Valley of the Giants, Walpole-Nornalup National Park
We were fighting showers on our way from Albany through Denmark and onto Walpole-Nornalup NP but the rain gradually cleared and the drive was lovely through forests. The ‘giants’ in the Valley of the Giants are the red tingle trees, Eucalyptus jacksonii, which have an extremely limited distribution in southwest Australia, now restricted largely to the national park and a few isolated places elsewhere. The tree top walk is the main attraction and well worth the entry fee, but what first-time visitors don’t realise is there is as much to see at ground level within the grounds, and all of that is completely free to access. So if the forty metre elevation of the main walk terrifies you, it’s still definitely worth visiting, and with a coffee van, excellent loos and a great little gift shop, is a good place to stop.
The walk boasts of being completely accessible for most people, and it really is – the climb is gradual, and the entrance and exits are fully wheelchair friendly. All of which makes it easier for people like me as well 🙂 (I’m fitter, a lot fitter, but you know, I’ll take the easy way if I can!) The views are very nice, although not hugely varied, and you can do a free guided tour if you like (we didn’t). Doug did the walk twice, but I found the ground level stuff much more photogenic and fascinating.
After we finished at the tree top walk, we drove onto see the Giant Tingle Tree, which I was quite keen to see. Unfortunately, disaster struck when, ten metres from the car as we headed to the path to see it, the sole of my walking shoe fell off. (This is the second pair of shoes this has happened to – the glue just fails. No one stitches soles on any more, at least, not on any shoes I can afford!) So I had to wait while Doug did his thing.
That put paid to any more exploring for me, so we drove to Walpole to have lunch at one of the several places to eat opposite the visitor centre. It’s a pretty town, and there is a bit to explore, but I was too pissed off to contemplate sitting for hours in the car while Doug got to see the fun stuff. And the weather was breaking down again. So we stopped at the John Rate lookout a little up the road from Walpole, Doug took some photos, and we drove home. Fortunately, I’d brought a good pair of walking sandals with me on the trip as well as the closed in pair that failed, so we could continue exploring the next day.
01. View from Tree Top Walk, Valley of the Giants
View from Tree Top Walk, Valley of the Giants
02. Giant tingle trees
Giant tingle trees
03.Giant tingle tree with gnarled trunk
Giant tingle tree with gnarled trunk
04. Hollowed out GGiant tingle tree
Hollowed out Giant tingle tree
05. Hollowed out Giant tingle tree
Hollowed out Giant tingle tree
06. Hollowed out Giant tingle trees
Hollowed out Giant tingle trees
07. Lichen growing on Giant Tingle Tree
Lichen growing on Giant Tingle Tree
08. Close up of Native White Clematis
Close up of Native White Clematis
09. View of fallen hollowed out Giant Tingle Tree from the base
 View of fallen hollowed out Giant Tingle Tree from the base
10. Hollowed out Giant Tingle Tree
Hollowed out Giant Tingle Tree
11. Hollowed out Giant Tingle Tree with Doug for scale
Hollowed out Giant Tingle Tree with Doug for scale
12. Opening into base and roots of tingle tree showing the fungi which help supply nutrients to the tree and eventually lead to its hollowing out
Opening into base and roots of tingle tree showing the fungi which help supply nutrients to the tree and eventually lead to its hollowing out
13. Giant tingle trees
Giant tingle trees
14. Native white clematis
Native white clematis
15. Slipper orchid
Slipper orchid
16. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
17. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
18. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
19. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
20. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
21. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
22. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
23. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
24. Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
Giant tingle trees from tree top walk
25. View across Valley of the Giants from Tree Top walk
Valley of the Giants from Tree Top walk
26. Giant Tingle Tree from Tree Top walk, Valley of the Giants
Giant Tingle Tree from Tree Top walk, Valley of the Giants
27. Giant Tingle Tree from Tree Top walk, Valley of the Giants
Giant Tingle Tree from Tree Top walk, Valley of the Giants
28. Tree Top walk, Valley of the Giants
Tree Top walk, Valley of the Giants
29. Giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
30. Hollowed out and twisted giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Hollowed out and twisted giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
31. Giant tingle tree with two trunks at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle tree with two trunks at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
32. Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
33. Giant tingle trees with galls at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle trees with galls at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
34. Giant tingle tree with twisted trunk at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle tree with twisted trunk at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
35. Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
36. Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
37. Hollowed out giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Hollowed out giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
38. Close up of base of hollowed out giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Close up of base of hollowed out giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
39. View upwards of giant tingle tree with two trunks at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
View upwards of giant tingle tree with two trunks at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
40. View upwards of giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
41. Close up of gnarled giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Close up of gnarled giant tingle tree at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
42. Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
43. Gnarled giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Gnarled giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
44. Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
Giant tingle trees at the Giant Tingle Tree lookout
45. Onion Grass or Guildford Grass, Romulea rosea (weed)
Onion Grass or Guildford Grass, Romulea rosea (weed)
46. View from John Tate Lookout
View from John Tate Lookout
47. Patersonia occidentalis – Native Iris or Purple Flag
Patersonia occidentalis – Native Iris or Purple Flag
48. Close up of Patersonia occidentalis – Native Iris or Purple Flag
Close up of Patersonia occidentalis – Native Iris or Purple Flag
