It rained heavily in the night and the morning was overcast and chilly. We had booked a table at the Hidden River vineyard for lunch (Keith and I have a date!), so we packed up and then went to visit the cultural highlights of Pemberton. The town has a real pioneer feel to it.  The houses look as if they might have been part of an old cowboy movie. 

We started at the wooden art gallery that advertised a cafe and smokery. There was some amazing pieces. It is all so tactile. Keith found himself some tasting spoons which will provide some happy memories. 
We moved to the cafe where we found the first wifi we have come across in Pemberton. So we had a drink and hastily tried to get up to date with things. Sadly there was no time to settle down with the blog, so goodness knows when the last few days will be published. We bought some smoked trout for supper and then moved on to another gallery we had seen advertised on the edge of town. This was a real treat. Peter Kovacsy was showing some exceptional work in several different mediums (or is it media?). There were some incredible glass pieces. 

 He came and chatted to us and we talked of the Mona. He seemed to me somewhat jaundiced about the world of art and his own place in it. We left through his workshop and went away with several recommendations in terms of our firtcomng travels. It was a privilege to spend time with him. 

To kill a bit more time before lunch we travelled out to the Cascades. These were pretty ordinary at the point we could see them as we had not got the time to work to their source, but there was some interesting information about lampreys.   Now as we all know (?!?) lampreys in past times in England have caused more than a bit of havoc, with one king actually dying of over eating them.  It was against this background that I read with interest that there was a particular type of lamprey that is peculiar to Pemberton and a small handful of other places.   Somehow the Cascades took on a whole new meaning as they are apparently found in the Lefroy Brook of which the Cascades form a part.  How exciting!  Just so that my readers are fully informed on this riveting topic, herewith the location map for these lampreys.   ( Incidentally they look disgusting – probably a notch down from abalone).

The shaded area mark the lamprey sites……

It was by then after 12 so we set off for lunch. It took no time to get there, although it had been quite a walk on our previous visit. The day was brightening which was nice as there is a nice view from the dining area.   

The food was very good and Keith had an excellent glass of wine. We bought a bottle of bubbly for our journey (as anticipated!) and then set off for Walpole a couple of hours away. 

It was a good drive and we found a campsite by a beach (we are back on the coast). The weather was somewhat mixed – quite cloudy and cool. Nevertheless we took ourselves off for a short walk of exploration. We are just outside of the Walpole inlet, a natural harbour that must have made Walpole an attractive proposition to settlers. Once again I think timber was the local income earner before farmland was cleared. Walpole is still a very small town with a big preoccupation with tidiness and litter!

We also came across a new flower to us – the kangaroo paw – I have to thank Peter for this information!

Supper was the smoked trout we bought in Pemberton. While preparing it and ourselves we had a protracted visit from a kookaburra who seemed mightily interested in what was going on….

Supper was eventually consumed inside Apollo as it was pouring with rain. Sunshine predicted for tomorrow!