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.

Walpole and Denmark

Dawn Flight Walpole Inlet

The narrow and winding roads made for a slow journey through the southern forests to the coastal town of Walpole. We stayed at the picturesque Rest Point Caravan Park on the Walpole Inlet which is a beautiful protected bay connected to the deeper Nornalup Inlet through a narrow channel. It's surrounded by a wilderness area encompassing a national park, nature reserves and forest conservation with over 20,000 hectares of diverse vegetation from Karri and Tingle forests to coastal wetlands and many species of wildlife. The Marine Park is home to a big family of Pelicans who glide along so gracefully on the calm water and line up on the jetty for their daily board meeting, that is until the fisherman start to clean their catch when they are quick to stand to attention.

Dawn Reflection Walpole Inlet

A day trip took us east to Denmark, a much larger community than Walpole and situated on the Wilson Inlet, and again we took note of a fellow travellers recommendations for lunch. Love these local bakeries - yummy pies followed by donuts (up there with the Augusta Bakery) - its cold and one has to eat, right! We enjoyed our fare at a delightful picnic area on the Denmark River and then it was time to move out and explore to walk off that delicious food.

Wilson Inlet to Ocean Beach

We drove from Denmark due south along the Wilson inlet to Ocean Beach on the Great Southern Ocean with stunning views across Ratcliffe Bay to the high sand dunes on the eastern side. Further along to Wilson Head there are western views of beautiful William Bay.

On our way back to Walpole a side road took us into Parry Beach where we braved the high winds and took the woofs for a beach walk in sniff heaven. They love all the smells in the seaweed. No sighting of whales with all those white caps.

After our three nights in Walpole, we packed up as rain moved in and kept our fingers crossed for some improvement in the weather as we headed east to Albany.

The Blackwood River Valley and Southern Forests

Southern Forests

Monday 27 September and the beginning of our journey east, from Busselton to the southern forests. The Vasse Highway took us through rich farming country with black Angus cattle and sheep knee deep in grass, beautiful wildflowers in the national parks, and huge forests of Karri, Jarrah, Marri, and Tingle trees. There is no way you would want to be speeding around the corners on these winding mountain roads with these massive trees right on the edge of the black tar.

Nannup, the first town we drove through at the northern end of the Blackwood River Valley is picture postcard country. Flower boxes filled with multi coloured tulips and daffodils lined the main street, and trellises of white and blue wisteria were in full bloom on many of the old dwellings. It's known as the Garden Village in honour of its many beautiful gardens and the town celebrates their famous tulips with a spring festival. We visited the rustic and charming town of Bridgetown and yes you drive over a beautiful old bridge on the Blackwood River on the outskirts of town. The countryside is a continuation of fertile land, supporting chestnut, tulip and daffodil farms and grapes (third largest wine growing district in WA) and those huge forests, mainly Jarrah and Marri in this district.

Kangaroo Paw
We stayed in the heart of the southern forests in the town of Manjimup, centre stage for a thriving fruit and vegetable industry as well as timber milling. The woodcutters log houses in the town looked picture perfect nestled under the forest trees but the smoking chimneys - now that could be dangerous! This is home to the Pink Lady apple, one of my favourites, and several varieties of cherry's although we were to early for the Cherry Festival in December - darn! We visited the King Jarrah Tree which is over 500 years old; 200 years older than our nation, that's impressive. It was saved from the woodcutters saws when an order to protect the tree was posted in the nick of time back in 1910. Such a great story with the 'saviour' riding his horse non stop from Bridgetown to Manjimup to blaze the broad arrow on the tree and therefore protecting it to this day.

The logging industry is alive and well in the town of Pemberton, and the timber mills which were established in 1913 provided railway sleepers for the Trans-Australian Railway Line and also for the first stage of development of the London Underground. This is another delightful old town which also produces excellent wines and delicacies of marron (freshwater crayfish), trout, and perch from the local rivers - what more could you want?

To answer that question, warmth. Three nights of freezing overnight temperatures in the mountains is enough for this girl and as we are about to head further south to Walpole on the southern coast, it probably wont improve!

Margaret River Wine Region

Busselton Jetty


Guess why we are in this part of the world - to sample wine you think. Well that could be one reason but there are plenty of others including catching up with dear friends Lance and Joy on their lovely acreage property outside of Dunsborough at the top of the Margaret River Wine area. What a place to live!

We settled into the Mandalay Resort Caravan Park at Busselton, one of the best we have so far stayed in, even providing a herb garden for guests. A long white sandy beach is directly across the road and big walks twice a day were in order for the four legged people and me - occasionally Ade! Busselton is a picture postcard coastal town about 3 hours south of Perth on Geographe Bay and it just is delightful. Busselton Jetty which is 1841 metres long has an artificial reef and underwater observatory 8 metres below placed near its end. Unfortunately the jetty was closed for restoration this trip and on our previous visit the weather was wet, cold and blowing gale force winds! We will have to come back again!

At least the weather was on our side this time and we explored from one end of the region to the other. The diversity of the countryside is a tourists dream. Let's start with the wine: The first grape vines were planted as recently as 1967 and internationally acclaimed chardonnay, semillon, sauvignon blanc, riesling, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz are produced in this Mediterranean climate. Gourmet lines of berries, fudge, preserves, olive oils, and fabulous cheeses are also part of the taste sensation. We saw black Angus beef cattle (Macdonalds must have been here), Freesian dairy cattle, and Merino and Suffolk sheep who didn't have to walk to far for a feed. There are also a lot of flower farms dotted between the pretty towns with their trendy cafes and tourist "must stops" ('cept we didn't)!

Mother natures turn: Down the coast through the town of Dunsborough to Cape Naturaliste to glimpse the Lighthouse and a drive through the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park (and we hid the dogs in the car and told them to be quiet) and the beautiful turquoise waters of Meelup, Eagle and Bunker Bays with stunning coastline views and wildflowers everywhere. Yallingup (meaning Place of Love) is positioned high on a hill and around from the Cape and for those in the know is one of the world's top surfing beaches.


Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

We took a day trip down to Augusta through the centre of the region with its wineries, quaint villages, art galleries, restaurants etc, and on the basis of a recommendation had to sample the fare from the Augusta Bakery for lunch. I know, you are all hanging out for one of my famous food crits! Meat pies to die for and I suppose I will have to mention the custard filled donut with chocolate drizzle - heaven in a paper bag! We came home with a loaf of bread as well and vowed to walk twice as far that day. Poor dogs!

The Cape Leeuwin Light House is only 9 kilometers further on and sits on the tip of the peninsular where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean and humpback, southern right, and blue wales, dolphins and New Zealand Fur Seals hang out!. We took a different road back to Busselton which took us through Boranup Karri Forest (Karri trees grow to 60 metres and are the third tallest tree found in the world) and then more wineries, beaches and pristine coastline.

Karri Forests

We had a wonderful couple of weeks exploring the south west and this part of Aus is definitely a must return to again on our calendar. Time to hit the road once more and start to work our way east to the next state border.

Rockingham

Fairy Penguin

Three and half years ago we visited Perth and as we had more pressing engagements further south we bypassed this beautiful city this time. Rockingham, our destination is a delightful seaside area south about 45 minutes and the van park only a couple of blocks from the water. On our last visit we were here to attend Sandy and Brendons wedding and I was very excited to catch up with them and meet their newest addition, baby daughter, Isla.

Penguin Island towards the Mainland

We took a drive along the foreshore at Shoalwater Bay where we had previously taken long walks, re-acquainting ourselves with the views of beautiful homes on one side and the islands and ocean on the other. The whole area has gone ahead in leaps and bounds and we noted lots of new homes, cafes, restaurants and parklands. Penguin Island is the home to over 600 pairs of the Fairy Penguins and it is just 500 metres offshore, a 5 minute ferry ride, and where Sandy works as a Ranger. Australian sea lions and dolphins are also part of the marine life found around the islands in the Shoalwater Marine Park as well as a large number of sea birds, eg. terns and fairy terns, noddies, silver gulls, ospreys, sea eagles, cormorants, darters, bartwit (all the way from Siberia) and a large breeding colony of Australian pelicans. The Continental Shelf which is much further out from the off shore islands along the southern coast takes the brunt of the ocean swells making the beaches safe for swimming.
Freemantle's Fishing Boat Harbour

Sandy offered to babysit the woofs, (she didn't have to ask twice) which gave us a chance to revisit the bustling port of Fremantle just south of Perth and also on the Swan River. We had a scrumptious seafood lunch at Joe's Seafood Cafe on the colourful and busy Fishing Boat Harbour, tempura fish for me and fish and chips for Ade, and the obligatory bottle of wine! Tough life we are leading!

The Round House c.1831

There is a mix of old and new in Freeo, as the locals refer, with a heritage of convict prisoners, maritime heroes, murderous mutineers and pioneering settlers. Also, home to the Maritime Museum including Alan Bond's America's Cup-winning yacht, Australia II; the old Shipwreck Museum which houses the original timbers and treasures from the 17th century Dutch Batavia shipwreck which sank in 1629; Notre Dame University with its fine old heritage buildings; the Freemantle Prison built by convicts in 1850 and decommissioned in 1991 as a maximum security prison; the Round House the oldest building in the state built in 1831 and purpose built as a gaol, adjacent to the Gun Deck and Whalers Tunnel. The European feel is reflected in the fabulous shopping precinct (I need at least a week here), art galleries, restored historic hotels, micro breweries, restaurants,coffee shops, etc. - a cosmopolitan environment!

Shipwreck Galleries -

Maritime Museum

This is a very pretty part of the world, shame it's so far from Queensland. We could have stayed longer but for the need to to catch up with our friends in the Margaret River before they headed off on their holiday. Busselton down the coast is our next stop.

Avon Valley

New Norcia Benedictine Community
'St Gertrudes'

Our plans to stay at the monastic town of New Norcia were foiled by the weather turning wet, cold and windy. The campsite had no power and as we knew we would need the heater that night, we decided to continue on to Northam one of the oldest settled country towns in the State.

New Norcia was established as a mission in 1846 by a Spanish Benedictine monk, Bishop Rosendo Salvado and still operates today as a Benedictine community of monks who live a simple communal life of prayer and work within the monastry. Reading a brochure I collected from the visitor centre, I cannot help but feel there is a 'tich' of commercialism here and all is not just peace and tranquility. Its a business and with its museum, art gallery and gift shop, (selling their produce of olive oil, Abbey wines, breads,etc) hotel and a monastry guesthouse that can cater for groups of up to 200 people for conferences and special events, one probably detects a little cynicism in me - hm mm. Apart from that it is quite a sight to see the wonderful old buildings such as the Old Convent, Abbey Church, Old Flour Mill, Olive Workshop, Monastery and more.

Ye Old Cottage

Northam was a great base for us to explore the Avon Valley. The town is situated on the Avon River with some amazing old historic buildings . We did our usual thing and spent a couple of days touring around the local towns and enjoying the panorama of the countryside. It's all here - charming B & B style accommodation, fine country mansions, farm stays, verandah-clad pubs, craft shops, markets, locally grown produce, bush walks, hot air ballooning, museums, restaurants and cafes. A perfect getaway if you live in Perth, the Western Australian capital as it's only an hour away. It has a similar feel to the Bowral and Mittagong areas where weekend retreats are an easy drive west of Sydney.
York's Imperial Hotel

circa 1886

We actually had a chance to sample local hospitality when we stopped at a partially renovated old pub at Spencers Brook between these towns, (and not as fancy as the Imperial in York) a one pub and and almost nothing else dot on the map. The tavern was constructed around the 1870's and we parked the car out the front in sight of the dining area, told the dogs to behave (and crossed our fingers Bere wouldn't take to eating the upholstery) and indulged in a yummy steak sandwich with entertainment provided by the local publican who I think was a little starved for conversation!

In easy driving distance to Northam, York and Toodyay (meaning place of plenty) are delightful old towns both founded around 1831 and both on the Avon River. We saw a lot of new homes established in these towns and I imagine there are a lot of hobby farms in the mix as people get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city. I really enjoyed exploring Connor's Mill in Toodyay, a steam driven flour mill built in 1870 producing 'The Conqueror' brand of stone ground flour complete with bag chute where the dray was positioned below to catch the flour bags. Fire destroyed the mill machinery in 1921 and the mill was then converted for use as a power station until 1950. It was saved from demolition and restored in 1970.

Time to head back to the water and beautiful Rockingham and Shoalwater Bay south of Perth.

Jurien Bay

Pinnacle Formations

Jurien Bay is a jewel of a seaside town with walking paths, wide beaches and crystal clear water, a marina and modern housing estates under development. Off shore is the Jurien Bay Marine Park, a string of islands and reefs which is a breeding ground for sea lions and as you know, you have heard it before, a haven for dolphins, migrating whales, seabirds, and of course great fishing and snorkeling opportunities.

We were able to catch up with our vanning friends, Kay and Colin from Bendigo who were staying at Cervantes another coastal town about a half hour drive south. Ade stayed at their camp site with the woofs (no dogs in National Parks) while Kay,Colin and I spent a couple of hours at the Pinnacles Desert in the Nambung National Park. The park also has limestone caves and is a rich parkland of native plants and animal life.

The Pinnacles are thought to be natural limestone structures created from ancient shells which have evolved over millions of years. They have been exposed by the shifting sands and sculptured by the wind, rain and sun. There are thousands of these formations ranging up to 5 metres in height and 2 metres thick around the base and set in varying colours of sand throughout the desert. Apparently the Dutch sailors who first sighted the area in the mid 1650's mistook the Pinnacles for ruins of an ancient civilization!

A Couple of Galahs

on a Pinnacle!

We had an unexpected experience on our early evening drive back from Cervantes. At first we thought it was 'Sylvester's Giant Mouse' who propped in front of the headlights and then we realised it was a 2 metre tall kangaroo! Considering the 100 kph speed, Ade's instant reaction to safely swerve the car and miss the big grey was amazing. The roo would have made a nice mess even with the bull bars on the front of the 4WD. It brought home in a big way how unsafe it is to travel at night on country roads.

Now that I have thawed out, Ade has decided we should venture east into the cold once more and visit the communities of the Chittering and Avon Valleys.