Camping in the rain SUX, No Wind Days, Stirring Ranges, Some Place in the Baltic Sea.

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After a serious hat trick of Kitesurfing days in Esperence, the sky opens. Wakening in my tent to hear the rain beating on all my kite kit and wetsuits was very dull. A hurried pack down and general soaking of everything else we own has us reaching for the lonely planet and looking for Backpackers.

With that Betty takes us once more west; we drive the 400ks to Albany, and straight to a very cool backpackers in the town center. Albany is a really quaint town; Jim described it as Cornwall in the 50’s, its quiet but with a pop of around 20’000. Our times there was marred by English weather, namely Drizzle!

We spent our first night enjoying a chance to have some nightlife. We hit the pool halls and hustled our way through some tense games with the locals. We did the usual tourist things which included visiting some ‘rouged’ coastline, complete with blow holes like dragons nostrils in the rock.

A little way east of Albany we went to Chyne beach, a weekend resort for Albany, and a petrol head destination. With manic Quad biking and jet skiing all around the beach here, Jim and I felt quite superior when we harnessed the wind and drew a crowd!

The lack of wind made our decision to head inland easier and I’m so glad we did. Our destination was the Sterling Ranges, particularly the biggest elevation ‘Buff Knoll’ at 660m. The Stirlings are fantastic, they are the only elevation for some 100ks and the sharp steep peaks offer total 360 panoramic scenery of the land around. The 1hr climb was pity hot work, but having lunch on top of the world was quite amazing for those not suffering from vertigo on the windswept rocky peak.

Leaving the stirlings we pass Mt Baby Barnett, I remember that there is a Mt Barnett up in Queensland that I hope to visit.

After another night in Albany and a short light wind session on the famous Middleton Beach we head west again to Denmark, where Jim has to investigate a butter factory with the potential of making it into a retirement home.

Denmark again is very Cornish and quaint, though the scenery is more like the Cotswold’s, tree covered undulating hills, though the trees are not oaks but 80m Gum trees. We are approaching the ‘Valley Of The Giants’ were some of the worlds oldest flammable trees live.

We check out two local spots, 'Elephant Rocks' and 'Green Pool', which both live up to their name. The rocks create a warm pool on the edge of a rock point. Here we did some snorkeling and tried to find a bald mamoth.

Last night while playing some Frisbee on the beach here in Denmark we saw a huge of cloud of smoke from inland, some forest fire or tactical burn happening up the valley, the sunset made the smoke turn purple with brown tinges looking like some alien sky.

From here were putting our foots down a bit to get to the west coast before the Sea Breese season is out, next stop Augusta and Margaret River.

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Photos

Esperence
Terquoise Heaven!

Esperence
Fourth Beach our kite spot!

Chyene Beach, Mt Manypeeks.
Exploaring one of the rocky outcrops on Mt Manypeeks..

Stirling Ranges
Lovley Geology!

Top Of The World!
Lunch on Buff Knoll, dont look down!

Elephant Rocks.
These Gness boulders have some Elephantine traits other than the name!

Green Pool
True!

Comments

['aunt rosie' !]

hiya 'nephs' !
Have at last managed to attach my laptop dial up computer to Dendy's broadband !! (via his nephew in Sydney who is a computer guru, via the skype I have just installed on D's 'pooter here in Sussex) Thus been able to read your travel diaries. Sounds amazing, though not sure I would be too good on the edge of those cliffs ! Our news, as you probably know is THE move !! Complete on the Farmhouse 28 March, so country life here I come ! (however sale of my house has just fallen through and gone straight under offer again for a larger sum ! but will obviously now be a bit behind schedule. LOADS to do and spend on the house, artistic nephews needed for advice !!!! But 'not so artistic' father of said nephews may have to be substitute until return of same !! Longing for you both to see it, bedrooms aplenty and endless 'tinnies' and stews to fill you up on any pending visits - in exchange for bramble, nettle, ivy destruction, pond clearing, 'midge' proof fencing etc etc. love for now Auntie xxx