Lucky Bay to Albany (13-18 Apr)

On the long drive to Albany, I marvelled at the well-maintained roads and imagined living in rural and remote Australia with no or limited access to healthcare and other services. I Googled and learnt about the Royal Flying Doctor Service, their fleet of 79 aircrafts and watched a live flight map of planes currently being deployed. All this gave me a renewed appreciation of the convenience, and the range of options available, of life back home.

A fair proportion of the sites at the Big 4 Emu Beach Holiday Park stood vacant as families returned home after the Easter break. Suffice to say, no friendship opportunities for Millie here. With five nights in Albany, I was looking forward to a breather from being on the road. During our stay, we went to the Boatshed Market and to Torndirrup to visit the Natural Bridge and Albany’s Historic Whaling Station which only ceased operations in 1978. We were fortunate to be guided by Stuart, an engineer on one of the last whaling ships, who educated us on the industry’s fascinating history. At the Porongurup Ranges, we hiked Castle Rock, scrambled over boulders and climbed a 7m ladder to reach a platform for the magnificent views.

Greens Pool is arguably one of my favourite beaches where large granite boulders form a natural break from the Southern Ocean to create a calm pool for swimming and snorkelling. After much protestation, Millie reluctantly slipped into her wetsuit (she didn’t like the front panel of the garment) and tried snorkelling for the first time until the chilly waters got the better of her. All in all, both Justin and I really liked Albany and enjoyed what the city had to offer.