Day 110 - 113, Walpole ( Wed 14th Oct - Sat 17th Oct )

Walpole

Coalmine Beach Holiday Park Campsite

Walpole is about 65 kilometers west of Denmark WA, on the Walpole Inlet which it is named after,  we stopped there mainly to see the giant Tingle and Karri trees in the area.

We didn't stay in Walpole itself but a few kilometers out of town at the Top Tourist park "Coalmine Beach Holiday Park".

The park is really great, sites are well spaced, shaded, and have fire pits, water, and power, the owners are especially friendly and helpful.

Friendly Wildlife

The rates are also very reasonable, and things like ice, bread, gas refills are also well priced.

There is lots of wildlife in the park, including a large variety of birds for the photographer.

This cheeky fellow got a little to friendly and swooped down while we were having dinner, hit our son Sam in the side of the head and stole a sausage from his plate, he was uninjured but got quite a surprise, but I have to say it was very funny to watch.

The park is located right on the inlet so we had a go at fishing but had no luck, the water there is a bit to shallow for fishing, a good spot to have a dip though.

There are other good fishing spots only a short drive away if you want.

In the town which is quite nice there are enough shops to get supplies you may need and also a pretty good information centre where you can get info on all the sights in and around Walpole.

The Giant Tree Loop Walk

Valley Of The Giants Walkway

A short 18 kilometer drive from Walpole in the Walpole-Noralup National Park is the "Valley Of The Giants tree Top Walk", it is a 40 meter high walkway through the canopy of the giant trees, its only 600 meters long and very easy to traverse.

For people with a fear of heights the highest section may cause a little discomfort as it bounces and sways a little while you walk across. 

There is a good Discovery Centre, shop and cafe on site, admission was $47.50 for the family which was reasonable I thought.

Valley Of The Giants Walkway

Left is the highest section of the walk, its a great view of the giant trees but its a bit wobbly walking across, some people don't like the feeling at all, problem is you are not supposed to walk back the other way if you cant do it.

In the park there is also a ground level walk where you can follow a well made ground level pathway past the bases of some enormous trees, alot of which are hollow and big enough to park a car in.

Giant Tingle Tree

The largest and oldest of the giants is located a few kilometers away back towards Walpole, it is a Red Tingle Tree which was hollowed out by fire, the tree is approximately 400 years old, with a circumference of 23.3 meters, it is 30 meters high, and apparently 100 people can fit inside the base of it.

The Denmark Chocolate Company 

Denmark Chocolate Company

The Denmark Chocolate Factory is located on the South Coast Hwy just before Denmark, its WA's first licensed chocolate lounge where you can try fine chocolates and local wines, liqueurs, and imported beers.

Entry is free but that's where the savings end, the chocolates there are delicious without doubt, but wow, they are expensive.

Chocolate Timeline Walk

Before going inside we did the "Chocolate Timeline" walk which is a short walk through the beautiful gardens where as you walk you can read about the history of chocolate, its very interesting and we did learn a lot about chocolate.

Fine Chocolates

Inside you will find a cafe like set up, with a shop selling a range of local wines and liqueurs, and of course a huge range of chocolates, there is a long viewing window where if you are lucky enough you can see them crafting the hand made chocolates.

We ended up staying for a coffee and a wine, and also tried a selection of chocolates, we bought 6 small filled chocolates which cost from $3.00 - $4.00 each, not the sort of chocolates you are going to buy the kids on a regular basis.

The chocolates were delicious, and you can definitely taste the difference between these home made Swiss chocolates and the good old Cadbury chocolate you buy at IGA.

Denmark Farmhouse Cheese

While in the area we stopped in at "Denmark Farmhouse Cheese", its a small farm in between Denmark and Walpole the has a shop selling a variety of dairy products and meats.

They have a pretty good range of food there and its all local produce.

You can have a meal there and the food looked pretty good, we only picked up some cheese and cured meats for a platter or lunch a bit later.

The prices were slightly on the dear side but not too bad, the quality was good though and there was a good selection.

Our Visit to Walpole and the surrounding attractions was very nice, its only a little town but it has a fair bit its in a good location to see the sights in the area, we also visited Denmark and are happy we did not stay there, we found it to unfriendly, and nothing special at all.