Albany

Tues 3^rd June 

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!)

 

Wed 4^th

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.