It was Jane's birthday, so we set off to Pemberton for a lazy week-end of wine tasting, walking and bird watching. Pemberton is about three and a half hour's drive from Perth in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a lovely area to spend some time, with huge Karri forests and many wineries to visit. There are a number of excellent walks in the area and the Bibbulman Track passes through Pemberton on its way to the coast. The Cascades and the Gloucester Tree are both on the Bibbulman Track. Amongst many other wineries, we recommend Hidden River Estate - say hi to Phil and Sandy Goldring for us!!

We stayed at Pemberton Break-Away Cottages, just outside Pemberton.

One of our first walks was to the Cascades, through the Karri forest.

The trees are simply huge.

A path along the Warren River beside the Cascades

Of course, Ghillian had to climb the Gloucester Tree. This is about 160 feet and used to be a firewatching station.

We stayed on terra firma and fed the Western Rosellas

Jane and Alene with a handful of Rosellas

The red one is an adult male. The green one is a juvenile male about a year old.

Quick scrap over the seeds.

A Splendid Blue Wren. Isn't he gorgeous? Photographed on the verandah of our cottage.

This is mother Splendid Blue Wren (but only her tail is splendid). Rather blurry but she is feeding her baby - baby is the big fat lump on the left.