While I managed a trip out on both days this weekend, which were equally fun, both were relatively short. So I have decided to roll them into one, not so long, post. Saturday was a doing day, as several domestic duties called including heading into town. Something I am not particularly keen on, but once in a blue moon it is an unavoidable necessity. However, heading into Bunbury meant I could pick up the new glasses, required to replace the ones I lost to some random bush (https://sandbagged.blog/2022/07/17/a-voice-in-my-head/). After hitting the shops we had the idea to go for a bit of a wander round Manea Park, somewhere Lisa had never heard of before let alone been to:
It was the obvious choice for today, close by and with a number of loop walks allowing us to make it as long or short as we wanted. Since my last visit here there were a few more flowers out, including the above Freesia (Freesia alba). An invasive species from South Africa originating from the Cape Provinces, which has escaped the confines of people’s gardens. Fortunately, it does not seem to have taken too strong a hold in Manea Park, but I have seen heaps of them in the Banksia woodlands alongside the highway I drive to work on. This perennial herb can form dense patches resulting in it competing with our local species, particularly orchids and grasses. Orchids were to be found, but other than the greenhood species they were still at that teasing pre-blooming phase:
Other, that is, than the Yalgorup Donkey Orchid (Diuris porphyrochila). Two weeks back when I had spent three hours traipsing round the area I only found one of these, and I had been tickled pink about the find. Today there were hundreds in large droves; here, there, and everywhere. Sadly we had left the wander a little late in the morning day, and our stomachs were telling us it was time to start moseying back towards the car sooner than I would have liked. So before we left I attempted to redirect Lisa down another path, but she got wise and soon reined me back in. This place is however just round the corner from where I work, so I can envisage another trip here next week during the week:
Before wrapping up about Saturday’s wander we did spy this cool looking fungus. I’m fairly sure it is Witches’ Butter (Tremella mesenterica), also known as Yellow Trembler, Yellow Brain, or Golden Jelly Fungus. I like the name Witches’ Butter more because of its Swedish folklore origins, whereby the witches helpers, which are beasts, is said to steal any food provision they can find and hoarding it by devouring it. Taking so much that they end up vomiting some back up and it comes out in a yellowy golden bile, which is what they called the witches butter. After the walk Lisa and I bought provisions to take home to eat at home, and I am glad to say we didn’t mimic the beasts regurgitation:
Sunday morning arrived and with the less than the normal time and amount of energy that Josh and Rongy would usually have, we planned a quick trip up to Welly Dam. Just like Manea Park, Welly Dam was the right choice being relatively close and with easy access. The climbing here is a bit on the hard side for Josh, but a great place to learn good technique. So despite his need to be out of there by 11am, we could still send him home feeling like he had worked hard. I was so confident of this that I suggested a not so early start allowing me to leave home in daylight. No one objected so I drove out from Peppy Beach as the last of the mist was lifting:
I decided the short session did not require the tea kit to accompany me, thinking time would be short. Josh however surprised us when he arrived with enough provisions to make not just tea but breakfast too, claiming he wouldn’t last too long with the routes here being a tad tricky. Before we could justify any tea or breakfast we had to get a few lines in. Rongy was quite happy to not go hard and slow things down, having had a big day out yesterday and not having been out on rock for quite some time. So we threw Josh at a couple of “easier” lines that were not running with water:
These “easier” lines were still relatively steep, sustained, and technical. So after three routes Josh was pretty spanked and decided to leave us to hit another line, while he got started with the cooking. Rongy and I eyed up a route that would require us to top out, which would mean walking along the top of the cliff to get back down. Near the top of this line I know there is a shelf where donkey and sun orchids grow, buds were forming but no flowers were out. These were the closest to flowering orchids we spied, with only the tale-tell leaves on display as we walked along the top of the cliff:
Despite the lack of flowers, we were treated with the smell of the food wafting upwards as it was being cooked below. And when back at ground level Josh was serving up a brioche bun bonanza, plus a piping hot cuppa to wash it down with. It felt like we had struck gold! Josh had to head off after we had our fill, and as predicted he was feeling suitably worked. Maybe both on the rock and in the kitchen. Despite Rongy and I feeling very satisfied, both with the climbing and food, I suggested one more route before we too hit the road. Which is what we did under the watchful eye of a small crowd that appeared, just as we started to climb, and then disappeared, when we were done:
Sandbagged 