Barking Mad

This morning I’m going to meet a superstar, but at 65 million years of age, this gnarled old legend is definitely at the Mick Jagger end of the career spectrum.

The Valley of the Giants, in Western Australia’s Great Southern, is home to the majestic tingle, one of the world’s rarest eucalypt trees and a survivor of Gondwana, the supercontinent than once linked Australia, Africa, South America, India and Antarctica.

Protected by the region’s unique microclimate this arboreal curio has managed to cling on, but can only be found in a narrow strip of gravelly land near the coast.

“Tingle trees are special because this is the only place in the world where you can find them,” says our guide Helen Nash at the Walpole-Nornalup National Park.
Like the North American redwood, the red tingle (Eucalyptus jacksonii) is a true giant of the forest, growing upto 80 metres in height and living for over 400 years, a target that would defy even The Rolling Stones.

Centrepiece of the Walpole Wilderness is Grandma Tingle, a hideously wrinkled specimen dating back 450 years. With its hooked nose, scowling eye and sharp chin the tingle does indeed resemble a Shakespearean crone, but is now the backdrop for a million selfies.

While the name tingle (derived from a local Aboriginal word for trees) suggest something small and cuddly, this awe-inspiring specimen belongs in one of Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth blockbusters rather than a children’s fable.

Apart from its immense height, distinctive red hue and rough fibrous bark, red tingles also produce immense hollow bases. Some of the older trees measure upto 20 metres in circumference, big enough to accommodate an Aussie family or perhaps their car.

“People have been coming here to see the giant tingles since the 1920s,” says Helen.
“Back then it was quite common to camp under the trees and even light fires. There are several photographs of cars parked inside the base of a giant tingle.”

Unwittingly, these early tingle devotees were actually threatening to destroy the object of their affection. Despite their robust appearance, tingles are extremely fragile trees. Unlike other eucalypts, they do not have a taproot but rely instead on a shallow, buttressed root systems to draw moisture and nutrients from the soil.
“We didn’t realise that by driving our cars through here we were actually killing the trees,” says Helen.

By the early 1990s the survival of the tingles was looking increasingly precarious and authorities decided to build a metal walkway that would take visitors into the forest canopy, while protecting the tingles’ root system.

Completed in 1996 The Tree Top Walk consists of six lightweight bridge spans and seven pylons that allow visitors to absorb the serenity and magic of the tingle and karri forest while reducing pedestrian traffic on the ground.

“The tree top walk is quite an engineering feat because it’s not attached to any of the trees and was constructed without the use any cranes or helicopters,” says Helen.
“The gangways were prefabricated in Fremantle and bolted together on the forest floor – a bit like a giant meccano set – and then jacked up onto the pylons.”

An early morning stroll on the 600m long walkway provides an intimate introduction to this precious slice of biodiversity; the ancient forest supports an astonishing number of bird specials such a finches, nightjars, cockatoos and rosellas, while the undergrowth is alive with quokkas, possums, wallabies, bush rats and the wonderfully named motorbike frog whose mating call is said to resemble a motorbike changing gears.

After communing with nature in the treetops, visitors then return to terra firma and join the meandering Ancient Empire pathway that leads though the forest and back to the Discovery Centre, which houses a ticket office, café and retail space. Anyone still under the spell of tall trees should venture up the road to the Gloucester Tree, a 58-metre karri once used as a platform to spot bushfires. But only those with a strong head for heights should climb to the summit. If not, please stay on the ground with the motorbike frog.

FIVE THINGS TO DO IN THE SOUTH-WEST

1. TRUFFLE HUNTING

Manjimup, a productive farming area 295kms south of Perth, is the largest producer of Superior Perigord Truffles in the southern hemisphere. The local soil and climate are ideal for the cultivation of this highly prized fungus, as well as for cool climate wines.  Plantings date back to 1997 and are now a major export for Western Australia. The Australian truffle season runs from June to September. Visitors can book a truffle hunt at several properties around the region or join foodies from around the world at the annual truffle festival each June. Manjimup is also popular with bushwalkers, kayakers and anglers.

2. WINE TASTING

While Margaret River is the stellar wine region in these parts there are excellent small-batch wines being produced further south. The Southern Forest Wine region, centred on Manjumup and Pemberton, is an emerging cool climate wine region known for its Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz. Tall Timbers in Manjumup is an industrial-style space that sells a huge selection of local wines by the glass. You can also purchase wine by the bottle or case. Expect to see labels such as Hidden Valley Estate, Picardy Wines and Truffle Hill Wines. The restaurant showcases fresh produce from surrounding farms.

3. WILLIAM BAY NATIONAL PARK

Stretching from Walpole to Denmark, William Bay National Park is famous for its windswept shores and sheltered pools and attracts picnickers, swimmers, scuba divers and anglers. The park is also popular with hikers who come to walk the famous 1000km long Bibbulmun Track. Local landmarks include Elephant Rocks, a huge granite boulder, and Green’s Pool, known for its turquoise water and white sandy beaches. The park is home to many native bird species, while whales and dolphins can often be seen in these waters. The park reopens in June 2020 after improvements to its access roads, car park and toilets.

4. DENMARK FOOD AND WINE TRAIL

This 24km trail brings together a number of award-winning food, wine and beer experiences in the Denmark region. Alongside wineries such as Plantagenet Wines, Gilbert Wines and Rockcliffe Wines you’ll discover a myriad of small producers selling everything from farmhouse cheeses to mead. Visitors can explore the trail by themselves or join a tour. For lunch drop into Ducketts Mill for one of its excellent platters. The busy farmhouse shop also sells a wide range of artisan cheese, fudge, ice creams, preserves and estate-grown wines. Cider lovers will want to check out Elephants Rock Cider, which makes nine traditional, easy drinking ciders.

5. EAGLE BAY BREWERY

Surrounded by rolling farmland Eagle Bay Brewing is one of the region’s most impressive developments, containing a restaurant, microbrewery and vineyard. Hopheads will naturally want to sample the handcrafted ales and lagers, but the vineyard produces small batches of Shiraz, Semillon and Cabernet Sauvignon. The busy restaurant, which is open for lunch and afternoon snacks, offers an eclectic range of dishes – from chargrilled octopus to slow-cooked pork shoulder – featuring fresh local produce. Wood-fired pizzas are also available. A small shop sells Eagle Bay beers, wines, olive oils, balsamic vinegars and merchandise. Mix and match beer cartons are available.

Trip Notes

FLY

Qantas operates multiple daily flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Perth. See qantas.com. The drive from Perth to Walpole takes four-an-a-half hours.

STAY

RAC Karri Valley Resort, a short drive from Pemberton, makes the perfect base for exploring this part of Western Australia. The property sits on the banks of Lake Beedelup and is surrounded by karri forest. Accommodation ranges from chalets to lakeside rooms. Activities include swimming, canoeing, tennis, fishing and hiking. Lakeside rooms from $204 a night. See parksandresorts.rac.com.au

VISIT

The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk is located in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park, 18kms from Walpole, and consists of an ingenious metal walkway that takes the visitor through the canopy of an ancient tingle forest. The walk is open daily and is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. Entry costs $21 (adult) and $10.50 (child 6 to 15). The visitor centre sells refreshments and locally produced gifts and souvenirs. See: parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au

Mark Chipperfield was a guest of Tourism Western Australia

Picture credit: TOURISM WESTERN AUSTRALIA