Walpole-Nornalup National Park has a special 'place' for many people in Western Australia. It contains significant stands of the largest trees in WA - Karris and Tingles - and the parts of the park with Old Growth trees are of special value. The Park has several car parks and associated short walking trails that enable visitors to walk among the trees. As well, the Bibbulmun Track runs through the Park (The Bibbulmun Track is one of the world’s great long distance walk trails, stretching 1000km from Kalamunda in the Perth Hills, to Albany on the south coast - link to website). The large number of visitors to the park, the many walkers who walk the Bibbulmun Track, and the importance that even non users and visitors attached to the Park means this is a 'place' not a 'space'.

There is also a Tree Top Walk that allows people to walk through the canopies of Karris and Tingles - Valley of the Giants - see below - (link to the website).

Tree Top Walk through karri and Tingle trees

There is a section of the Bibbulmun Track north and east of Walpole that passes through the old growth section of the Park, which I have walked several times, and I never cease to be in awe of this forest.

Below is a collection of photographs from the last time I walked this track. I hope you get at least a small sense of what it’s like to walk through this place.

Garry Middle, December 2024.