Caves, Waves, and Kangaroos
I'm writing from the Dunsborough Beachhouse YHA- just returned from a very eventful day. The day didn't start out very well though. I've been spending time with a girl from the tour, Lynne, and we were both hoping to get out of the hostel today and do some sight seeing. The problem is that the hostel is pretty isolated if you don't have a car. Most of this area is hard to see without a car, and in the heat walking anywhere was just painful and impossible. Fortunately, we convinced one of the guys who runs the hostel to take us around (with his girlfriend and another one of their friends). Then things started to get better.
On our tour, first we stopped at a karri tree forest and took some pictures. Then we went on a tour of the Lake Cave. It's a limestone cave, about 20 degrees cooler than it was outside. I'd never been in a cave before, so it was very exciting. The cave is famous for this formation called the table- basically it is two huge columns of limestone, and a limestone base holding them together, so it looks like an upside down table. But the crazy thing is that this giant formation is not touching the ground. It hovers over the underground lake, and well, it is very cool. After the cave, we drove along the beautiful coast and stopped at a beach called Surfer's Point. There were lots of people, including kids in the water, despite the signs warning of rips and prohibiting swimming. I was hesitant at first, but decided just to go in around where everyone else was swimming, and it was absolutely fine. There was a big drop off, so it was deep, but no rips that I could see, and no waves any worse than a normal day at Dunewood. Out farther there were big waves though and you could see the crowd of surfers gathered there. It seemed to be a pretty popular beach.
All of that was great, but on the way home I got the real highlight of the trip- my first kangaroo sighting! There were tons of them, babies and everything. I was the only one in the car who had never seen them before, so everyone else probably thought I was overreacting. But I got pictures and I swear I will figure out how to post them soon. On the way back I also noticed some grazing deer, which I thought was very strange because I'ver only ever seen them running free on Fire Island. Then I saw a sign for a venison farm and I thought that was really sad. For some reason I've never contemplated the existence of a venison farm before. Weird.
Tomorrow I'm getting out of Dunsborough and getting back on the tour to Margaret River. Lynne has sorta talked me into stopping there although I wasn't planning to at first. She wants to do some winery tours and maybe canoeing- and I'd like to go back to the good beaches around here. I was also planning to do part of a nice coastal hike in the area, but it has been way too hot for that. Maybe if it cools down a bit I'll get a chance.
Love,
Emma
On our tour, first we stopped at a karri tree forest and took some pictures. Then we went on a tour of the Lake Cave. It's a limestone cave, about 20 degrees cooler than it was outside. I'd never been in a cave before, so it was very exciting. The cave is famous for this formation called the table- basically it is two huge columns of limestone, and a limestone base holding them together, so it looks like an upside down table. But the crazy thing is that this giant formation is not touching the ground. It hovers over the underground lake, and well, it is very cool. After the cave, we drove along the beautiful coast and stopped at a beach called Surfer's Point. There were lots of people, including kids in the water, despite the signs warning of rips and prohibiting swimming. I was hesitant at first, but decided just to go in around where everyone else was swimming, and it was absolutely fine. There was a big drop off, so it was deep, but no rips that I could see, and no waves any worse than a normal day at Dunewood. Out farther there were big waves though and you could see the crowd of surfers gathered there. It seemed to be a pretty popular beach.
All of that was great, but on the way home I got the real highlight of the trip- my first kangaroo sighting! There were tons of them, babies and everything. I was the only one in the car who had never seen them before, so everyone else probably thought I was overreacting. But I got pictures and I swear I will figure out how to post them soon. On the way back I also noticed some grazing deer, which I thought was very strange because I'ver only ever seen them running free on Fire Island. Then I saw a sign for a venison farm and I thought that was really sad. For some reason I've never contemplated the existence of a venison farm before. Weird.
Tomorrow I'm getting out of Dunsborough and getting back on the tour to Margaret River. Lynne has sorta talked me into stopping there although I wasn't planning to at first. She wants to do some winery tours and maybe canoeing- and I'd like to go back to the good beaches around here. I was also planning to do part of a nice coastal hike in the area, but it has been way too hot for that. Maybe if it cools down a bit I'll get a chance.
Love,
Emma
2 Comments:
Kangaroos!!!! I think I would jump up and down and take lots of pictures if I saw them too! That's so exciting! hurrah! I hope it cools down enough for your hike - i'd imagine it'd be beautiful. missing you muchly!
And speaking of venison farms, last weekend Lydia skinned her first deer (with help of Matt and friends at his co-op, Lothlorien). The local authorities cull the surplus wild population and give them away. She always was an enthusiastic carnivore.
BTW, today is her 21st birthday.
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