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Albany Harbour
Taken from the National Anzac Centre Moving on from Bremer Bay on Thurs 23rd April it was only a quick trip into Albany for Anzac Day Celebrations. The first convoy of ships departed from here on November 1st 1914 carrying ANZAC troops to WW1. The anniversary of this departure was celebrated last November here in Albany and Albany is also the site of the first Dawn Service initiated by Padre Arthur White (who had served as a Padre with the AIF) in 1930. It seemed a great reason to head over to WA to be there for the 100th ANZAC celebrations. The place was very busy, most accommodations booked out months in advance. We spent Frid 24th at the the National ANZAC Centre which is a fantastic new museum with so much detail about all the battles of WW1. It has huge windows looking out over the harbour where you can match pictures of the first convoy gathering.You receive a card on entry which contains details of a person involved in WW1 (Australian, New Zealander or Turkish) and you can follow their fortunes at various interactive points throughout the museum. Very moving and extremely well done. Climbed up to the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial on Mt Clarence
which is where the Dawn Service was to be conducted the next day. Very cold and windy here but such a striking place and beautifully maintained.
ANZAC Day started very early for anyone attending the Dawn Service. We were up at 2:15 am, on the queue by 2:45 for the 3:30 bus to the Service - there was a limit of 4,000 people and you could only get there by the buses provided. It was touch and go but we made it up to the Memorial by 3:45am and had to stand in the cold until 5:30am for the long awaited service. Must say it was all really well organised, went like clockwork even though literally thousands missed out. Those that could not get a spot were accommodated at other venues and watched by telecast. The service was very low key and quick and a bit underwhelming after all that but we were extremely glad that we made the effort.
Spent the rest of the day watching the March, the Flypast by the Roulettes and looking at some wonderful exhibitions and displays. Sunday 26th started with an outdoor Mass at a location called “Mass Rocks”, the
place where the first Mass was said in WA in the 1830‘s. It was wonderful and a glorious day followed spent wandering around the various points of interest in Albany including a great Whaling Museum (a real living whaling station which could be restarted today if there wasn’t the ban on whaling), and watching the death defying feats of the fishermen at Salmon Holes. Some people fish from the very slippery rocks here and 3 people have met their deaths in the last couple of weeks because they took the risk and weren’t using the recommended tethers - a very silly way to try and hook a salmon. The beach fishing is just as successful as our picture of a young man shows - he and his fiancee caught these 4 salmon in about an hour and a half from the beach and that is all you are allowed.
We left Albany Monday 27th and headed north to Boyup Brook and the Harvey Dickson Country Music Centre and Rodeo Grounds via Frankland River and Tonebridge For those of you who followed our travels in 2006 we happened across Boyup Brook by chance and stayed over Easter as
Mount Clarence, Albany
Desert Mounted Corps Memorial there were no van sites available on the coast. The WA Square Dance Association has their Annual gathering in BB over Easter each year and in 2006 were only too happy to have us join in the fun. Would you believe it, this year the gathering had been changed to ANZAC weekend and as we drove into the Caravan Park we were greeted once again by Phil Padden and his gorgeous wife Pat who had made us so welcome 9 years ago. They remembered us well and had only been relating the story of our last visit to some of the Square Dancers the night before. It was so lovely seeing them again and we spent a lovely evening with them, of course promising to stay in touch this time. PAT AND PHIL, YOU HAVE TO EMAIL US WITH YOUR ADDRESS!
We really wanted to show the Whitfields and Baileys, Harvey Dickson’s follies. He is another eccentric in the wilds of Australia. Now in his late 70’s he started following country music as a teenager and has since spent his time and it seems most of his money, creating an entertainment shed with stage, dressing rooms and green room
Desert Mounted Corps Memorial
Only photo we could get of the Dawn Service and and and every bit of “paraphenalia?” you can imagine hanging from walls, ceilings - everywhere. There are also bigger than lifestyle sand sculptures of Elvis and Johnny Cash. Doubt whether the photos will do it justice!!! Across the road is a full on Rodeo ground - concert stage, the most amazing sculptures and the highlight - according to Harvey, (we met him this time) is Root Street! He has a fascination with tree roots. He pulls out very big trees, cleans up the roots with a gurney and then makes pieces of art out of them. They are everywhere and you just have to marvel at this man’s imagination and perseverance to keep on going. He only has one Rodeo a year now and the Country Music Festival has been taken over by the Council who have created a beautiful outdoor arena in town, that would obviously meet Occupational Health and Safety requirements - and we got the impression Harvey is not happy about that. Nevertheless, it is one of those places you really should see if you are ever in Boyup Brook!!
I'm cutting this off here because there are so many pictures I want to add
and I've tried everything to mix them through the text but just can't seem to make that happen and it is such a slow process it's ridiculous. I also hate the ads and other rubbish at the end of the text and then the extra photos way down the bottom. Will post again in a couple of days.
Cheers
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Jenny Sciacca
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Holiday News
Jo and john, your blog as always is so easy to read and so descriptive. Sounds like you are enjoying every minute. Safe travels. Jenny xo