Albany’s Beautiful Coastline

We are enjoying an extra week here in Albany as a result of Derek’s credit card being hacked, they had card number, email, name and phone number, and we are now waiting for a replacement card. Like we wouldn’t notice $1700 worth of alcohol being charged to his card. Emails from Dan Murphys saying welcome and thanks for your order got his attention first. The bank have reversed it, they were great about it.

But that is okay, there is sooo much to see along the rugged granite coastline here in Albany.  Many of the names are French or named by the French as they spent a lot of time around the south western coast of WA, this is why Albany is the first settlement in WA, long before Perth and Fremantle, to protect the British interest.

I have highlighted the coast we have covered....still got Mount Martin Botanic Park to explore

Nanarup Beach has a great surf side and a beautiful lagoon and walk over the headland

Caught 10 bream

Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve, and Little Beach,

The name Two Peoples Bay comes from a chance meeting between French and American vessels in 1802 and this it was named Baie des Duex Nations (Bay of Two Nations or People)

Rock pools around the corner, part of a Heritage Trail

Waterfall Beach, up and over the other cliff the other way

and a 4WD track to the cliffs on the other side, even saw a Quokka run across our path

Torndirrup NP was a huge day out which took in just the end of the Peninsular and Frenchman's Bay 

Walked to Isthmus Hill but could only look at Bald head, the track is closed for the next 6 months

Looking back towards Albany and Vancouver Peninsular


View over Salmon Beach

Ex Whaling Station -  Cheynes IV last Whaling Boat, whaling ceased in 1978

Time for lunch at Frenchmans Bay near Goode Beach....too windy to sit outside

Natural Bridge

The Gap


Land slide


Looking over Jimmy Newells Harbour, a convict who took refuge here 


View from Stony Hill

We had to make up our own way some times

5 hours exploring Vancouver Peninsular.  The afternoon started hot and lovely and sunny

First stop Mistaken Island Beach

Then the Heritage Trail to Possession Point..looking out 

Climb up

Looking back where we came from

Cheynes II, wreck next to the old Quarrantine Station, now used for school camps

The walk back down

Part of the hike was along the beach......some part of a ship wreck ?

We found this awesome lookout further up the hill from the walking trail, after a bit of a scramble and bush bash, the black cockatoos were spooked obviously not expecting visitors

The weather suddenly turned sour as we headed back.

Fisheries Beach was one of the nicest, and even though it looked like rain, and almost 6pm I had to have a paddle even though we had planned a swim after our long walk

The Carnaby Cockatoo is unique to this region

Anniversary in Albany

We are delighted we have moved on and are currently staying 15 minutes east of Albany on another private camp with power. We had a lovely beach front lunch of king prawns, oysters and the best cheesey bacon hot chips on the Albany foreshore.

On our way here we had 4 nights at a small bush camp on power at Sids Campground near Northcliffe and from there we explored the Pemberton forests and Windy Harbour.

First stop was the Dave Evans Bicentennial tree, huge climb for Derek, not me. It is one of five fire towers in the area.

I got half way around the first corner, and felt I may fall through the rungs, but after looking up and seeing where Derek was I soon got back down.

Looking up


Derek at the top


Derek looking down at me


The climb back down.........forwards!!!


Massive cramps in quads and could barely make the last few rungs, should have came down backwards

Next to visit the Marianne North tree, also in the Warren NP, she painted this tree in 1884, and the picture hangs in Kew Gardens England with 800 of her other paintings.

Great it is still standing after so many bush fires in these southern forests



Next a visit to the Gloucester Tree near Pemberton, another fire tower tree, shorter and rungs more like a ladder, I felt safer but it was steeper, Derek’s legs still pained him so we gave it a miss

Next a mid 1800s saw pit built by convicts for the timber industry, it was only rediscovered in the 1970s, imagine working with a sugar bag over your head!

One of the toilets at Sid’s Camp, a tribute to the Aussie icons the Leyland Brothers....the Looland Brothers

Seriously, it was like sitting in a bird hide


Next, climbed Mt Chudalup  (love saying  Chudalup fast)

Great views over Windy Harbour


Had to hang on to my hat




Next, Windy Harbour coastal walk and a drive on to the few lookouts

Love it when these little gems just pop their heads up over the bush and then act like we can’t see them

Still got balance, even in the wind

Found this little fella hiding in a tree, on a hill, Mt Chudalup in the background.  My turn to find the geocache.

Hollow Butt.....a Tingle tree.....wonder how it got it’s name?

On our way to Denmark we drove through Walpole and on to the Tingle tree forest called Ancient Empire. Tingle trees are only found in this part of WA

Cool!

Denmark, is another larger timber town,  and has 2 very special beaches, Green Pool and Elephant Rocks. We climbed Monkey Rock..very steep, and also did the scenic country drive and splurged at the Cheese Diary, it made a lovely platter for our anniversary

Green Pool

Elephant Rocks

A walk back around the headland to Green Pool

Denmark Harbour from near our caravan park at Ocean Beach

Waterfall Beach, we always take lunch with us and find fabulous spots with views to picnic 

This is where the water fall flows


After 2 nights visiting Denmark (caravan park) we have settled in at Albany for the next 2 weeks.

Bird of the week..the Western Spinebill,  sat on the little bush next to our van at Sid’s

And the Kangaroo Paw just everywhere at Sid’s and around Northcliffe