Chasing storms and flowers

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As we have progressed with our travels, we have visited a few places we would have liked to spend more time in or visit again some time in the future, and some, which we would never go back to. We would like to revisit Kununurra, Fitzroy Crossing, Exmouth and Horrocks, all north of Perth. The last four days in the south of the state produced a stand out addition to the list, Albany.
Albany, on the southwest coast is stunningly beautiful with its natural harbours surrounded by hills and rocky outcrops. Albany plays an important part in Australia’s history. It was the first colony in Western Australia, was the home of the now defunct whaling industry, and was the last port before troops departed their homeland to fight overseas in the First World War.
We went for a drive to Mount Clarence, the site of a very impressive War Memorial and spectacular views of the harbours after a steep climb to the top. At the nearby Military Museum we had a very nice morning tea of home made muffins at the café. Whaleworld, the whaling museum, depicts the history of the industry. We didn’t go through it due to time constraints, but would like to go some time in the future.
We parted from Christine and Richard this morning in Albany as we embarked on the final leg of our journey home. Traveling east, our five hundred kilometre trip took eight and a half hours due to constant stops to photograph the wonderful wildflowers. The flowers are truly amazing, so many different species creating a carpet of colour. We felt like ‘storm chasers’ during out trip. Just as we were leaving Albany, a cold front was coming through, with heavy rain and strong wind. We remained ahead of it until we stopped to take photos, then it would catch up to us, until we drove off to get in front of it again. This leap-frogging with the scold front lasted all the way to Esperance. By the time we arrived in Esperance we were freezing and had to change into long pants for the first time in six weeks.
Esperance is another lovely area, again with a beautiful harbour dotted with rocky islands. We look forward to exploring tomorrow, and of course, doing some fishing.

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