Walpole
Postcode: 6398
The town where the forest meets the sea, Walpole is on Nornalup Inlet, some 441km south of Perth. Nature lovers flock to this unspoiled, picturesque area to wander through the awesome old-growth forests of karri, jarrah and tingle trees, to savour the wild, rugged coastline and to marvel at the natural, colourful profusion of the wildflowers in the spring.
The town is flanked by the vast Walpole-Nornalup National Park which offers sanctuary to a wide range of native birds and animals. It is the home to the massive red tingle tree, only found within a 15km radius of Walpole.
One of Walpole’s most popular attractions is the 680m long Tree Top Walk which rises to a height of 38m above the floor of the red tingle forest in the so-called Valley of the Giants within the national park. It’s not a hard walk and people in wheelchairs, the elderly and children can all handle it. The walk provides an impressive, up-close look at these magnificent trees at treetop height. Below the Tree Top Walk is the Ancient Empire, another boardwalk which gives a ground level perspective of the majestic forest trees.
For great views over the forest and the ocean, take Knoll Drive or Hilltop Drive. For beautiful beaches, fishing and rugged cliffs, try Conspicuous Beach with its rugged cliffs and Mandalay Beach or Peaceful Bay for fishing and views. Circular Pool is popular year round – in summer for the natural pool and in winter for the waterfall.