2012, October 12 - Exploring Albany

Luke exploring the Brig Amity, Albany

Trip Meter Reading Start –  8186

Trip Meter Reading Finish –  8305 (120 kms)

Accommodation
Free camp at Cosy Corner (East) is 38 km east of Denmark and 30 km west of Albany – take the tourist drive south from Denmark.  Beautiful shady campsites behind the vegetated dunes of Torbay Bay.  The camp has a dump point and clean toilets – you could get water from Cosy Corner (West) where they have beach showers (not potable or suitable for drinking)

Comments – Luke
Today we went to Albany for a look around.  We had a look at the Brig Amity which is an 1826 ship used to bring first European settlers to Albany to establish a military post it was interesting to see how they lived on the ship so close together with fifty somthing people on board the ship.  After that Dad and I then got a haircut in town we then went to an Anzac mermorial where the soldiers left Albany to go to war at gallipoly in 1914.  On the walk trail we saw lots of large black lizards called skinks.  After that we went to Emu point and had a swim of a little swim out jetty.  On the way back to camp we called into the wind generators which is 18 wind generators that reach speeds as fast as a formula 1 and reaches a height of 100 and somthing metres high.

Check out this gorgeous frog!  Of course, Luke spotted him!

Comments – Mum and Dad
With a big day ahead of us, we headed off early east to Albany.  Coming into the City we pulled into the Museum and paid $10 to explore the Brig Amity which Luke has described in his comments above.  This was a cheap and very educational place to see; it really gave you a good perspective of what living conditions were like on a small boat for early settlers.  The city of Albany is very picturesque and alot of houses we noticed had to build around the large granite rocks that existed in their yards.

Anzac Hill, Albany - Fires burning further south

We drove up to Mount Melville Lookout which gives a good view to the south west of Albany then to the Anzac Memorial park on Mount Clarence.  Spectacular.  After the boys had a haircut we had lunch on Albany’s main beach called Middleton Beach; nice community facilities, showers and picnic areas on a grassed foreshores lined with huge Norfolk Pines; very pleasant indeed – wish Coffs had something like this.

We drove further east to Emu Point where many families were picnicking on grassy banks with uninterrupted views over a swimming lido.  Luke took the plunge and joined other kids for a quick dip before we headed back through Albany to explore the Albany Wind farm overlooking Torbay Ocean.

Luke prepares to go for a swim at Emu Point, Albany - the sand is sooooo white!

I cooked dinner for our new neighbours at camp, Margot from Paris and Luca from Roma.  I think they appreciated a substantial meal which is one of our favourites – Bosciola.  We shared some stories around the campfire washed down with a few coldies. Magic..

Bigger than Ben Hur!!! - Wind Station, Albany

Me and mum at the base of a Wind Station