Avon Valley to Albany

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Our first stop on the Avon River was Toodyay (pronounced Toojay), an old pioneer town. We stayed at a B&B outside the town with a hill at the back covered in wildflowers. The cold showery weather continued the next day as we drove on to Goomalling, a small country town dominated by wheat domes. Helen ran a course at the local Primary School to a packed audience.

Heading south again we called in at Northam and met Glenda Richards, a speech pathologist that Helen had not met since they were at college together in Melbourne. The next town York, was the first inland town established in WA and full of old buildings and history. We enjoyed looking around the old court house and police station beautifully restored by the National Trust. We had lunch in Beverley, the namesake of John’s home town. A nice country town with lovely old buildings, many of them art deco, but time has stood still for the town since then so it has retained its old character if not its energy.

We planned to spend the night in the Dryandra Woodlands, and with the cool, windy weather we tried to find a cabin in Dryandra, but they were fully booked. We drove on to the Congelin Dam campground and found a lovely sheltered camp site, one of the best we have seen. The Dryandra Woodlands were a delight with lovely wildflower walks and many orchids right next our tent!

Heading south again the next day the wind picked up, as did the temperature. It reached 28ºC by the time we arrived at Stirling Range NP, but the strong wind put us off the exposed NP campsite. We tried to find a cabin at the Stirling Range Retreat, but again there were none available. Their campground was very sheltered, so we put up our tent and enjoyed a walk in the national park finding more delicate orchids. Unfortunately, it started to rain overnight and we were forced to pack our tent wet. Before departing the Stirling Range we drove in the rain to Mt Trio to view the beautiful flowering shrubs to be found there.

Now in Albany, we kept out of the rain visiting the historical sites in this oldest town in WA. With its superb natural harbours in King George Sound and Princess Royal Harbour it was an important settlement and staging post for early visitors to the continent such as Flinders and Darwin. Much of that heritage remains with a replica of the Brig Amity on the foreshore and Strawberry Hill, the beautifully restored first farm in WA. We also visited Ron and Margaret, who we had met early in our travels at Jasper Gorge. We had a lovely morning tea watching the whales playing in King George Sound.

That is the end of our southward trek for the moment as we turn east towards home - next stop Fitzgerald River NP.

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