V is for Valley of the Giants

No, I’m not talking about the redwood trees in Sequoia National Park.  This Valley of the Giants is near Walpole in west Australia.  Walpole can leave one awestruck with its towering forests of eucalyptus trees.  This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Western Australia’s scenic south-west coast. 

 The Treetop Walk

 

Walpole is about a four and a half hour drive south of Perth.  Once there, some beautiful scenery awaits you.  The red tingle trees are unique to the Walpole wilderness area.  You can take the Treetop Walk to see the trees from above and then see their massive gnarled trunks from the Ancient Empires boardwalk below.  The Treetop Walk is a lightweight bridge that winds gently upward to the treetops.  You’ll be at canopy level at just over 131 feet in the air.

Once you descend to the Empire Walk, you’ll be able to walk around and through the giant trees, which are estimated to be approximately 400 years old.  Some of the trees are approximately 50 feet in circumference. 

Walpole is surrounded by other natural attractions such as the Circular Pool, which is a great spot to swim and/or picnic.  There are peaceful rivers and inlets, great walking paths and pristine white beaches in nearby Walpole-Nornalup National Park.  Houseboats are available for cruising along the inlets.  If you’re a hiker there’s Mount Frankland, which is steep but short.  Once on top, you’ll have a spectacular view of the forest below.

The area is rich with bird life.  You may even see grazing kangaroos, or spot migrating whales from June to September.  From September to November the region wears a blanket of colorful wildflowers from the windswept coast to the forest floor.

There seems to be many places on Earth that have things in common scenery wise with only a few regional things changed.  I’ve learned a lot researching different things for the A to Z this year.