I decided to have a road trip as Ben was seeing friends and going partying over the weekend, and I thought it a good idea not to be there! So I drove south in my trusty "home" finding my way courtesy of Google Maps (my kids were very impressed! It was a first!)
I went to Mandurah, a couple of hours south of Perth. A beautiful town on the river, renown for its dolphins. I had a wander round the town and then came back to the park for a swim in the river. It was so warm. I didn't see any dolphins..... This was the park by the river
And the bridge across to the town, including swimmers!
Then I carried on south to Lake Clifton to see the thrombolites, a natural phenomenon that I had never heard of.... They are living organisms growing at about 1mm a year... single-cell bacteria which deposit layers of silt and calcium that slowly grow into rounded rocks. It's the thin film of bacteria on the surface of the rock that is alive, and the calcium carbonate structures underneath the biofilm slowly grow and merge, created by a form of life that is about the closest thing to what "life" looked like millions of years ago. Scientists also believe that they are the origins of oxygen in the atmosphere, created during photosynthesis.
The thrombolites growth depends on a continuous discharge of groundwater, low in salinity and nutrients and high in alkalinity. Nutrients leaching into the groundwater from local agriculture and urban land is already affecting the water quality of the lake, and the salinity of Lake Clifton has increased sharply in the last 20 years, caused by the changes in the water balance of the lake. Algal blooms have already been seen.... If climate change, or groundwater abstraction for agricultural, urban or other purposes results in lower water levels in the lake, or reduces the inflow of fresh groundwater into the catchment, the thrombolites may stop growing.
Another example of mans impact on the environment, and this is to an organism that contributes oxygen.... I'm not sure what the scum on the lake was but I'm sure it shouldn't normally be there....
Still heading south I drove to Preston Beach to watch the sunset
Magical....
I then returned back to a campsite I had passed earlier, and checked in. It was dark by the time I arrived, altho before 7pm. Many Aussies don't drive after dark outside the cities as kangaroos and wallabies tend to jump out onto the road at the vehicle lights, and sure enough one tried to jump at me.... Luckily for us both it wasn't quite near enough as they can make quite a mess of themselves and the vehicle. I saw lots of dead kangaroos during my travels in WA, and only a couple of alive ones. If they are still by the side of the road you would have no chance of seeing them until they moved, they are so well camouflaged.
I parked up for the night and enjoyed a couple of beers after a beautiful day exploring....
The next day I headed north along the old coast road, past a huge river inlet that leads up to Mandurah. I stopped several times to admire the view
Including this flock of pelicans.....
I then left the river and drove back to the sea, less than two miles away. This area of greater Mandurah is one of the most expensive to live and I can see why, being by the sea but also with a sheltered river estuary for boating and with both river and sea fishing available, which seems to be a major pastime for the locals.
I parked up
And headed to the beach. So much of WA coastline outside of the cities is protected sand dunes, and so wild and beautiful. I couldn't help but think that at home most of our coastline is now concreted over in one form or another, but then we have a lot lot less than they do!
I sat on the rocks for awhile watching this family jumping the waves, and then decided to join them....
They were Aussies and much more used to the waves than me. The girls would have been in their early teens, running in and out with their parents. So I joined them, safety in numbers in the water I thought ..... Great fun! Then a huge wave came and tumbled me round as if I was in a washing machine, and spat me out onto the beach. I got out after that! Phew!
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