pine as well as Karri before closing in 2016. The mill complex was burnt down in 2022.
There were over a 100 single worker cottages. Now only five remain for display purposes.
The tram no longer goes to this pool
Big Brook Campground in the forest near Big Brook Aboreum and Big Brook Dam
Sun rays fan out through the rising early morning mist
Sometime the frost forms icy patterns on my car
Frost coats the vally floor at the start of a clear sunny winter day
If there are clouds, they may be red, pink, lilac, orange or yellow
The cooler months are always beatiful in the South West. It does not rain every day, and winter days can be pleasantly mild.
Here are a range of days I see at my home near Bridgetown from autumn through to spring.
Some mornings are silver and some mornings are gold. What ever the colour, the beauty of the sun shining thorugh the mist
is magic
Built in 1986 to supplement Pemberton town and the Hatchery water supplies, Big Brook Dam now provides a fantastic opportunity for
recreational activities.
Early morning surf at the Bunbury Back Beach.
Snippets about places in the area we live
Part of the main street of Nannup, an attractive small town on the Blackwood River.
See also Greenbushes, a mining and milling town close to Bridgetown and in the same shire.