Peerless artist: nature.
Medium: fresh, unpolluted water – in this instance, naturally infused with plant oils and tannins as it is river-rushed, and whipped by wind and waterfall, then briefly detained in the rock-rimmed pool immediately below the waterfall.
Foam is commonly formed after a river has been dry or stagnant for an extended period and a large flow disturbs and washes out the organic matter (leaves, twigs, bark) from deep pools. As organic matter breaks down, natural compounds and oily chemicals are produced. These are termed surfactants. These oils are buoyant and float to the surface, reducing surface tension and creating small bubbles. Wind action, vigorous water flow or even boating activity can introduce air into the organically enriched water, generating more bubbles. Without surfactants, these bubbles would only last moments before bursting but with surfactants they persist and build up as foam.
(italicised quotation from river detectives Fact Sheet – Foam)
Immediately downstream from the entirely-natural “dam, almost” below Lane Poole Falls, this winter creek begins to resume its “normal” appearance… a little further downstream, the foam is no more.
Lane Poole Falls are only a lively spectacle when fed by substantial, recent rainfall – generally, it is only in winter that this occurs for more than a few consecutive days.
From the Boorara Tree to Lane Poole Falls is a very easy 90 minute return walk along a non-treacherous path, through mostly Karri and Marri forest.
A conventional 2WD vehicle will get you to the Boorara Tree – a now-retired “fire-lookout tree” – in less than an hour from Pemberton, and less than half an hour from Northcliffe.
Map and more info are here
This is not the very best of WA’s “Southern Forests” walks, but, as are they all, it is a rewarding one.
The afternoon of July 26 2022 was wintry, with very little light reaching the forest floor.
Nonetheless, the forest floor was a still-vivid reminder that so-called “evergreen” trees do in fact shed leaves…but in a continuous cycle, not all at once.
Still apparent in this “healthy” forest is the impact of the enormous fire of 2015 – the “unstoppable” one which would have devoured the Northcliffe township, but for a “last minute” windshift.
Click this to see much more of the Lane Poole Falls walk, as experienced on a sunnier day, by “Py”.
The Life of Py is a particularly fine blog; it is most especially (but not only) useful for those interested in southwestern Australia’s natural treasure.