Albany

Middleton Beach on King George Sound

Albany was an easy drive from Walpole though the weather did not improve and blustery and damp conditions were the order of the day as we set up camp at Emu Point east of Middleton Beach. We enjoyed walking along the paths on the Emu Beach foreshore of King George Sound with views out to the granite islands of Michaelmas and Breaksea and where a narrow channel opens into a protected waterway called Oyster Harbour. As the name suggests, the Albany Rock Oyster is farmed here and it's also a popular spot for fishing and swimming, i.e. if you aren't a Queenslander and you can brave the freezing water!

The City of Albany is mostly populated on the hillsides and situated on the beautiful Princess Royal Harbour which opens through a channel to King George Sound, discovered in 1791 by a Captain Vancouver. The day we took a drive around the coastline we watched Southern Right whales swimming about 20 metres off shore in the Sound; it is truly amazing to see these creatures and so close! Further on we took a short run up to Mt Clarence to check out some of our military history of gun placements and a museum from WWI. Albany was one of the main sea ports for our troops to embark to Gallipoli in the 1914-18 war and as such has a strong ANZAC legacy.

Amity

The ship Amity on the foreshore of Albany is a full scale replica of the rig which brought the first settlers and convicts to Albany in 1826. The town has a colourful history which includes a convict jail built by the convicts, and the site of the last whaling station in Australia which closed in 1978 located on Frenchmans Bay in King George Sound. It now operates as a museum and includes one of the whale chasers permanently docked in the bay.

Whale Chaser 'Cheynes IV'

Further on we went out to the cliffs on the southern side of the Torndirrup National Park and watched the rough seas buffeting the rugged coastline with amazing views of Jimmy Newells Harbour 30 metres below. The Harbour is named after either a "Convict" who was transported from Tasmania after his release and was hunting seals (Newhill), or, "Deserter", an American whaler who jumped ship and then was captured and worked on a chain gang in Albany (Newell).

Jimmy Newells Harbour

A lengthy debate has ensued over the identity of the man this site was named after but one fact appears to be agreed on and that is he was driven into the inlet in a sudden squall and survived.

Restored Albany Home

We loved the old timber seafarers cottages and glorious colonial buildings of local stone which give Albany a charm and character we have not seen before on our travels.

Tuesday we did a sight seeing run to Stirling Ranges and we could not have picked a worst day, dull and raining. Views of the sides of the road and no more than 20 metres beyond! The Sandlewood Factory, the largest sandlewood oil distillation and manufacturing facility in Australia is at Mt. Romance which just happened to be on our way back so I was able to get lost amongst the gorgeous cosmetic products, for a little while! The highlight of my day while Ade 'car sat' the dogs.

Murphys law - the day we left dawned with sunshine, blue sky and warmth. Our next trek is through Ravensthorpe some 270 kilometres on and leaving the south west behind to travel to Esperance and the beginning of the Golden Outback. A big day travelling nearly 500 kilometres.