Albany WA - March 2011

We left Mandurah WA and travelled to Albany WA via Boddington & Wagin WA through farming communities and I was struck by the number of "Blackboy" plants growing naturally along the roadside. They absolutely thrive here and are no doubt a protected species for the sheer number that are growing everywhere in WA.

We arrived in Albany WA thinking that we may have trouble filling in three days here on first appearances. Out accommodation was the All Seasons Hotel/motel which was on the main highway into Albany. Our rooms were standard motel rooms & not all that impressive - however they were comfortable enough for a few nights especially as there was a guest laundry available 24/7 which is what we needed at that stage of our holiday. Attached was a reception & restaurant which was excellent value and quality. We did not look at any other restaurants in the city as we only needed a short walk to our rooms after dinner. The staff were very helpful and gave us advice on what attractions to visit including the Wind Farm and Whale World.

The first day we did the tourist trail & thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was a bit overcast but not raining at that stage.

The second day the boys played golf at Albany Golf Course & Anne & I did some retail therapy. (The Wind Farm, Whale World and the Golf Course have got separate postings for you to view)

We had good weather for the most of our stay & left Albany very impressed with the place.

Albany Golf Course, Albany WA - March 2011

We visited Albany Golf Course during our tour of Albany WA. The only day available for golf happened to be a Men's Competition day so Mark & Peter Booked in for a game while Anne & I had some R & R and a bit of retail therapy and we met the boys back at the clubhouse after golf.

The boys enjoyed the course and the girls enjoyed the R & R and shopping at the Albany Shopping Centre.

It is a very nice clubhouse but is only open on competition days.

The Wind Farm, Albany WA - March 2011

If you are an avid bush walker this is the stop for you. The bush walks here were beautiful and it would not be hard to put in a few hours with all the choices of walks that are there. Put on your walking shoes and do the Wind Farm Walk, a sealed track around Turbine One and down to the Sand Patch Coastal Lookout. There are several other elevated lookouts offering views of the whole wind farm and across the harbour to the city centre. (about 30 minutes)

We managed a few of the closest lookouts and found them well maintained. We got a good insight into the coastline and a very close up look at the turbines that run the wind farm. Each turbine has three 35 metre long blades which sit on top of a 65 metre tower. It only needs 7 kmh to start them turning to make sustainable energy.

This was our only bleak day in the three weeks we were in WA but we still did not get any rain to speak of. It was and enjoyable stop off & well worth the effort of a bit of walking.

Whale World, Albany WA - March 2011

Whale World in Albany, Western Australia is well worth a visit to get an insight into the origins of the whaling industry at Cheynes Beach Whaling Station which closed in November 1978 which was the end of the whaling era in Albany.

The derelict whaling station was transformed to a heritage attraction taking a journey through Australia's last operating whaling station. The attraction includes a two story museum of real life photos from the whaling days, videos, whale skeletons and the cheynes IV whalechaser which we could walk through at our leisure to see how the men lived in those days. The guided tour was good with a guide taking us through the steps of the station production & explanations of the whales and the history of the whaling days.

There was of course the whalers gallery Cafe/Restaurant and mandatory gift shop. Another positive was the supply of a wheelchair for Anne to eliminate risk of falling on the uneven ground. This service is always appreciated so that semi disabled or injured tourists can still enjoy the day.

We enjoyed this attraction and think it is a well run business.