After having visited Jewel Cave, the town of Augusta and Cape Leeuwin, we turned inland. Just as we thought it could not get any hotter... Even though the aircondition in the campervan kept the driver's cabin cool, it did not quite reach the children. Poor things!
One evening, when the children had gone to sleep, we sat sticky from sweat and watchend an old home video on the computer, featuring last winter with skiing and snowball-fights. I have to admit: We are all feeling a bit homesick, especially when we hear about sensational Northern lights and good skiing-conditions in Trondheim. Especially the kids miss their friends and school and football and skiing and... However we are still having a GREAT holiday full of fun, adventure and experiences!
Near Pemberton we visited Beedelup Falls. At this time of year there was hardly any water left, so the falls are not the attraction (-are they ever really?), but the trails lead you through an old forest, over a suspension bridge, along a lake and to a walk-through-tree. After this early-morning exercise (and already too hot!) we drove through Pemberton to Gloucester National Park. People mostly come here to climb the 61meter high Gloucester Tree, which had formerly been used as a look-out for bush fires. Even though it is not advised for children to do the unsecured climb, Lisa and Niklas were eager to do it and we let them. Surprisingly Lea did not protest and stayed with me until the three climbers came down again, feeling very hot and very proud.
As we got nearer to the Southern coast, we could feel a cooler breeze coming from the sea and especially the nights became tolerable. Around Walpole there were more old forests which huge trees to be visited. Swarbrick, North of Pemberton, has a short loop trail, where art pieces are displayed among big trees. We all liked the mirror wall at its beginning best. Art just does not really compare in these surroundings...
Later on we visited the Giant Tingle Tree with its 24m circumferance and saw more of its 400-year-old brothers and sisters at «The Ancient Empire». Here they have built a 600m Tree Top Walk suspended 40 meters in the air. At the ticket booth they gave out sunblock and after this we were ready for a swim. We drove to Peaceful Bay and when we got to this fantastic beach we found everybody looking over the water, pointing and with cameras in hand. When we asked what people were looking at, we were told that dolphins had just visited the bay but had obviously moved on now. What is it with us and dolphins?!?
Surprisingly it was much cooler and overcast the next day. At around 20°C we decided to visit the Pentland Animal Farm in Denmark rather than the beach. It was a great experience for all of us to cuddle a koala, bottle-feed young Highland cattle and baby goats, pet a super soft alpaca – but the biggest attraction of them all were two baby kangaroos! Axel and the kids all agreed that they want one just like little Rosie – and then I was tactless enough to serve kangaroo meat for dinner!
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