Day trip along the Karri Forest Trail

Friday we packed a picnic lunch and ventured out for the 86km Karri Forest Explorer Trail which winds through some of the south-west’s most magnificent karri forest.   Heading out of town we first visited the Gloucester Tree which is 60m high and was chosen for a fire lookout in 1947.  There was a network of lookouts built in the karri forest between 1937 and 1952.  This is one of only 3 still in operation and the general public can climb the tree (be it at their own risk)!  I had thought I would like to do that however once seeing the tree and realising the pressure that would happen to my right hip with all those ‘up’ steps, I thought better of it and decided to scrap it off my list.  I am sure the view from the top would be pretty spectacular however.

Gloucester Tree Lookout

climbing the Gloucester Tree (60m in total)

We enjoyed lunch at the Big Brook Dam, built to supplement the water supply for Pemberton and the local trout hatchery in 1986.  You can swim and fish in the dam and there is a sandy beach with lots of picnic areas set up (but the water was cold)!   We drove along the various tracks that make up the trail (it was very well signposted) and part of the track is one way so the dirt track was quite narrow and in some places steep as you descended to the Warren River running nearby.  One of the stops along the trail was called ‘Giblett’ where in 1987 protesters took to the trees to prevent the logging of the old growth forest.   In 2005 the area was declared a National Park and the beautiful trees are now protected.  There is an interesting display at Giblett telling the story of the successful protest that lasted for many months through the winter.

Another stopping point along the trail was Beedelup Falls in the National Park. 

Beedelup Falls

During winter this area has quite good rainfalls and you can only imagine what the falls would look like after heavy rain.  The falls drop for 100m over a series of steep granite rocks.  We ‘enjoyed’ walking the swing bridge across the falls (good photo opportunity) but it sure moved around a bit.  Left you feeling as though you were still moving once you were walking on solid ground the other side, quite strange. 
Leaving here we then drove on to where the trail took us down to the Warren River along a section known as Heartbreak Trail.  

the Warren River

This steep track was built by hand to clear a path down to the river for the fire fighters, its name reflecting the hardship of the job.  The trail then follows the river a ways with campsites and a lookout along the way.  This national park (Warren) has virgin karri forest along the valley of the river and contains another ‘climbing’ lookout tree, the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree (91m high) which was pegged in 1988.  From here it is only about 15min and we are back in Pemberton.  What a great day it was and we were sure pooped after all the in and out of the car we had done at the various stops.