Camping down Collie way

Well it was the Easter Hollidays and it was time for another Camping trip, and this time it would be down south at Collie. So after work I chucked four nevilles into the commodore for the drive down south, which took just over two hours and we got to the campsite just after dark. But after having a mongrel of a time getting the tent up in the dark, we sat back and got the fire going much to the delight of the kiddies. Oscar even got his little mate Tony 'TeddyBear' Butterfield to sit next to him at the fire, to be fairdinkum I didn't think Tony was going to get through the night.... but he did.









The next morning we got up to the sound of the birds in the trees, and an ache in the backbone reminded me what I really hate about camping. As you can see we had a little ripper breaky, to fill our tummys for the big day ahead.... but first I might just lay back in that green seat, and give the back a rest (getting old).










Here is Eric and Sarah standing in frount of the Federal Hotel in Collie, as you can see theres a sign on the side saying 'Sunday session'.... oh those were the days! But you might be wondering who this Eric fella is, well he is the family Gnome who was going down South to Gnomesville to live with his mates. But before he leaves us he wanted one last holiday, so he hopped in with us for the drive around town. Heres the mob on a Leopard tank which was just recently decommissioned from the Army after 30 years of service, the army has just gifted this 42.4 tonne metal Leopard AS1 tank to the Collie RSL. A bit more up-to-date Tank then what I got to play on as a little kiddie, lucky little buggers.
















Heres the kiddies n' Eric at the Wellington Dam which is in the Wellington National Park, which is were we wanted to camp but it was all full... bugger.







Then we had a nice drive through the Wellington Forest to reach the King Jarrah Tree, which is the one which looks a bit grey.











The King Jarrah Tree... what a little ripper hay, it's around 400 years old so it's had a good life.





















Then we drove to Gnomesville which is just unbelieveable, just about every place you look at theres a little gnome.







There must be thousands of Gnomes in this place this is where Eric the gnome was going to leave us to live, but the kiddies changed there minds and it looks like Eric was going to come home with us after all.











Then back at Collie we went for a wonder along the riverbank to find this spension bridge, which made the kiddies happy and also worked for me as they wore themselves out running back and forth across the river... Good.












And then it was back to the Stockton Lake Park were we had our tentsite, and just in time to get a feed into us and to start another fire.









The next morning we had our breaky at our camp then we drove to Boyup Brook, which is the National Capital of Country Music in WA. So this is the Tamworth of Western Australia, just a little down sized!








And here is Harrison at the Boyup Brook Espectice Guitar!! well okay it mightn't be as spectacular as Tamworths Goldern Guitar, but atleast if your drunk enough you can steal this one! This years event was in February and you can have a gander at there website here.









Then back in the commodore for a nice drive in the bush past Bridgetown, till we reached the timber town of Manjimup where we were going to the Timber and Heritage Park.











Inside the Timber and Heritage Park we went walkabout through the bush, heres Jacko showing us this old bush school we found.








Also this old steam locomotive which had seen better days, in fact it is a S.A.Y Class number 109 and was built in Manchester in the UK in 1907. From 1958-62 it was used to haul timber over rough bush lines, to Bunnings Brothers mill in Northcliffe before it was retired.









Then we found an old lock-up and in went all the kiddies for a gander, if only I had a friggin' padlock!







Yep this was Manjimup's lock-up for 46 years, and i'm being fairdinkum.... if only I had a padlock!














And ofcause all good National Parks have a timber Mill














After that we drove back past Bridgetown and on towards Donnybrook, but before we got there we stopped for a gander at this opencut mine at Greenbushes. Called the Cornwall Pit it's now finished it's time and what are you going to do with a hole like this? not sure but it would make a ripper swimming pool. Over the years it had 4.7 million tonnes of tin, 6 million tonnes of Tantalum, 9.2 million tonnes of Ore, and 61.3 million tonnes of waste!!! crikey that waste would of filled a few potholes.








Then we drove past the scarecrow capital of Western Australia Balingup, but fairdinkum it looks more like an old sheilah then a scarecrow... but who am I to criticise art!







Then we made it to Donnybrook where the kiddies had waited all day for, it's just a roadside park but as you can see it's still a ripper. You couldn't ask for more for a little park and it was for free! you little beauty.










Here's the twins Harrison Apple n' Oscar Pear showing us the Park, funny thing is that Oscar is the one who loves apples where Harrison loves Pears.....











'The Osk' showing us one part of the swing Park, it's a little ripper Park with a section for little kiddies. There's a part for bigger kiddies and then the big castle for the bigger kiddies, and just across the road is the Donnybrook Hotel for the bigger bigger Kiddies!











But all good things must come to an end and as the sun dropped down across the hills, it was time to head back the 50 kilometers to our campsite for the night.












Then after some camp tucker it was time for the fire to start up again, but this time it was going to be a little different. As yours truly gave in and brought some marshmallows, and so doing started the first Paul Family camping Tradition of toasting Marshmallows!








Jacko thought 'crikey I over cooked it a little bit'











But as you can see Sarah thought she just loved it a bit charcoaled... God help us! And as we went to sleep on our last night in the bush, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.... life couldn't be better.






Then as we awoke in the morning to the sound of water falling on the tent in buckets, we knew we were in for a wet day. In fact Collie had a fall of around 35mils and I reckon ever bit of that fell on our tent, this was not looking good. So after throwing one neville after the other into the car I just started to chuck everything into the back, and you can see the finished product in this photo.... and yes Chase if you pull on that pot handle everything will fall out.... go on I dare ya!