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Published: March 5th 2013
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After spending 5 nights in Esperance we headed to Bremer Bay. Bremer Bay is a small fishing village about 100 ks off the main Esperance to Albany highway. Another one of the very beautiful places that is around the W.A. South Coast. We spent 2 nights there at the Bremer Beaches Caravan Park - a beautiful treed park approximately 5 ks out of the town. A lot of people have commented that this is one of the best parks they have stayed in.
From there we went on to Albany for another 5 nights stay. Albany has a population of approximately 33000 and is the oldest European settlement in WA. with plenty of things to see and do. We drove out to Torndirrup National Park to see the Gap & Natural Bridge. These are two natural features carved from ancient granite by the forces of nature. The Gap features a sheer 25 metre drop to the ocean. Vic had two or three attempts before standing on the platform to take in the view. The ruggedness here is incredible. The Blowholes are another feature in the Park. 900 metres walk down to see them and on the right day are no
doubt very impressive. Unfortunately for us there was very little action with the waves.
Up until the 1970s, Albany was the site of the last operational whaling station in Australia. Whale World at Cheynes Beach is a fascinating and gory insight into the whaling industry. We spent a few hours there and found it very interesting. Suggest you put this on your do not miss list if you visit Albany. The Princess Royal Fortress Military Museum is also another great place to see.
As with the rest of the coastline of WA, Albany has some good beaches. A large cruise ship was in port on the Sunday. Quite a few of the shops opened (being Sunday, they are normally closed) but unfortunately it rained so a shame for the shopkeepers and the passengers.
From Albany we travelled to Wapole and stayed in the Coalmine Beach Tourist Park for 3 nights. The park was a bit out of town with plenty of shade and backed onto Coalmine Beach. The place was full of march flies – had to be seen to be believed. Vic must have killed at least 30 whilst unhooking the van. Fortunately one of the staff
at the park told us to put some Listerine in a spray bottle and water it down – does the trick. Must be the smell of the Listerine that keeps them away. Had a couple of friendly kangaroos outside the van one morning and then one lunchtime, we had a delightful kookaburra flew down to settle on our electricity pole. That was fine until he decided to dive bomb me to get my lunch. Nearly took my head off and he did the same to Vic.
The Walpole-Nornalup National Park is home to the Giant Tingle Tree which is the oldest living eucalypt known in the world. There is a boardwalk around the tree to protect it but also it allows you to see the massive trunk up close. The Park is also home to the Valley of the Giants. A 6km drive through Karri, Red Tingle, Yellow Tingle, Marri and Karri Oak was quite impressive. This drive finished at the Tree Top Walk which is a series of sixty-metre, lightweight steel trusses built on steel pylons to form a secure ramp. The highest point in the 600-metre loop is about 40 metres. Vic did try to complete the
walk but decided at the first corner it was too high for him. It is well worth doing as the views are great. The Ancient Empire Walk (on the ground) is worth doing as well.
Circular Pool and the Conspicuous Cliffs are also features of the Park. The beach at the Cliffs is one of the most beautiful beaches that we have seen but unfortunately it was blowing a gale when we were there. The views from the viewing platform were breathtaking. On the way down from the viewing platform we came across a friendly little snake beside the boardwalk.
Next day, Vic played (I walked) 9 holes at the Walpole Country Club. Quite hilly but very picturesque.
For the last 4 days we have been in Margaret River. Great area to use as a base, especially for checking out the wineries as well as surrounding towns.
First stop was Cowaramup or “Cowtown” as the locals know it. It has a herd of life size fibreglass cows grazing in the main street. Next stop was Busselton and a walk along the jetty. At 2ks, it is the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. At one point
on the jetty, there are a number of plaques dedicated to people who have passed away. A lot of the people were fishermen who spent a good part of their lives fishing from the jetty.
Our next day was spent visiting wineries. You could spend all day going in and out of the different wineries but we restricted ourselves to Cape Mentelle, Evans & Tate, Pierro, Vasse Felix and Lenton Brae, picking up a few bottles along the way. Back in time for “Happy Hour”.
Day 3 and we were off to Augusta which is situated at the mouth of the Blackwood River. Nearby is the meeting point of the Southern and Indian Oceans at Cape Leeuwin which is also the most south westerly tip of Australia. On the day we were there, it was the annual Riverboat Carnival with stalls, music and yacht races on the river. On the way back we dropped into Hamelin Bay. It is a popular spot for fishing and well known for its friendly stingrays although we didn’t see any. Might have had something to do with the time Vic spent trying to put up the sun shade. Needless to say, after
several “frustrating” minutes, the sun shade went back in the bag! Last stop for the day was Gracetown and a very pretty spot it was.
Today we arived in Fremantle for a couple of days before flying to Sydney for our friends sons wedding. Looking forward to a great weekend.
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Lynne
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Envy you both having this wonderful journey! Keep blogging