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 BUSSELTON    -    MARGARET   RIVER    -    AUGUSTA    -    PEMBERTON    -    WALPOLE    -    ALBANY

 
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29-09-2007    -    DAY 36
We were awakened early this morning with all the noise generated by a couple of hundred kids on holiday in a caravan park.  This was OK because we had to move to another site anyway so I was out packing up very quickly.   When ready we had to call at the office because policy is that you get assisted for all moves within the CP.  We were settled into our new site before 9am.  After having breakfast we went for a drive through to Margaret River and Augusta.  This is an all day trip as the return distance stopping at all the usual scenic sites via Caves Road and the Bussel Highway is about 290kms.  We visited Yallingup, Gracetown, Prevelly, Margaret River and Augusta.  We stopped for lunch in Margaret River.  At Augusta we went to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse which is the most south-westerly point of the Australian mainland.  Driving back we went along the Caves Road through the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park under tall Karri trees and acres of vineyards and farmland.  I listened to the Football final between the Cats and Power on the car radio as we drove but gave it a miss as Power got wiped out.  Caves Road is so named because of all the caves that are accessible along it such as Ngilgi Caves, Calgardup Cave, Mammoth Cave,  Lake Cave and Jewel Cave.


30-09-2007    -    DAY 37
Sunday again.  How time flies when you are having fun.  This morning we had breakfast at the 'Golden Arches' in Busselton. Egg & Bacon rolls, hotcakes and coffee.  A cloudy day with occasional drizzle to wet the ground.  We stayed home and vegged out.

01-10-2007    -    DAY 38

Another lay day today.   A lot of campers left the CP as the end of the long weekend came.  We did a bit of shopping for food items that needed replenishing.   Planning a BBQ tonight.  Tomorrow we depart for Pemberton.


02-10-2007    -    DAY 39
We were on the road by 9:15 am  and heading up the Vasse Highway to Nannup and Pemberton.   The road was very hilly and the scenery changed from farmland to Karri Forest  and National Parks.  We stopped at a  rest area  for morning coffee and admired the forest around us.  The Karri trees are very tall and some of them exceed 35 m in height.  We arrived in Pemberton by midday and after a quick tour of the township headed for the Caravan Park.  When the receptionist asked  if we had booked I knew we were in trouble.  Sure enough there was no vacancy.  After a short discussion  I decided that we would have to continue to Walpole a further 122 kms away and hope that they had sites there.   And so we continued to the South West Highway and through more Karri forests and National Parks.    We arrived in Walpole about  2:30 pm and found the Coalmine Beach CP outside town.  We booked in for two nights so that we could have a good look around the area and also do the 'Tree Top Walk'.   After settling in we took a drive along a dirt track to  Hilltop Lookout where you can see  views of the Frankland River, Nornalup Inlet and the Southern Ocean.  Then further on we stopped at the car park to the 'Giant Tingle Tree' walk.  The Giant Tingle Tree  is big enough to hold a Holden sedan within it.  During the walk we saw many other large trees and plant species.   We also drove to the Circular Pool on the Frankland River, consisting of two pools of water connected by rapids that feed the lower pool.  The water is brown going over the rapids caused by the tannin in the water.  It also forms foam on top of the pool such that it looks like a huge cappuccino.  Afterwards we drove back through town and got back to the CP in time for happy hour.

03-10-2007    -    DAY 40
This morning we headed off to the 'Valley of the Giants' and the 'Tree Top Walk' near Nordalup.  This venue is amazing  because it allows the public to walk amongst the treetops of the giant Karri and Tingle trees via a metal suspension walkway that goes nearly 40m above the ground.  There is no climbing involved, it extends for 600m in a loop through the forest and the walk is wheelchair friendly. There is also an 'Ancient Empire Walk' where you can see and admire some of the biggest Tingle and Karri trees in the valley and Australia. We spent a couple of hours there and did the Tree Top walk twice. There is some great photographic opportunities  while you walk around.  After this we did a self drive scenic tour that included Peaceful Bay , a quiet beach shack village set at an idealic beach on the coast,  Conspicuous Cliffs, which has a walkway to a viewing platform that looks over one of the most beautiful beaches on the south coast , Mt Frankland where you can climb to the summit via a path that includes several hundred steps, a ladder up a sheer granite cliff , and breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.  From Mt Frankland  we drove to Fernhook Falls  on the Deep River a popular local canoeing and swimming area in summer, before rejoining the South West Highway back to Walpole. A quick stop at the John Rate Lookout afforded great views of the Deep River delta and mouth to the Southern Ocean  just 5 kms out of Walpole.

04-10-2007    -    DAY 41
Woke up this morning and there was a light drizzle falling so we got wet as we packed up.  Left Walpole about 9 am  and drove through to Denmark another small seaside township amongst the Karri Forest of the Great Southern.  We parked the van and took a walk through the township to stretch our legs and to find a nice place for a 'Coffee' break.... 8>).    We also had a look in at the Denmark Bakery and bought some bread rolls and pastries.  An hour later we were on the road again for the last 60kms to Albany driving through farmland and national park lands over undulating countryside.  We arrived at the Albany Gardens Big4 Holiday Resort around midday and booked in for 4  nights leaving Monday morning.  After lunch we took a drive into town and then made our way to a lookout at Mt Clarence which overlooks the whole area.  At Mt Clarence there is a War Memorial and also the  Princess Royal Fortress museum which was interesting to have a look at.  Princess Royal Fortress was built in 1893 because King George III Sound and Albany was considered a strategic Port for the defense of Australia and the loss of it to an enemy naval squadron was recognized as a potential threat to Australia's security.  From 1893 to 1956 the guns of the fortress maintained a deterrent role never firing a shot in anger. There is also an HMAS Perth Interpretive Center there which has some information, photographs and items from the old former naval ship which has been sunk in Frenchmans Bay in King George Sound as a dive wreck. On the way back to the CP,  we stopped at a carwash to give the old girl her first shampoo  in about 5 weeks.

05-10-2007    -    DAY 42
After breakfast this morning we headed to Frenchman's Bay and the Torndirrup National Park a favorite tourist attraction only 15 minutes from the Albany town center.  On the way we pulled in at the Albany Wind Farm at Sandy Patch and walked some of the walking trails and lookouts.  Also, we stopped and had a look at'The Gap' and the 'Natural Bridge' , two natural features carved from ancient granite by nature and features a 25m sheer drop to the ocean.  Further into the park we reached the old Albany whaling station which was still operational up to 1978 when it closed down for economic reasons.  Today its called'Whale World' and includes guided tours through the old whale processing buildings, sheds and oil tanks which have been converted into theaters.  There is also the 'Cheynes IV'  the last whale chaser in Australia that is set up as a museum.  We stayed at Whale World for over two and half hours so there is plenty to see and do.   There is a cafe and souvenir shop at Whale World which Geraldine took advantage of, of course.  On the way back to town we stopped at the replica of the Bark ' Amity' which was the first sailing ship that brought settlers to Albany  and the South West from Sydney in  1826.

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