Albany

Friday 11^th April – time to leave Bremer Bay and travel 180kms to Albany.   We arrived at the Kalgan River Caravan Park before lunch and set up next to the golf course.   Albany has a population of over 30,000 so it was good to be able to visit Bunnings, Super Cheap Auto, Dan Murphy’s and Target.

Kalgan River

 

Saturday morning we were asked to move the van, as the spot we had chosen would be the entrance to the Easter camping area on the golf course.   Hard to believe the area was going to be so crowded – how wrong we were – very glad we moved.  

Sunday was cloudy, but we went for a drive to Two Peoples Bay and Little Beach.     Great spots with water so blue even on a cloudy day.    On Monday we parked at Middleton Beach (close to town) and rode the pathway around the edge of the harbour entrance towards the town wharf area.   At the end of the return ride, we enjoyed lunch at the café on Middleton Beach.   

Entrance to Princess Royal Harbour

 Brian was up bright and early Tuesday morning to drive to Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Ranges, 100 kms away.  During our last stay in the Stirling Ranges he had back issues and could not do any of the walks, so was pleased he was able to get to the top this trip.    The beginning of the walk was in cloud, but this cleared nearer the top.   

Bluff Knoll - Stirling Range

On Wednesday we were able to have our flu needles at a local clinic.    We then drove 50kms to Denmark to meet Ben’s parents for lunch.    They were having a quick trip to the area before leaving Fremantle to return east.   After leaving them, we went for a drive to Ocean Beach where there were many surfers trying to catch a wave.    It was a great beach, but not for us during the school holidays.

The park was not very busy for the first week of the holidays, but on our return from shopping and a haircut at 6pm on Thursday, we had 3 vans and 4 tents on the 3 sites near us, and campers had started to set up on the golf course.   By Good Friday afternoon the park was so full, and the amenities truly stretched.    This reinforced our plan to just sit out the weekend close to the van, which wasn’t too hard as the weather was cloudy and cool, and just a little light rain.

Easter - the 7th Fairway

After Easter

Easter Monday morning we awoke to a very cold 8 degrees and overcast.   Luckily the majority of campers left during the day.   The group were still next to us, but we enjoyed their company and a couple of happy hours before they left on Anzac Day.

The weather appeared to be clearing on Tuesday morning, so we drove 50kms to the Porongurup Range and National Park.   We did the vigorous 2.2 km walk to Castle Rock and the granite skywalk.     To get to the skywalk platform required quite a scramble over boulders where handholds had been strategically placed in the rocks.     It was a challenge for me, but having walked that far I was not going to  stop at the bottom of the stairs.   The views from the top platform were well worth the effort.    We drove to Mt Barker for a lovely late lunch at a café there.

Wednesday was another 8 degree morning and my legs were reminding me of yesterday’s walk.   On Thursday we went for a drive to the Albany Wind Farm.    It was very impressive with good views to the coast, the harbour and Albany.   

On Sunday (27^th) the weather cleared a little so we went for a drive along Frenchman Bay Road which leads to the old whaling station, several beautiful, small beaches and lookouts with amazing views to the southern ocean.   There were lots of fishermen at the Salmon Holes and some seemed to be having quite a successful day.   Two boys on small boards were looking for a wave to catch – coming in over the rocks.

Another lookout was at  the Gap where, at Easter, 2 men decided to install a tightrope and attempt to walk across.  A news report indicated 1 was successful, but the other fell off, but was attached by a safety rope. 

2Body Boarders somewhere in there

The Gap

The Salmon Holes

 

 

 

We are moving on tomorrow (Tuesday), probably Peaceful Bay depending on the weather, or maybe Walpole.  We have enjoyed our time in Albany – the coastline is truly spectacular.

Stokes Inlet to Bremer Bay

After a couple of easterly diversions from Esperance, on Friday 28 March we finally headed west again, this time  78 kms on the South Coast Highway, then south for 15 kms of dirt to Stokes Inlet.    It is really Stokes Lake at the moment as a sand bank has cut the inlet off from the sea several  months ago.  Again DEC have provided an excellent camp site – Benwenerup - with camp hosts, new toilets and camp kitchens.   There are only 17 sites, and we were lucky to be able to set up on one of the bigger spots.   The overcast morning cleared to a warm, sunny day so we after lunch we rode to the day use area.    It is well set up with toilets and 2 camp kitchens and it is possible to walk to the mouth of the inlet along the water’s edge.    

Looking S towards mouth of Stokes Inlet

Saturday and Sunday were cloudy, but the breeze was warm and there was no rain.  Stokes is a very good fishing spot for black bream – we were told it is not possible to throw a line out and not pull in a fish.  On Monday the wind had abated, so Brian had a good paddle to the mouth of the inlet and walked over the sand dune to the ocean.

Time to travel a little further west on Tuesday – a very short drive on the South Coast Highway then we turned off on to the dirt Springdale Rd.   We went for a look at Munglinup Beach (had been there last trip) but it was very windy, so kept on going.    Despite some fellow travellers’ advice that we would be able to camp at Mason Bay, this was not so.    After attempting to drive in to the camp area to have a look it was very quickly apparent that we were not going to fit.  Vegetation close to the road made for an interesting exit manouvre.  It was a unanimous decision to go on to a caravan park at Hopetoun.

Hopetoun is a very small town on the edge of the Fitzgerald River National Park.    The WA Govt has recently spent $47million (so we were told several times) providing a bitumen road in to the park as far as Hamersley Inlet.   There are several lookouts on the way, access to beaches and 2 camping areas.  The camp and walking track at Hamersley Inlet were not quite finished but we had lunch at one of the beautiful jarrah picnic tables there.  Even though it is not wildflower season, the variety of plants and flowers in this area are amazing. 

 

East to Hopetoun and Culham Inlet (on left)

Rugged coastline - the Southern Ocean

View west to Hamersley River and Mid Mt Barren

Not a cabbage - a Royal Hakea

Pincushion Hakea

After 2 nights at Hopetoun we travelled to Ravensthorpe for a quick refuel and shop, then back to the South Coast Highway to Jerramungup, south through Gairdner then east again to Bremer Bay.  We chose the caravan park near the river and beach -   a great park with green lawns, plenty of space and not very busy at the moment.

During our 8 days here we have visited the beautiful beaches, Brian has had a paddle on the Bremer River/Wellstead Estuary, we have used the bikes several times and generally enjoyed our new, relaxed travelling mode.   On Tuesday we had an outing to the Wellstead Museum and enjoyed lunch there.  The property is being run by the 4^th generation of Wellstead family, first settled in 1850.

 

Sheltered cove on Bremer Beach

Blossoms Beach

Bremer Beach - West Mt Barren (Fitzgerald R Nat Park)

A very old Chev at the Wellstead Museum

Tomorrow we travel to Albany to sit out the school holidays, Easter and Anzac Day.  We are looking forward to doing day trips from there, to revisit some spots from our last trip and to discover new places.