Albany, south west WA (4th-7th November, 2011)

We left rainy Walpole and hot footed it to Albany on the south coast of WA. It was sunny as we arrived at Middleton Beach campsite in Albany so we thought great we can pitch the tent and get set up….! Just as we started hammering in the tent pegs it the heavens opened and we both just stood soaked laughing like idiots (anyone who saw us must have thought we were nuts….!). Anyway 10 minutes later and the sun came out again and stuff slowly dried out.
It was a few days of sun and showers but Albany was a great town (apparently the oldest town in WA established c 1880) with plenty of old interesting buildings and events going on. Middleton Beach set on a picturesque bay known as King George Sound with plenty of coastal walks with views out to the Southern Ocean, and the odd visit by whales (although we did’nt see any). About 50 or so years after Captain Cook discovered the east coast of Australia the French were busy discovering parts of the west coast, so Albany and other towns such as Esperance further west have a strong French connection.
Albany is also the last place on Australian soil that the Australian and New Zealand soldiers saw before they sailed for Gallipoli in the first world war.
As well as a bit of history we saw a weekend of Vintage motorbike mania. Every shape and size of motorbike was on display on Stirling Terrace in the town, then the next day they raced their vintage bikes one to one along Apex Drive. It looked like great fun as we were taking bets as to who would get to the first corner ahead of the other. Some of the bikes must have dated back to the war….(as ridden by Steve McQueen in the film The Great Escape).