We moved on to the Shannon National Park where we took a site in the campground. The only place he Motley would fit was in a group campsite but as there were few visitors on this Monday we were able to camp without causing anyone else any problem.
The attraction of the Shannon National Park is a 48 km (30 mile) forest drive which has been equipped with radio transmitters at all the key places which broadcast an explanation of what is important in that place. The first, for example, is by a group of trees which include all the dominant species of this forest so that one can see a Karri, a Jarrah and a Marri side by side and learn to identify them in the rest of the forest.
This forest has a wide variety of trees, understorey plants and wildflowers, unlike the Warren National Park at Pemberton which is for the most part pure karri. We even drove through some swampland which supported banksia and mellaleuca.
In the afternoon, doing the south-western loop of the drive, we came across a fire crew doing a burn-off. Well done I thought, and then the firey we were talking to lit up a fag!.
In addition to the trees, we also saw some birds we hadn't seen before and some Western Grey Kangaroos.
One of the stops featured a karri 300 years old and in its declining years. Its need for new growth to sustain it exceeds it capacity to produce new growth so it is slowly dying. It will take many, many years and there are plenty of younger trees ready to take up the role of oldest tree in the forest, but its was still a bit sad.
Here Jean was surprised by a largish lizard of unidentified species which was as surprised as she was causing it to run and hide before she could get a good look at it.
As we settled in for the evening, the campground is beautifully quiet. Even the birdsong has changed from a continuous chorus of many species to an occasional call from a single bird.