This was the first real activity for our new branch, South West Capes.
With unpromising weather in the hours before the walk, we drove to the starting point on Sues Road (locality Sabina River) with some trepidation. I expected there to be hardly any starters, as my phone had been busy with people cancelling, so I was quite surprised to find about 8 cars already there when I arrived at our strange start time of 12.30 p.m. – this was to allow people coming from a distance to arrive home before the kangaroo activity. In the end, we had just under 30 walkers (2 children) coming from Augusta, Margaret River, Cowaramup, Dunsborough, Yallingup, Capel/Peppermint Grove Beach, Donnybrook, Sabina River/Yoongarillup, Busselton – the length and breath of our new branch region.
We must have looked a picture, with our rain gear and umbrellas! Someone said, “Mad dogs and Englishmen … “. When our walk leader Andrew Webb arrived (SW botanist with the Department of Parks and Wildlife), we decided to give a part of the planned walk a go, and we hadn’t gone far before the rain disappeared, and we were so sorry so many had been put off by the weather. Some of the walkers baled out after the first stage (1.8 km), but most completed what turned out to be a circuit of 4 km. A few went on to a cuppa nearby owned by new Society members.
It turned out to be a magnificent day. A few of us took lists of the plant species we saw (about 130 species, not counting the many fungi spotted), and we’ll be sending this out to our South West Capes’ email list. I am sure some of the walkers will be back to this magnificent spot, and to other walks in the Whicher National Park.
In the main picture, Andrew Webb talking to Shirley Fisher. (Photographer: Chris Dunbar)
Richard Clark, Branch Secretary
0427 385 551
