Beedelup to Pemberton

The walk out from the campsite is straight up a small hill but it doesn't last long and I was soon in a nice rhythm on the wide 4x4 track. It was a nice morning to be out in the Karri forest (what isn't a good day in Karri forest?) and with many kilometres to go today I was happy to speed along this relatively uninteresting section. A mix of Sheoak and Karri forest, it made for a nice warm-up to the day but I soon got a glimpse of something I always like seeing in the country, farmland. Although I think way too much of the South West has been cleared for various uses, I do enjoy a good picturesque farm scene so to see a tiny peak at the end of a vehicle track lifted my spirits. I pondered whether or not to go off track and add some distance to my day but decided against it as it probably wasn't going to be the only chance I would get. I was rewarded at the top of the hill about 3km in as I reached Channybearup Rd and exited the forest to an amazing sunrise farm scene. The sun was trying to break through the thick clouds to the east and the area was a mix of pale golden light and blue skies dotted with fluffy clouds. I put my pack down on the other side of the road and began snapping away like a crazy person because I could.

 

I also for reasons I can't remember decided to check my phone to see if I had any reception and wouldn't you know it, I managed to crack a couple of bars and notifications flooded in like I hadn't had any reception for days. Torn between capturing the changing light of the sunrise and seeing what my family and friends were saying, I decided to check my phone for a little bit and let everyone know I wasn't lying in a ditch with broken legs. Confident there was no zombie apocalypse and the world had continued on just fine without me, I got another shock in the form of passing cars. I gave a friendly wave and received one back but not sure that really counts as human contact. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed from all the stimulation and may have passed out next to the paddock fence. A lick to the face from a concerned cow got me to my feet and I gathered up my things to continue on (I may be exaggerating here). The Bibbulmun Track here crosses into the paddock at this point via a set of stairs to help you scale the fence. I was actually pretty disappointed that the cows were all the way down the hill and not here to greet me but I at least got a nice shot of them grazing in the green fields.