Once in a blue moon

As the school holidays drew to an end we packed up our caravan and headed off for our annual two weeks in Albany, this time taking an extra few days to travel down through the south-west and visit family in Eaton on the way.

Driving south through the picturesque green hills and valleys, dotted with apple orchards and pine plantations, our next stop was Manjimup, where we stayed at Fonty’s Pool Caravan Park. In the evening we witnessed the rare spectacle of a super blue blood moon rising over the beautiful natural pool.

Fonty’s Pool

Moon rising over Fonty’s Pool

Just out of town the next morning, Rod climbed the 52 metre-high Diamond Tree. We continued on through forests of jarrah and towering karri trees along narrow, winding and hilly roads towards Walpole, where we stayed at the Rest Point Caravan Park on Nornalup Inlet.

Diamond Tree

Karri Forest

The following morning we took an early morning walk through virgin forest, along the edge of the inlet, to Sandy Beach. Later in the morning we joined the W.O.W Eco-cruise across the inlet with Gary Muir, hilarious and very knowledgeable tour guide. At our destination we climbed across sand dunes to Shelley Beach on the Southern Ocean, where every day Gary collects washed-up debris as part of a University of WA study. Back at the boat we enjoyed a delicious morning tea of ‘wilderness cake’, which on this occasion was freshly-baked lemon cake.

Sandy Beach walk

Walpole Eco-cruise

Shelley Beach

We experienced mostly fine and cool weather in Albany, and took advantage of the mild days to do two walks with friends Andrew and Wies. One day we packed a picnic lunch and drove to Two Peoples Bay for a walk through the scrub, over the rocks and along pretty Little Beach, with its pristine white sand lapped by beautiful turquoise water. Also known as Baie des Deux Peuples, it was the meeting place in 1803 between French explorer Nicolas Baudin and an American whaling vessel.

Two Peoples Bay

Little Beach

Another day we tackled the 2-hour return, class 4 walk to Peak Head in Torndirrup National Park. The rocky head extends into the ocean and is surrounded on three sides by ocean, affording magnificent views. The walk back to the parking area was particularly exhausting, most of it being uphill on sandy tracks.

Peak Head trail

Peak Head

Another highlight of our holiday was a drive through the amazing chainsaw sculptures of Darrel Radcliffe. He sculpts in jarrah and his pieces feature everything from people to animals, birds and insects. Some also integrate rusty old pieces of machinery.

Chainsaw sculptures

Chainsaw sculpture

All good things must come to an end and we left Albany reluctantly, breaking the journey home with a night at Williams.