Tag: Deep South WA

Like yesterday’s featured image, today’s was taken on the afternoon of 15 March 2021.

Their locations are within circa 300 metres of each other; both are near to where the National Park’s access road crosses the Waychinicup River.

Waychinicup National Park is a place of remarkably diverse flora – wildflower-wise, it has few peers, anywhere.

It is not a place of very big trees, although less than one hour’s drive away is a much wetter place whose towering Eucalypts are among the world’s tallest flowering plants.

Porongurup’s’ “island” of Karri forest is utterly unlike Waychinicup.

However, the little valley in which sits the Waychinicup access road’s river crossing is home to some venerable, substantial trees.

…for local insects, it is a rehydration station, a source of minerals, an “air conditioner”, and a source of nest-building material.

As you can see, the Waychinicup River is in at least reasonably good health.

As you will see in a future post in this series, the appearance of its surface can be remarkably different, depending on exactly when and where an observer looks at it.

(Bob Dylan has never watched the Waychinicup River flow. Tim Winton has, many times)

Today’s photo was taken at 3.58 pm on March 15, 2021 – ten minutes after the previous post’s image.

Where the access road crosses the river is more “well-wooded” than is most of Waychinicup National Park.

This little bit is sheltered from the wind, enjoys more shade, and the topography and the river offer plants a moister, calmer environment than is available in most of the National Park.

The Waychinicup River is in fact a modest creek – of approx 17 kilometres, from its headwaters near the Manypeaks townsite to its petite estuary, just before it meets the inlet which is Waychinicup National Park’s signature feature.

The photo (copyright Doug Spencer) was taken circa 2ks upstream of the inlet, at the point where the access road crosses the river.