1997-12-01 Permberton -> Shannon Park campground, 75km, 18.7km/h
Got up fairly early to go visit the Glochester
(sp?) Tree. This is a tree 61m tall with a fire lookout platform (2
stages) on top. You climb it using metal bars that are driven into
the tree in a slow spiral around it. I counted about 147 steps to
the very top. Nice view and Ch. took some photos. Rode to
Northcliffe for lunch. (Sheppard's pie, sausage role, and spinach
and ricotta pie, cider and beer). Petit bled.
Arrived at Shannon around 4pm. Grazing land, jarrah trees, and hilly forrest along the way. Getting tired of hills. There are toilets, free water, and wa wood-heated shower (which we didn't use), but no caretaker or store. $8 for the site that you put in an envelope ans slide into a strong-box. Supper of crisp bread cheese and salami. A couple of enormous black birds with yellow eyes hopped up on the table looking for a handout. We gave them nothing and after about 5 minutes they went back to looking for bugs. The had exactly the same behavior as the quokkas on Rottnest Island. Arount 19h30 we finished supper and went for a walk to the lodge to search for booze, but it was just a refuge that you could rent. Saw about 4 kangaroos in the field and an enormous one (before supper) eating the leaves off of a tree. Chatted a bit with the couple next to our site. A Suisse-toto and his wife from St. Legier (!) who went to the CESSEV a year after Ch.! They were flying around Oz and using rented cars, but we guessed that they were rich. Talked mostly in French and I didn't have to repeat myself once! Night was very cold and I didn't sleep a wink, even though I used the towel to cover myself and we slept in spoon position. Glad to get up and get going.