June 15, 2024
Tingle Trees grow only in an area of only 6000Ha around the Walpole district as shown on this information board. There are three types of Tingle, the Red, which has prominent buttresses at it’s base at frequently has a hollow base as a consequence of both growing conditions and fires. The Yellow Tingle grows almost straight out of the ground; the third less common is the Rates, named in honour of District Forester John Rate who in the early 1950’s discovered a third species of tingle tree, now known as the Rate’s tingle (E.brevistylis). He was killed in the forest by a falling karri limb in the 1970s. The Giant Tingle tree is a Red variety.
A one-way road takes you from the South Coast Highway, past Hilltop Lookout, where we started our walk, and on past the giant Tingle Picnic area, and then North for another 3km with the option of visiting Circular Pool on the Frankland River, which we did, and/or returning to Walpole via Allen Road.
For our walk we took the Bibbulmun Track from Hilltop Lookout to the Giant Tingle and then back along Hilltop Road, a total of 6km.
As for others recently the walk gave us some more Fungi, some of them new finds for us; the photo gallery is hosted on ImageShack, click on this link or the image: Giant Tingle Tree Gallery
Circular Pool:
A short drive of 6km from the Hilltop Lookout. From DBCA (National Parks WA):
“Circular Pool is a popular picnic spot on the Frankland River with rapids in the winter and a large, tranquil pool in summer. Paths lead to two viewing platforms that allow you to look over the Frankland River and down to Circular Pool or into the forest. There is a boardwalk around the pool below and a picnic table so that you can enjoy a peaceful picnic or meditate by the waters edge.”
Full Gallery of images hosted on ImageShack at this link: Circular Pool Gallery