Tues 3rd June
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Our trip into Albany was without incident on quiet roads
with very little traffic. We had one roadside stop for morning tea and then
arrived in Albany before lunch. We booked into the Middleton Beach Holiday Park
and all went our separate ways; some to shop, some to see the sights and some
to remedy minor problems. In the afternoon, the Hosas and Woodyards had a spa
in the caravan park heated spa – and very relaxing it was indeed. We were the only
ones there for some time until a young girl from Bunbury and her German au pair
came in too. The German girl has been spending her gap year working in
Australia. She has been with her current position for 3 months and has another
month to go before returning home and studying to be a teacher. Just near the
park was a restaurant with boards out the front advertising a 3 course meal for
$10. Woody went in to book a table but nobody came out to serve him. He went in
and out a couple of times to ring the bell but still nobody came. So we decided
to take a chance and just turn up later. When we did it was all lit up with
coloured lights but they said they wouldn’t be serving until ¼ to 7. So we gave
up and went to a restaurant beside the sea for dinner. We had a delicious, but
expensive meal of ale battered local fish with chips and salad in a garlic
buttermilk dressing. Treas had cuscus with chick peas, chicken and lots of
other flavourings. Although she loved it she couldn’t get through it so Mick
helped out. (Imagine that Auntie Sue!)
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Wed 4th
Woody, Treas, Jan and Bernie went on a whale watching boat
trip and were very happy that they saw lots of whale action, including two
Southern Right whales that are apparently early birds. Jan, George, Mick &
I went on the tourist drive around Albany. From one of the lookouts we could
see whales spouting and we also spotted the whale watch boat. We went down to
the old whale processing plant that is now a commercial enterprise with a zoo
and shop etc. It was ridiculously priced for people who only wanted to see what
the whale station looked like so we didn’t waste our money. When Mick and I visited about 37 years ago the
whale station was still in operation and we watched the men with very long
knives cutting a whale into strips and pushing them down through steaming holes
in the deck to be rendered down. To this day we have never smelled anything as
bad as that. The spell completely
penetrated our clothes, skin and hair.
Today there was absolutely no sigh of what we had seen then. We continued
around the coast enjoying the views and walking down to some of the viewing
platforms at Salmon Holes, The Gap, the Natural Bridge and a few other beaches.
Everywhere were warnings not to get blown off the cliffs by sudden gusts of
wind, even on calm days, and for rock fishermen to tie themselves to the anchor
points around the ledges. We didn’t continue the 700 odd metres down to the
Blowhole after we read the signs about when it is unlikely to blow – conditions
exactly like today with a smoothish sea and no wind. After lunch Mick cooked a
huge fried rice we will all share for dinner and then Woody, Treas, Jan, Mick
and I headed over for another relaxing spa.
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