Albany

Albany is a pretty town with some beautiful scenic views.  On our journey in I decide to do a little detour to the West Cape Howe National Park to visit Shelley Beach.  It is suppose to be a beautiful spot so a quick visit wouldn't hurt.  Well that's were I was wrong.  We turned onto the main access road to be greeted by the longest straight pull up a giant hill.  Gosh I had flashbacks to Camberwarra Mountain.  Nooooo....don't do it Nigel.  I'm sorry I took him this way.  Well we were committed so Nigel worked slowly up the hill working the car, the transmission, the cooling system to its fullest.  Shit we made it but when we turned the next corner it turned into a dirt track and head back down that same hill.  Now that was it.  I made Nigel stop the car and turn around.  A three point turn on a dirt track with a caravan a challenge but nothing Nigel couldn't handle.  The car smelt disgusting from working so hard and the burnt oil smell and inside the car the fumes and sparks coming from Nigel were red hot and directed straight at me.  I had to make a promise not to take Nigel anywhere with the caravan like that again.  I think instead of the car being broken it will be me.....lol.  Okay we finally made it to the park with a few little hill climbs but nothing to major but I tell you what.  Follow the main roads in and you will get everywhere in these towns easily don't take your own path.

We had the car in to be fixed again.  Finally the diff seal was replaced.  It has hung on a long way since first being diagnosed in Alice Springs.  A few top ups of oil saw us through and nice gentle driving on Nigel's behalf.  We also had the lower control arms and ball joints replace due to a national recall.  Finally a replacement battery as if finally gave us the shits so much with having to jump start it that it was time for it to go to battery heaven.  With having no car for most of the day this gave us a great opportunity to sit on our butts and enjoy the sun and pool.  We had a lovely relaxing day and one we all thoroughly enjoyed.  Bren and Kate and the girls also turned up at Middleton Caravan Park so the kids spent their days playing with the girls.

We drove up to the 360 degree lookout at Mount Melville.  The lookout is affectionately known at the Spark Plug.We visited the WA Museum in Albany also.  This had a great area for the kids and they loved dressing up, colouring, painting, trying the different activities and the touch and feel aquarium corner.  It was one of the best kids museum area ever.

The Brig Amity

We also did a day trip down to Torridirrup National Park.  We visited the gap and the Natural Bridge.  It is a cliff top area 24 metres high where ocean waves rush into the the caverns and bridge.  Our day was considerable small but they say when a storm is up the waves can crash as and send spray up into the air another 20 or so metres above the cliffs.  It must be a most amazing site but one I would stand a fair way back from.

From here we travelled to Whale World.  Its a museum dedicated to the last remaining whaling station on mainland Australia.  Yeah I know it sounds like a fun park but it is far from that.  You are immersed amongst the tragic history of our past.  The Albany community are very proud of their history and even though it was a dark part of our past it is still told gracefully and with amazing working engines, large skeletons of whales and amazing photos and footage.  It was an extremely interesting place and the kids really enjoyed the 3D whale movie.  That was their particular highlight.  The flencing deck was disturbing place with the grounds.  I could almost see the whales being dragged, the smell of the burning carcasses and the clanging of the machinery.  It was really ghastly but an important story to tell.

The flencing deck where the whale
were dragged from the ocean.

Hole where the cut up
whale was pushed down to go into
the cookers

The cooking vats

Misery Bay.  Name for all the misery caused to the whales.
During the season this bay was awash with blood. YUCK!

Sperm whale jaw bones.

Pygmy Blue Whale skeleton.

Shark cave used by the divers to check the pipe line.

Sexy!

On the way back to Whale World we visited the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial on top Mt Clarence.  On our drive up we drove through the Avenue of Honour and then continued our journey up the mountain.  Coming down was Julia and Duncan.  They had arrived that day.  Pulled into the same caravan park as us not expecting us to still be in Albany and got a real surprise when I sent them a text message say we just saw them.  They drove back up to the ANZAC memorial and we had a quick catch up and organised drinks back at the van.  The Memorial was very cool as it sits proudly on top of Mount Clarence.  Albany is the last port sited by the ANZAC's before they headed off to Egypt and Gallipoli.

Our last day in Albany was spent visiting the Farmers Market where we found some lovely fresh produce.  We dined on all of it for tea and had the most scrumptious roast ever.  We also visited the Princess Royal Fortress on top of Mt Adelaide.  We wandered around the exhibits.  Visited the large guns and sat on movable guns.  The kids had a real ball on them.  Turning the cranks and spinning the guns and moving the turrets up and down.  They even asked about Dan and if he was in the war like the ones we had been reading about.  Austin asked if Dan could be killed like many of the soldiers that fought in the many wars and I think only now that it is coming to mind that he could be in danger if he was in combat.  Austin was a little concerned about that of course and but we assured him that while in Timor he was on a peace keeping mission and that there was little to be concerned with.  Such a thoughtful little boy he is.

We were heading for Ravensthorpe next but after a quick discussion with a local we have decide to stay at Hyden next.