The Southern Forests


We are in the old forests of SW Australia.  Here giants that were growing before Aussie was discovered by Europeans still stand in all their glory.  Somehow they escaped the saws that felled so many of their brethren.  We are grateful that they were spared.  This part of Oz has changed little since the continent separated from Antarctica making it a UNESCO hot spot of biodiversity.  It is a magical forest that brings calm and quiet to all who listen.

135 ft tall & still growing

500+ year old Tingle Tree
Our cabins on this part of our journey provide endless wilderness entertainment.  TV, Wifi & cell phone service are all spotty so we are living off the grid.  Kangaroo TV kept us laughing as we watched the baby joey's test out their legs in the evening across the meadow.
Did you know momma roo's are pregnant almost continuously.  Check it out on Google!

If you been watching the news, you know that many parts of Aussie are on fire right now.  Most of the really big burns are happening on the east coast so we've managed to stay out of their way.  We found the most interesting sculptures in a little town called Walpole which is an area that had a massive burn in 2015.  There were many exhibits in this outdoor art museum, all which were made from materials that would disintegrate back into nature.  Here you will see how the artist carved faces into the charcoal of the burned trees. 



Our list of identified bird species continues to grow longer with each new ecosystem we visit.  We are nearing 275 different species so we're pretty pleased with our progress to date.  We had the good fortune to meet up with another talented birder from Sydney this week so our list of newly spotted grew exponentially with his assistance.  There is nothing better than birding with a local pro who knows exactly what they are looking at!  

Wishing you all the Best!

Cheryl & Dan

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