20150910 WA Albany

20150910 Many people we spoke to on our travels would tell us not to miss Albany as it’s a lovely town, especially a couple we meet when we were camped up on Robe River, Mary and Ken who may be a bit bios as Albany is there home town but as it turned out they were all correct. Des and I were wondering how long they were staying at the river as they scored the best spot and we wanted it but they were staying longer than us. Then Ken was out and shown me the baby hawks in a nest high in the tree who were very close to flying and Mary played my type of music while we chatted over a few drinks and that was how we meet.


We broke down heading to Mary’s but after Des did his thing to the van we finally arrived, once parked up we had a very warm welcome from Mary who helped us search for a mechanic, but not until tomorrow we just have to have few drinks with Mary on our first night here as Ken was in London.

Mary and Ken’s little cottage at Emu Point and I was pleasantly surprised how spacious it was inside but it was also very charming which is more to do with how Mary and Ken have decorated it, now this I could handle.

11-09-2015  Des dropped off the van for repair and Mary played tour guide for the day, our first stop being the Sculpture Drive, and OMG this will blow your mind.  All of these sculpture are carved from fallen logs and Des and I were both very impressed, Crosie would relate to these.

As you turn into the driveway these wood carvings are the first you see so I was out of the car and snapping my photos.

How cool is this chain saw.

I’m thinking a spider carved from the root of a tree, how cleaver.

All I needed was my cape and would fit in nicely.

Now that’s clever and the dog sits on the back of the truck.

I love these ones they are just so creative.

I am at a lost for words, I know that's hard to believe but these are just amazing.

Little pig, little pig let me in.

They all seam so life like as if there talking to each other.

Arr what do you think that silly Penquin is doing with that egg Blacky?

These sculpture just go on and on and all he ask for is a small donation, well done mate.

Our next stop was Emu Point a lovely inlet where we watched a guy really straining while trying to real in his fishing line only it was a sting ray and it was surely giving him hell of a fight.

Mary and I at the Anzac Memorial taking in the view.

What a wonderful location to place a remembrance memorial, now that’s a pretty special view.

The Desert Mounted Corps Memorial is a new version of a statue that once stood in Egypt and during the Suez Crisis in 1956 a crowd attacked the monument and it was pulled from its base and smashed it to bits beyond repair. When peace returned the damaged memorial were shipped to Australia where a sculpture from Melbourne created a new statue based on the original.  It was unveiled on Mt Clarence by Sir Robert Menzies in 1964.

A close up of the MonumentOne of the plaques read: In memory of our “Bess” and the gallant horses that saved our courage’s soldiers.  Bess was the only New Zealand horse to return home after serving in the Middle East.

We came across many of these little guys who have made a home at the memorial shrubs.

Wind Turbine Towers 

The 420 tonne concrete foundation are anchored 16 metres into the earth, to hold the towers steady in the soft sand of the area and earth rode go down 90 metres to reach the underground water, so that the wind farm can handle lightening strikes.

Des and Mary stand at the base of the windmill which has a base circumference of 13.2 metres and the towers is 65 metres carry blades 34 metres long, this is the tallest structures in Albany, just the mere size as you stand under one is enormous.

The Old Strawberry Farm was established in 1827 and was the first farm in western Australia, then in 1836 Sir Richard Spencer built a two-storey stone house on the site.

It still has most of the original furniture and check out the lovely old bath tub.

Entertainment for the upper class included cards and using gambling chips, engraved pearl shell gaming chips such as these were produced in China and used widely throughout Europe and the colonies.

I was told this highchair is around 150 years old and although I didn’t get a photo the original dining table and chairs were returned by one of the ancestors after they found it stored in the attic.

We have found throughout this trip what a difference it makes when you have someone show you around there town and thanks to Mary she made our stay in Albany a wonderful experience, thank you Mary and we hope to see you both in Brisbane.