Bluff Knoll and Porongurup

The beautiful Stirling Ranges NP and Porongurup NP were a must to visit before we left the Albany Region and headed back to Margaret River to finally get the fridge fixed.  It was a great finish to our 3 weeks on the Great Southern Coast.

Porongurup Range has the Granite Skywalk on the top of Castle Rock.  It was a 2.2km very steep climb up, followed by a scramble over rock (very scary for my shorter legs) ending in a ladder climb. Evidently it is the oldest mountain range in the world !

That was the fun shot

The rest of the photos were hard work

Two sections with handles, definitely not enough handles, and too far apart




Normally being high up a mountain is my “thin place”, I’m smiling that I made it up, but not relaxed, I couldn’t wait to get off it, but wasn’t looking forward to getting back down the ladder or rock scramble, as usual Derek just took it all in his stride








An arial view


After leaving Albany we moved the van to Kendenup, a small rural town on the edge of the Stirling Ranges. Kendenup origins began with a sheep station where our daughter in laws grandfather lived.  We found his house on the original station....

Bluff Knoll, just one of those places I had to see, 1098m above sea level, we started the walk about 450m above sea level, 6.8km return

Our summary:  relentless, not exhausting, just needed a lot of concentration, worth every step for the elation of arriving at the summit knowing you met the challenge it threw at you, the view was awesome!

We arrived at 7.15am, we couldn’t see the mountain, people were coming down wet, and disappointed with no view, we waited another hour, talked with the ranger, whose app showed rain still on the top, but the car park had cleared of light rain so off we headed for a 2 hour hike up hoping by the time we made it up it was clear

It’s up there somewhere, we were blessed it was cool and overcast for the climb up. The day before it had been sunny and 37° and were advised not to climb, so left it another day.


The stairs were the relentless part, this section I call walk and step (first 1/3) photo taken on the way down

The middle section (2/3)  was totally manmade narrow steps, and the top 1/3 was a mixture but all rocky shale.

As we turned the final 30 metres the clouds separated, we had the view over the ranges and carpark, we were so excited. It was very cold and windy, and after 30 minutes the clouds closed in and the view was lost

Cloud dropplets

The summit

We took our time coming down, stopped to take in the scenery, it is all behind you as you are heading up

It had a very alpine feel to the summit, it even snowed here in August and October


The final turn marks the steep middle section where you have to watch every single step




As we got closer to the start this was our final view of Bluff Knoll before the rain clouds closed in again




Back at the car park....and it was gone again.  The ranger said it would not clear now for the rest of the day, we were so blessed and happy 

Best of Albany

We extended our last week in Albany by one day as it was going to be a perfect beach day.  Friends Karen and Brad (we met them 6 months ago at Quobba and Brad’s nephew is married to my niece, small world!) had caught up with us again and were staying at our camp, so we spent a lovely day with them too.

Needless to say we LOVE Albany, and would love to stay longer.

It was an easterly wind, so Gull Rock Beach was the ideal spot for a beach day and was only 10 minutes away.

We set up our fly tent for a bit of shade and then sat in the sun 🌞 

We snorkelled with Brad out to the wreck of the old Steam Tug “Awhina”

Always wanted a photo like this






Next, a drive along Nanarup beach 

Our bush camp view at Two Peoples Caravan Park




Emu Point, Pelicans are very patient


The actual fish cleaning station is fenced off....to keep them at a distance


Albany Harbour was the final port a convoy of 30,000 Australian and New Zealand soldiers sailed from in WW1 in 1914 to Egypt before going to Gallipoli, it is the home of the first Anzac dawn service initiated by Anglican Chaplain Padre White in 1930  and at the dawn service he said  ‘As the sun riseth and goeth down, we will remember them’. Albany is now the home of the National Anzac Centre, on the top of Clarence Hill at the old fort.

On the top of one granite hill - Padre Hill Monument

Near the Anzac Centre and around the fort are story boards leading up to a lookout over the harbour where 37 ships most carrying an average of 500 horses sailed from. There was so much to take in, and could have easily spent all day here

Very emotional reading the letters sent home




A look at the old Lighthouse Keepers cottage, below Clarence Hill at Point King - we walked to the tip of the peninsular at Possession Point opposite

The lighthouse keeper had 10 children living here

“The Wise Man Built His House Upon The Rock” came to mind...solid granite




Albany is built amongst hilly Granite outcrops and between 2 granite hills, and many homes have natural granite rock features

Dog Rock

The architecture of the homes in Albany is the same as Queensland, with many homes raised on stilts, weatherboard, and the 1970s style of garage under and living upstairs.

Bird of the week is the Red Capped Parrot native to the South West WA