Exploring the Southern Ocean Coast

To welcome Charlotte, our au-pair, we arranged a long weekend trip to visit the pristine coastal area between Pemberton and Denmark. Patrick had worked long hours and weekends, so it was about time he got a day off for compensation. Luckily, we were spoilt with relatively warm conditions for the late autumn time. Charlotte arrived on a sunny Thursday from France, and a couple days later she spent her first night ever camping. On our four hour drive South, we discovered the most incredible playground ever: the Apple Park. A haven for the kids, and a welcome break for the parents. Obviously, all family travellers are really glad about this park, and so it has grown to extreme dimensions based on proud sums of donation money.

At the next stop, we had to lower our tyre pressure to 10psi in order to get up the steep Yallingup Dune in D'Entrecasteaux National Park. What a treat for all of us, including our Prado, which felt in its element after a long period of dreadful city cruising. We set up the picnic table on the top of this snow-like landscape. Then we continued our sandy journey towards the beach.

Patrick enjoyed his freeride session down the last and biggest sand dune. It was felt like a fresh powder snow slope. Down at the beach, we watched the fishermen catch salmon. It was the season. Unfortunately for us, this also meant, the rivers were full and there was no way to drive the car to Windy Harbour all the way along the beach. We had to backtrack. We drove back up the dune and into a forest with huge trees. At the Bicentennial Tree, we took the opportunity to go and experience the view across the top of the forest canopy (60-80m), while Charlotte, Laetitia and Oceane were waiting at the bottom of the tree. The vertical climb was a real adventure, not for the faint hearted!

The next day we visited another forest near Walpole. In the Valley of the Giants, we saw hundreds of hollow tingle trees and the kids got excited on top of the suspended bridge of the treetop walk.

At night, the atmosphere was great but quite chilly. We staid in two different camps and were even allowed to make woodfires to keep ourselves warm the whole evening. With Charlotte, Laetitia and Oceane taking all the space in the rooftop tent, Patrick and I decided to sleep in the open air suite under the awning. We survived the humid cool with a warm bed cover, woolen hats, a hoodie and gloves. The early morning hours were the toughest, but instead of freezing, we got up for a walk to check the marvellous sunrise across the bay. At Parry Beach, sunrise was amazing because the offshore morning breeze brought cold air onto the less cold water, forming a misty layer between the breaking waves and the horizon. At times, it was like the hills in the background started to move in the same direction as the swell in front. Magic! We enjoyed it for a good hour before packing and starting the day properly.

Our discovery journey ended between colossal granite blocks and clear turquoise pools near Denmark. We keep fantastic memories of this three-day trip down South. Charlotte got her first glimpse of the Australia's Coastal Wilderness. Pictures of this trip and a second one to the South West (Geographe Bay and Cape Naturaliste) are in the following flickr set: Trips South West