AROUND AUSTRALIA 2008
Saturday 22 November – Friday 28 November
Margaret River – Albany
Blog 16
On leaving Margaret River we continued south along Caves Rd as it was closer to the coast than the highway. We drove into Conto’s along the coast and then through the most beautiful Boranup Karri Forest on our way to Augusta. The trees were straight, tall and majestic and it was a magic drive on dirt road.
We booked into tour at the Leeuwin Lighthouse. It was raining but stopped as we got to the top of the lighthouse even though it was still very windy. This is where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet and we were saying goodbye to the Indian Ocean that we have been watching for the last 7 months. From the Lighthouse we stopped at the Old Water wheel which used to pump water from a naturally occurring fresh spring to the light house and the light house keepers. Since the wheel has not been used since the 1960s it has become totally calcified and looks magnificent. We then took the coast road back to Augusta stopping at the little town of Flinders.
The town of Augusta was really started by 3-4 families and depended on the felling and transporting of the tall Karri and Jarrah trees which were shipped to London and Amsterdam.
We continued to enjoy the tall trees as we drove Pemberton stopping at Beedelup Falls in Beedelup National Park. The waterfalls were really gushing due to the recent rains over the past few days in the area. It was raining as we walked the falls and over a suspension bridge.
We stopped at The Cascades in Pemberton and then onto Northcliffe.
We drove to Windy Harbour on the coast and it rained most of the way. The tall forests gave way to coastal shrubs and heaths as we got closer to the coast and the Southern Ocean. The Harbour lived up to its name and it was spectacularly windy, rugged, wild and free. The boat ramp and Cathedral Rock were wonderful places to see. We walked around and enjoyed the gusts blowing. We then drove to Point D’Entrecasteaux which is on the other side of the peninsula to Cathedral Rock. It was raining by the time we got there but the views were still spectacular.
We started the next day at Northcote at the Sculpture Walk that was behind the information centre. Local sculptures had got together to organise something that would bring tourists to the town and we were happy to view the exhibits. We spent at least 1.5 hours walking around the forest looking at the beautiful sculptures one of the highlights being the audio tour that gave the artists explanations behind their works, their thoughts, the materials they used and how they produced the art.
In Walpole we saw the giant tingle tree and then completed the one way loop enjoying the scenery. The drive included a visit to circular pool which was given the name because as the water rushes down the Frankland River, it forms circular pools. The water in the river is brown due to the dissolved tannin and has a lot of froth on it from the saponin that is dissolved into the water from the vegetation of the area. It was sunny and raining in patches but the day was lovely.
We headed back along the scenic loop called the Knoll which took us around the edge of Walpole Inlet on which Walpole is situated. It is a lovely little hamlet.
On our way to Denmark we stopped Dinosaur and Parrot Exhibition which was new. Mike had the BEST time with the parrots. Many of them were flying free and he could hold them and talk to them to his hearts delight.
We stopped at Greens Pool which was really green and then walked across the rocks to Elephant Cove where the rocks really do look like elephants.
In Denmark we walked up to the top of the water barometer which had been donated by a Dutch resident, Bert Bolle, who had a barometer museum in Holland and couldn’t bear to part with this one that he had built. It is so tall that they had build a special building, the Barometer Tower, to accommodate it. It was a beautiful peace and the story of the donor and of barometers was great. There is a tribute to the pioneers of the barometer, Galileo and Torricelli who was a student of Galileo and carried on the work he had started.
We continued on to Albany along the scenic coast road and stopped of a 2 beaches along the way. Lowlands beach had the now usual white sands, turquoise waters, cliffs with heath growing on it still with some wild flowers in bloom. The lookouts give such beautiful panoramic views. Our last stop before Albany was Cosy Corner Beach with a similar appearance but without the cliffs. So far the southern ocean has been rough and wild but beautiful.
We took a detour to Mt Barker but didn’t stay long due to the bad weather.
We decided to do our sight seeing around Albany even though there were showers and in between the down pours there were breaks of sunshine. We always start at the furthest place and work our way back so we headed to Princess Royal Harbour and down to Frenchman’s Bay. It was drizzling in parts but the bay was beautiful and there was no wind so the harbour was like glass. We drove to Whale World and just had a look around but didn’t go into Whale World. On to Salmon Holes which is another little beach where the Salmon come to spawn to there are plenty of fish. It was cold, windy and raining but there was still one lone fisherman down on the beach fishing.
Each place required a drive down to the coast and then back again to Frenchman’s Rd. Our next stop was Stony Hill where we braved the rain. By the time we got to the Blow Holes it was really pouring with rain, after talking to some people who had just come back from the walk and said that they couldn’t see anything as the water was relatively calm and it was raining so much that the visibility was poor, we decided not to bother to get out and look. We drove to the Natural Bridge and the Gap and waited for the rain to subside before venturing out to have a look.
The view was even more spectacular due to the dark clouds. It was really lovely. We then drove back into town and up to the Anzac War Memorial. There is a memorial of trees to honour the fallen, 3 rows deep on one side and 2 rows deep on the other side. The trees were beautiful gums. The Australian and New Zealand soldiers actually left from Albany in 1916 to go to Gallipoli and the first dawn service honouring the soldiers took place in Albany and then spread to the rest of the country after that. Ataturk Entrance which is the opening to Princess Royal Harbour from King George Sound was named after the general in charge of the Turkish Army in WW1. This was done when the Turks allowed the naming of Anzac Cove in honour of that battle.
From there it was a short walk to Mt Clarence, 186m high, and the view was beautiful. Albany is situated in a valley between 2 peaks, Mt Clarence on one side and Mt Melville, 157m high, on the other side. We made sure that we went to the top of both. Our last explore for the day was Mt Melville.
It was sunny the next day as we left for our River Cruise on the Kalgan Queen which was a 4 hour cruise that took us into Oyster Harbour and up the Kaglan River to the Montgomery Winery. Jack, our skipper and guide fed the pelicans, enticed some of them to dance, showed us a whistling kite, osprey and explained much of the history of the area. We had wine tasting at Montgomery Winery and were taken to and from the winery by bus.
Saturday 22 November – Friday 28 November
Margaret River – Albany
Blog 16
On leaving Margaret River we continued south along Caves Rd as it was closer to the coast than the highway. We drove into Conto’s along the coast and then through the most beautiful Boranup Karri Forest on our way to Augusta. The trees were straight, tall and majestic and it was a magic drive on dirt road.
We booked into tour at the Leeuwin Lighthouse. It was raining but stopped as we got to the top of the lighthouse even though it was still very windy. This is where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet and we were saying goodbye to the Indian Ocean that we have been watching for the last 7 months. From the Lighthouse we stopped at the Old Water wheel which used to pump water from a naturally occurring fresh spring to the light house and the light house keepers. Since the wheel has not been used since the 1960s it has become totally calcified and looks magnificent. We then took the coast road back to Augusta stopping at the little town of Flinders.
The town of Augusta was really started by 3-4 families and depended on the felling and transporting of the tall Karri and Jarrah trees which were shipped to London and Amsterdam.
We continued to enjoy the tall trees as we drove Pemberton stopping at Beedelup Falls in Beedelup National Park. The waterfalls were really gushing due to the recent rains over the past few days in the area. It was raining as we walked the falls and over a suspension bridge.
We stopped at The Cascades in Pemberton and then onto Northcliffe.
We drove to Windy Harbour on the coast and it rained most of the way. The tall forests gave way to coastal shrubs and heaths as we got closer to the coast and the Southern Ocean. The Harbour lived up to its name and it was spectacularly windy, rugged, wild and free. The boat ramp and Cathedral Rock were wonderful places to see. We walked around and enjoyed the gusts blowing. We then drove to Point D’Entrecasteaux which is on the other side of the peninsula to Cathedral Rock. It was raining by the time we got there but the views were still spectacular.
We started the next day at Northcote at the Sculpture Walk that was behind the information centre. Local sculptures had got together to organise something that would bring tourists to the town and we were happy to view the exhibits. We spent at least 1.5 hours walking around the forest looking at the beautiful sculptures one of the highlights being the audio tour that gave the artists explanations behind their works, their thoughts, the materials they used and how they produced the art.
In Walpole we saw the giant tingle tree and then completed the one way loop enjoying the scenery. The drive included a visit to circular pool which was given the name because as the water rushes down the Frankland River, it forms circular pools. The water in the river is brown due to the dissolved tannin and has a lot of froth on it from the saponin that is dissolved into the water from the vegetation of the area. It was sunny and raining in patches but the day was lovely.
We headed back along the scenic loop called the Knoll which took us around the edge of Walpole Inlet on which Walpole is situated. It is a lovely little hamlet.
On our way to Denmark we stopped Dinosaur and Parrot Exhibition which was new. Mike had the BEST time with the parrots. Many of them were flying free and he could hold them and talk to them to his hearts delight.
We stopped at Greens Pool which was really green and then walked across the rocks to Elephant Cove where the rocks really do look like elephants.
In Denmark we walked up to the top of the water barometer which had been donated by a Dutch resident, Bert Bolle, who had a barometer museum in Holland and couldn’t bear to part with this one that he had built. It is so tall that they had build a special building, the Barometer Tower, to accommodate it. It was a beautiful peace and the story of the donor and of barometers was great. There is a tribute to the pioneers of the barometer, Galileo and Torricelli who was a student of Galileo and carried on the work he had started.
We continued on to Albany along the scenic coast road and stopped of a 2 beaches along the way. Lowlands beach had the now usual white sands, turquoise waters, cliffs with heath growing on it still with some wild flowers in bloom. The lookouts give such beautiful panoramic views. Our last stop before Albany was Cosy Corner Beach with a similar appearance but without the cliffs. So far the southern ocean has been rough and wild but beautiful.
We took a detour to Mt Barker but didn’t stay long due to the bad weather.
We decided to do our sight seeing around Albany even though there were showers and in between the down pours there were breaks of sunshine. We always start at the furthest place and work our way back so we headed to Princess Royal Harbour and down to Frenchman’s Bay. It was drizzling in parts but the bay was beautiful and there was no wind so the harbour was like glass. We drove to Whale World and just had a look around but didn’t go into Whale World. On to Salmon Holes which is another little beach where the Salmon come to spawn to there are plenty of fish. It was cold, windy and raining but there was still one lone fisherman down on the beach fishing.
Each place required a drive down to the coast and then back again to Frenchman’s Rd. Our next stop was Stony Hill where we braved the rain. By the time we got to the Blow Holes it was really pouring with rain, after talking to some people who had just come back from the walk and said that they couldn’t see anything as the water was relatively calm and it was raining so much that the visibility was poor, we decided not to bother to get out and look. We drove to the Natural Bridge and the Gap and waited for the rain to subside before venturing out to have a look.
The view was even more spectacular due to the dark clouds. It was really lovely. We then drove back into town and up to the Anzac War Memorial. There is a memorial of trees to honour the fallen, 3 rows deep on one side and 2 rows deep on the other side. The trees were beautiful gums. The Australian and New Zealand soldiers actually left from Albany in 1916 to go to Gallipoli and the first dawn service honouring the soldiers took place in Albany and then spread to the rest of the country after that. Ataturk Entrance which is the opening to Princess Royal Harbour from King George Sound was named after the general in charge of the Turkish Army in WW1. This was done when the Turks allowed the naming of Anzac Cove in honour of that battle.
From there it was a short walk to Mt Clarence, 186m high, and the view was beautiful. Albany is situated in a valley between 2 peaks, Mt Clarence on one side and Mt Melville, 157m high, on the other side. We made sure that we went to the top of both. Our last explore for the day was Mt Melville.
It was sunny the next day as we left for our River Cruise on the Kalgan Queen which was a 4 hour cruise that took us into Oyster Harbour and up the Kaglan River to the Montgomery Winery. Jack, our skipper and guide fed the pelicans, enticed some of them to dance, showed us a whistling kite, osprey and explained much of the history of the area. We had wine tasting at Montgomery Winery and were taken to and from the winery by bus.
