Among the tall trees
We were on the road again at 8 am for what we expected to be a full day of meandering toward Denmark. It would be possible to drive the 180 km in a bit more than two hours but we planned to do things along the way.

About 40 minutes down the south western highway we reached the information shelter for the Great Forest Trees Drive. It is a one way loop through Shannon National Park and might have taken about an hour to drive. Gravel road in rain was not an enticing proposition. We did not know what water hazards might be found nor whether the forest would be more beautiful than what we had been driving through all morning. We gave it a miss and drove on toward Walpole.
As we approached Walpole we saw a sign for a lookout and paused for the view. A pair of colourful birds were visible in the trees alongside the lookout which offered a view through a gap in the forest toward an inlet from the sea.



At Walpole we stopped at the first stores we saw to look for coffee. John had had some problems yesterday with the car remote when the car had indicated a low battery in the remote and at least once John had to use the physical key stored in the unit. It had worked for Majella first thing today but played up at the previous stop. I checked the manual and found it needed a common CR2032 battery so I went to get one from the IGA. After fruitless searching I asked at the checkout and the man there suggested the nearby pharmacy after he confirmed I had been looking in the right place but there were none left.
I bought a battery at the pharmacy and we went for coffee at the cafe. I fetched the manual from the car and we replaced the battery while we had our coffee. Majella used her plastic gym card to pry open the case and a teaspoon to remove the internal cover over the battery but the most challenging part of the process was freeing the button battery from its child resistant packaging. John had to seek assistance from the cafe staff who found a sharp object to remove the plastic sealer.
Before leaving Walpole I got some more local information from the tourist information centre. Then Majella drove us north to Mount Frankland Wilderness Lookout. The last few kilometres were gravel road but in fair condition and worth it for the lookout. There was a large roofed shelter with stone walls and information about the park. We walked the short accessible path to the lookout which is a circular metal platform suspended above the valley at the end of an elevated walkway. The hill alongside was a mostly bald granite knob and there were flowering plants scattered around.







Our next destination required a short backtrack so we took the opportunity to visit the Swarbrick Art Loop that we had noted on the way out. It was a paved loop in the forest with artwork intended to encourage reflection on our relationship with the natural world. The most striking piece was the Wilderness Wall of Perceptions, a large structure that reflects the forest and path with the intention of inspiring introspection.
From there we drove on to the Valley of the Giants where we took the treetop walk. It is a metal structure with spans between metal towers coloured brown to resemble tree trunks. The highest point on the walk is 40 metres which is high enough to be level with some trees but the tallest can reach 70 metres and may be 20 metres around. This was a forest of mostly tingle trees. They are shallower rooted than the karri and jarrah we had been driving through for the past couple of days. Buttress roots compensate for their shallow roots and they often have hollows at the base. We enjoyed the walk among the treetops, the views to the forest floor, and the occasional bird sightings.




We had hoped to find lunch there but the only food on offer was at a coffee van in the car park. Majella drove on toward Denmark hoping we might find food along the way. About 30 minutes later she spotted a sign for the Sly Fox Diner and pulled over. The diner was in a shed back from the road and featured quirky decor of old signs, photographs, children’s toys, and other bric-a-brac. Majella asked about gluten free options for Lynne and found they had some so we stayed to eat. Majella and I had the huge Sly Fox burgers with chips. John had fish with salad and Lynne had a massaman chicken curry. All the food was good and sufficient to ward off serious hunger pangs until tomorrow with just a snack tonight. Our host, Brian, had an interesting history of working first in the USA in IT before personal computers, then in law, and now in this diner.



Our next destination was Elephant Rocks. Unfortunately the walking track from the car park to the viewing area was closed for upgrading. We were able to get a view of the ocean and waves breaking on other rocks from the Greens Pool area and made do with that.
Accommodation tonight was at Turicum Chalets which is adjacent to the Monkey Rock Winery and Cider. My earlier research had established that the cidery closed at 4 pm so I had tweaked our itinerary to ensure that we arrived in time for Majella, a cider afficianado, to sample their wares. Missing Elephant Rocks ensured that we arrived a little before 3:30 pm with plenty of time to sample if needed. Majella and Lynne both tried some cider and then bought a mixed 4 pack – apple, passionfruit, blackcurrant, and Hawaiian hopped.

Our chalet was down a track beyond the cellar door. It was one of three low-set timber chalets set among trees in the farmland. It has 2 bedrooms, a comfortable living and dining space with wood heater, kitchen, and bathroom.
Once we had brought in our luggage there was time for a cup of tea and cards (for the card players) until it was time to go out for mass and a few essentials. John fired up the wood heater and we relaxed for a while.
A little after 5 pm we drove into Denmark and found the IGA where we bought some cheese, crackers, and a few other things for our evening snack. We swelled the congregation and the volume of the singing at 6 pm mass where the priest and small congregation were welcoming. As we left, John recognised one of the parishioners who had moved from Queensland several years ago and had a brother who is well known to John and Lynne as he lives in the same building. A brief conversation ensued. Back at our chalet we relaxed over snacks and cider or red wine.