Week 12/52 - Balingup - rolling hills, pathways & towering forest

Welcome everyone to Week 12 of our 52 week tour Downunder Western Australia.

I hope you have been enjoying it so far. This week we move on from Nannup and travel eastward to Balingup. Balingup attractively sits within the Blackwood River valley surrounded by rolling green farmland, edged by towering forests. It is a favoured retreat for artisans and craftspeople.

Balingup is also one of the Bibbulmun Track's "track towns". You remember we first went on the Bibbulmun Track in Week 5 near Collie. (it is WA's longest walking track - over 900 kilometres from Perth to Albany) This week we walk another section through a pine forest to the Blackwood hut.

In the photo below you can see us the track through the pine forest. I like the perspective of this shot with the tree lined avenue and the hiker (my husband - again a token person in my photos) and the bright orange backpack.

From Life Images by Jill

I had a bit of difficultly with the contrast in this photo - my husband was standing in shade, but I wanted to show you the scene from near the Blackwood hut.

From Life Images by Jill

Here is the overnight Blackwood hut, nestled at the edge of the pine forest overlooking the valley. A stunning view. The hut is open on one side to the view and set up with wooden benches and sleeps about 8 people. You need to bring everything - a self inflatable mattress and a really warm sleeping bag is a must - but just imagine laying there in the morning and watching the sun come up and the mist rise up through the valley. Stunning.

From Life Images by Jill

It started to rain on our way back from the hut. But even when it is raining you can still find something to photograph....

From Life Images by Jill

Here is another couple of shots from along the track. This one again was a tricky situation with light on the rolling hills in the background and shadow amongst the trees where we were walking. It is a bit hard to see, but those little dots on the hills in the background are hay bales.

From Life Images by Jill

And some wildflowers - this one is clematis (old man's beard) -

From Life Images by Jill

another one of our more unusual orchids - and very hard to see - the Midge Orchid -

From Life Images by Jill

A bit further along the track south of the Blackwood Hut - again some tricky lighting - I like the perspective of the hikers (two of my friends) amongst the trees. We were coming down from a rise in the track and I just had to stop and take some photos.  I did an overnight hike with my friends. Bernard walked all the way from Perth to Albany - over 900 kilometres - and now can proudly call himself an "end to ender".

From Life Images by Jill