We set off on a private charter Pinnacle van at 8.30am on Sunday morning. We had empty seats left meant for about 14 pax but we had 9 pax so we had space to put our foodstuffs at the back of the van. We had intended to include Albany in the tour today but the guide, John told us that if we were to go Albany, we will return back Perth at 2.30am. Without Albany, we will still reach Perth at about 11.30pm. So after much consideration, we decided to replace Albany with William Bay which was the initial tour itinerary given to us for a 1-day tour. Our first stop was this small town called Donnybrook after going through the town of Mandurah. It was a 2 1/2 hr drive from Perth. Donnybrook is famous for its apple and stone fruit orchards but we did not even have time to stop and buy fruits. Upon arrival at Donnybrook, we saw this stretch of apple-shaped lamps by the street.

And we stopover for a 20 mins quick breakfast and coffee at the bakery and cafe there. We ordered a takeaway of Chicken and Ham Salad Roll and the packet iced coffee there is fantastic. Nothing like Singapore's Nescafe. We drink that everyday when we were in Perth. Only AUD2+ a 80ml packet.

Leaving Donnybrook we relax into scenic touring through the rolling farmlands of the Blackwood River Valley and pass through the small historic pioneer towns of Balingup and Bridgetown. Moving south we are now entering Western Australia's only old growth forest area. Stopping at the Diamond Tree, one of the three towering trees in the district once used as a bush fire watch tower, there will be people climbing up the tree. It reaches up to 51m and at the top there is a tree house to take a break and enjoy the scenery before climbing down.








The ladder can only hold up to four people at a time as it'd be dangerous to exceed that weight limit...

We did not manage to climb up 1m cause we were afraid halfway we'll freak out the the height and then will have difficulty climbing down. We watched 2 young kids and their mother climbing up all the way to the top.

I have to put my hood on from my jacket cause there were houseflies flying around us and buzzing in our ears...

Following lunch we continue on through stunning sections of karri forest, the world's third tallest tree, before reaching the Valley of the Giants. Here we experience the Tree Top Walk, a 400 metre long elevated walkway constructed through the canopy gradually reaching up to 40 metres above ground. For those unsure about the elevation, a wonderful walk on ground level is available through the Ancient Empire, a remarkable pocket of Tingle Forest. These wide girthed trees, goblin like in appearance can grow up to 5 metres in diameter at the base.



The entrance of Valley of the Giants aka Tree Top Walk.



The timber made out of the trees mentioned by the guide can be found inside the Tree Top Walk too...



The beginning of the Tree Top Walk...



A family shot...This picture was taken by a batch of boys who I guessed was from Singapore cause they spoke Mandarin a little. They are from Raffles Institution...



My cousin, Kristin...



The trees from the bridge...



The bridge was getting shaky...It's like being on a suspension bridge so it is rather shaky when 10 people are walking together same time.

Walking towards the path of Ancient Empire...

One thing interesting about Ancient Empire is the trees are very old and all of them have a common thing in the trees. They all have a huge hole some big enough for people to walk through in it...

That's my grandpa's back...



Look, it looks like a face...



Red Tingle Tree...






The crows in Perth is different from our crows here. They are twice bigger in size and they make sounds that sound like a child crying or wailing...

After a day immersed in nature it is time to enjoy afternoon tea before heading to William Bay, then continuing along the coast through some of Western Australia's most spectacular farming country to the quaint seaside town of Denmark.

It was freaking cold at William Bay. It is actually going upslope to a mountain area. Therefore there is fog like in Genting...




My brother and I...I finally have a solo shot with my brother...He was feeling cold from the breeze but he refused to get his jacket...

All the grandchildren...

With my two cousins, Felicia and Kristin...It was very cold, we had to pull our hoods and pull our sleeves all the way till our fingers...

The sea water hitting the rocks....

From here we head inland and travel via Mt Barker and Kojonup where we stop briefly for tea (own expense) at The Kodja Place Visitors Centre, a contemporary tourist complex combining Aboriginal Culture and Rural Heritage to showcase the ingenuity and the spirit of life in the bushes. There we stopover at the supermarket for fruits and snacks and spotted a Chinese restaurant and we bought fried rice as takeaways while the van drove off to pump petrol before driving back to Perth for another 2 1/2 hours. I spotted some nice flowers outside the van...






It was pitch darkness on the road on our way back to Perth except from the lights of the headlights and fort lights of SUV cars from opposite side. We can see the full moon from afar oval in shape and low on the horizons. We were in the hills...We reached Perth at approximately 11 pm.