Karri, Marri, and Tingle

​The old-growth forests of southwest Australia are the area's claim to fame. I had gotten a taste of the Karri forests on my drives into and out of Margaret River, but the largest Karri forests I encountered were near the town of Pemberton. I stayed there for three nights, at the fittingly named Karri Forest Motel.

​I arrived in Pemberton at dusk, when the air of this sleepy town was filling with chimney smoke. After receiving the room keys from the surly innkeeper, I rushed to the one and only grocery store before it closed at 6pm. Then, I attempted to cook a pasta and chicken meal using the motel kitchenette. The spaghetti noodles had to be steeped in a bowl of hot water, constantly refreshed using the tea kettle. With persistence, they softened to a modest al dente. I meant to buy microwaveable chicken nuggets, but they were actually raw, so I tossed them on the outdoor grill by the pool. While I sat by the grill, the motel’s spookiness started to dawn on me. It was a Monday, and I was the only person staying in my wing of the motel. The pool light turned on mysteriously, its motion sensor triggered by an unseen animal. The "Karri Forest Motel" kind of sounds like a place that an axe murderer would visit, no? Thankfully, I lived to tell the tale and enjoyed my chicken parmesan, a nice ending to a day of exploring caves.

​The motel was friendlier by daylight. A kookaburra hopped across the lawn, digging for insects. The wifi started working after initially failing to connect. I took my clothes to the laundromat, which had modern machines, labelled with the names of different tree species.

Pemberton is so strongly associated with the Karri forest that its tourism agency came up with the desperate slogan, “Pemberton: think trees? think again!” Although the alternative tourist attractions of mountain biking and wine tasting were appealing, I must admit it was the trees that I had in mind.
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I spent the afternoon “forest-bathing” on a hike that started at the Gloucester Tree. This well-known Karri giant was used as a fire lookout by early settlers and loggers. Around its trunk, a series of metal rungs formed a skeletal spiral ladder that ascended 60 meters into the canopy. I was secretly relieved it was closed for construction, as the idea of climbing it was both alluring and intimidating. Nearby, a ropes course filled with school age children on ziplines gave the forest a cheerful energy.

The hike itself was a 10km loop and surprisingly steep at times. I had the trail to myself, apart from one kangaroo at the very beginning. The dirt path was a soft and loosely packed, with regular offshoots where trucks had pushed debris out of the way. At the top of each hill, I paused to catch my breath, replenishing my lungs with the fresh forest air.
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The two main types of towering trees were called Karri and Marri and are both part of the eucalyptus family. The Karri had silver bark, that peeled back to reveal salmon-colored wood. They can grow to 90m tall and are one of the tallest species in the world. The Marri trees were shorter and had darker, almost calico bark. The Marri trees exude an antiseptic sap that was used by indigenous people to treat infections.

Marri on left, Karri on right.

Marri bark

​When not gazing upwards, there were plenty of other engaging details in the scenery. The forest floor was covered with green and brown gumnuts (dried eucalyptus fruit) and banksia cones. I turned over a sheet of bark to find watery droplets of diluted red sap.

​Birds like fantails, white-breasted robins, and golden whistlers were always on the periphery. A few ring-necked parrots, also called the “twenty-eight parrot” due to the sound of their call, were browsing the treetops. When the wind picked up, the canopy came alive with a hissing of branches.

​After the hike, I rested in the motel room. I watched the Perth episode of Miriam Margolyes’ new show “Impossibly Australian." That night was also the season finale of "Lego Masters: Australia vs. The World." I had seen the American version and enjoyed a taste of the Aussie version, which were largely similar apart from the host and judge.

​For more arboreal immersion, I took a day trip to the Valley of the Giants. On the drive, I was surprised to see road signs warning about quokka crossing, as I assumed these cute critters were only widespread on Rottnest Island.

​The Valley of the Giants has plenty of Karri trees but is better known for its Tingle trees. The Tingle trees have buttressed roots that spread out to create a shallow but stable foundation, compared to the singular taproots of other species. Though bushfires often hollow out their base, the trees can survive these events. Unfortunately, the roots are susceptible to soil compaction. Human foot traffic caused a famous Tingle tree to collapse. In response, the park built an elaborate system of treetop canopies, so people can appreciate these giants at eye level and without damaging the roots.

​The treetop walk was fairly short, with only 6 or 7 bridges, so I took my time and enjoyed it. Surprisingly, I wasn't too fazed by the heights and swaying platforms.

The Tingle trees had much thicker shoulders and branches than the Karri trees – the Tingles didn’t skip arm day at the gym. Knobby growths called “burls” were inflammatory responses to insect activity, a self-defense mechanism. Some were at least 400 years old. It was very special to see these giants, as they have such a narrow geographic range. ​

​The park also had a short walk at ground level, including a tree that resembled a face, known as Grandma Tingle.

Content with my tree appreciation, it was time to start the journey back to Perth. It was about a 4-hour drive from Pemberton to Fremantle. Along the way, I stopped for a pumpkin pastie at a bakery in the town of Balingup, which hosts an annual medieval fair.

After dropping the car in Fremantle, I took the train into central Perth, where I hung out at the State Library. It was the perfect place to kill time and journal before my redeye flight.

​Reflecting on this fantastic 6-day road trip, I’m relieved that it all worked out. The 1100km of driving was happily uneventful, apart from the beautiful scenery of course. I avoided painting myself into a corner with an overly ambitious itinerary, as sometimes happens when driving in a new place.
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Even though I greatly enjoyed seeing the area, I’m not going to urge anyone visiting Australia on a short trip to go out of their way to visit Margaret River and Pemberton. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved it! The caves, coastline, and forests totally lived up to the hype. And seeing the region's unique flora added to my understanding of Australia’s ecological richness. But my biggest takeaway was increased self-confidence. The idea of renting a car and driving on the left side no longer felt as daunting. Who knows what future adventures that might enable?