After leaving the Stirling Range it was time to head to the southern coast of Western Australia. We were captivated by spectacular coastal vistas and an interaction with ocean wildlife that we will never forget.
Albany and surrounds
The town of Albany is very interesting, with its beautiful natural harbour, lovely beaches and rich history. However, our stay in Albany centred around the spectacular coastal National Parks located both east and west of the township. These included Torndirrup and West Cape Howe National Parks and the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve.
Torndirrup National Park
We were fortunate to visit Torndirrup NP on a sparkling summer day, which afforded us a refreshing swim at Misery Beach. Whilst the name is not inspiring, this beach has consistently been rated as one of the most beautiful beaches in Australia, for good reason. This experience did not take away from the rest of the park, which included fabulous 360 degree views of the region, amazing granite outcrops and drop-dead gorgeous beaches. The natural rock formations of 'The Gap' and 'Natural Bridge' were awe inspiring. A great spot to have some lunch and ponder about the eons of time that it takes to form these natural wonders.
Take a look at the fabulous Natural Bridge rock formation:
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
This lovely part of the world is located east of Albany and is managed by Parks and Wildlife. Little Beach with its sweep of fine, white sand, granite outcrops and clear, turquoise water is another acclaimed landmark in the region, so we stopped to take lots of photos. There are some very nice walking trails through the Reserve with picnic areas under shady eucalypts. The Reserve is important due to it being home to several endangered animals including the noisy scrub bird and Gilbert's potoroo. We were lucky enough to spot a native long-necked turtle, making its way along one of the paths.
West Cape Howe National Park
This small National Park was worth a visit to see the towering cliffs, white sand beaches, granite headlands and coastal heath. There are also small patches of Karri forest on the drive in. Shelley Beach is another exquisite beach in this region. We drove to the lookout over the beach where paragliders launch themselves off the cliffs to fly over the headland. Part of the 1000km Bibbulmun Track passes through this National Park, so we were able to do a very small section of this epic walk.
Kalgan River
Our campsite in this region was on the banks of the picturesque Kalgan River, located on 46 acres of wildlife refuge, which was very peaceful and pleasant. The river finds its way into a massive estuary called Oyster Harbour which is permanently connected to King George Sound in Albany. It's a haven for birds and wildlife, as well as fishermen and boating enthusiasts.
Bremer Bay Orca
One of the most looked-forward to highlights of our odyssey was a visit to Bremer Bay to do a whale watching tour to see wild Orca in Bremer Canyon. The canyon is around 50km off the coast of the Bay and is home to the largest pod of orca in the Southern Hemisphere. We were able to follow a large family group of up to 20 or more orca, who were foraging and hunting for food. The pod included a dominant matriarch, lots of family members of different age-groups and several baby orca who were staying close to the lead matriarch to learn their hunting skills. The orca in this region generally hunt and feed on giant squid and beaked whales. It was fabulous to watch these magnificent animals in their natural state. As a bonus, a large sun-fish appeared at the surface to munch on some blue-bottles and we waved to a few sea-lions who were sun-baking on a rocky island. There were lots of active shearwaters diving and spinning all around us and a visit from a beautiful wandering albatross with its massive wing span and graceful soaring. Our whale watching boat was first class with a great crew. This was a fabulous adventure.
Bremer Bay
Whilst the orca watching tour was the main purpose for our visit, we really enjoyed the rest of our stay in Bremer Bay as it is an idyllic small coastal village with breathtaking scenery and fabulous beaches.
Next stop - Esperance, WA
Comments