After a day of indulging in the digestible delights of the Margaret River region, it was time to walk off some of the damage. Boranup Karri Forest was the perfect destination. It is possible to drive through the forest but calories are not burned that way. We parked the car

and choosing a walking track,

we were soon surrounded by towering Karri trees.

The Karri is a eucalypt, native to south western Australia, with a light coloured trunk that turns brown before it is shed.

The leaves are dark green on top and lighter underneath, hence the botanical name Eucalyptus diversicolor. The third tallest tree species in the world, mature trees branch only from the top third of the trunk.

At ground level, there were cosy homes for the wildlife

and a few early wildflowers added colour to the forest.

It’s hard to believe these magnificent trees are little more than 100 years old. The area was extensively logged between 1884 and 1913, the long, straight timber widely used in the building industry.

Hopefully, these trees will be left in the forest for future generations to enjoy.