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We had been to Albany twelve years ago with the kids, and absolutely loved it. We saw the whaling museum, the ANZAC memorial, and the old brig, as well as other historic buildings. We saw the rock formations on the rugged shoreline, and took some spectacular photos of the crystal blue waters and the white rocks glistening in the sunshine under the clear blue sky. It had been really busy, being school holidays, and the caravan park had squeezed us into a tiny site which was actually the front lawn of one of the permanents.
On this visit, things were completely different. The weather was bad - cold and wet and windy. The sky was a dull charcoal grey, reflected back by the dull green grey sea. The town itself was busy and crowded, full of narrow streets and tiny roundabouts, teeming with aggressive hulks of cars shouldering their way to establish dominance. It had a waterfront, but this only contained an elaborate modern glass and brass building housing the Entertainment Centre. The rest of the town sprawled back between the hillsides that seemed to close in around the main street. The whole effect was quite claustrophobic.
Most of the attractions were actually out of town, as well as the beaches which spread several kilometres around the area.
We went to the same area we had stayed in before, near the beach - the caravan park was almost completely empty. Tried walking on the beach and looking at the views, but the weather was so miserable and the sea was so dull. Considered going back to the whaling station and the ANZAC museum. Apparently they had fancy new buildings the tourist info lady was very proud of. Somehow could not build up the enthusiasm to do much more than some shopping. At least it had a Coles and a Woolies, as well as the obligatory IGA. (No Aldi though.)
The shopping centre area was called 'Dog Rock' as it was built around a large boulder which someone had decided resembled a dog's head. I could not see it myself, even after they had painted on a collar around its neck. In WA they have this penchant for labelling things in grandiose terms, then peddling them to the unsuspecting public. Just look at what they have done with the 'Wildflowers'. Most of us would call them weeds.
Our next stop was going to be Esperance, but this had to be done in good weather. On our previous trip the weather had been shocking - cold and grey and foggy. Even when we were inside Esperance, we couldn't actually see it. After struggling with very poor internet, both at the caravan park and even at the library, we were finally able to ascertain the weather forecast. It would be improving on the Friday, then really nice over the weekend.
Being only Wednesday, this left us with some decisions. We could stay here another two days. We could make our way slowly to Esperance, stopping at a couple of obscure beach towns on the way. Or we could go and check out Wave Rock.
This is a large granite rock formation we had seen advertised often, and had considered going to before. After all, we had been through Perth three times now. But each time it was just too far away from everything, and we had decided against it. The drive from Albany to Esperance was about 500 kms. If we were to got to Wave Rock, the total distance would be 700 kms, but we would split that over two days and have a night there in the middle. So it was really just an extra 200 kms. Surely that was not too much, so we could finally tick it off the list. We decided to go for it.
So the next day we set off heading north, first past the Stirling Range, then we hit the wheat belt. Here the land was flat and open, dotted with silos and flood plains with salt lakes and low scrub. It seemed to go on forever. The road started well, but after we had passed one or two small towns, deteriorated to little more than a track. It was sealed, but only just, and the gravel seemed to encroach on its borders.
Finally we made it to the Rock. The caravan park was very impressive - brand new with great facilities and a patch of fake grass on every site. It was a two minute walk to Wave Rock - a large granite rock which had been weathered over the years to a streamlined wavy shape. After fighting our way through the bus loads of Chinese tourists, we could finally gaze upon it. It was quite dramatic, once you got near enough to see it. Problem was it was ensconced with trees and bush. Murphy's Haystacks, a similar rock formation in South Australia, was in the middle of a field - much more impressive. And they don't even advertise it. But we did get to climb it and take some spectacular photos of the area.
In the souvenir shop was a bumper sticker with a picture of Wave Rock with the caption - "It's a bloody long way, but worth it." I'm not so sure that it is.
GeorgeY's Bit
Albany is a town with the lot (steak knives thrown in as well). Its past is reflected by the preserved historical buildings. The museum, the past whaling station and the ANZAC memorial are just a few examples. Currently there are more. freight trains, and the port is connecting the land to the sea, and the rest of the world. Many beaches, waterways and rocky features attract droves of tourists and holiday makers. Albany's town centre has shops, cafés and restaurants servicing the locals and the tourists. Everything here is both preserved and developed in a grand way. There are no traffic lights, but roundabouts and speed humps to regulate traffic.
Albanians are kept busy driving slowly over speed humps and negotiating roundabouts all day long. At any intersection there is no easy way to decide who has the right of way as they are all at the same time all of the time. The priority is always granted to who has the most aggressive approach. Albany is like Martha inviting people and getting stressed by servicing them. There is a delicate balance between preserving and developing, and Albany still needs to find it.
Wave Rock was not originally on the list. Eva talked to travellers who have months on hand to stay in each place, and she thought we should do Wave Rock. I was recalcitrant, but had had enough of Albany and, as we were waiting on good weather to hit Esperance it seemed reasonable. Nice stop and great caravan park. As I was walking I spotted some "wildflowers" and showed them to Eva to be quickly dismissed as weeds and being told yet again that the north is where "wildflowers" are. To my delight a sign prohibiting taking "wildflowers" and threatening offenders with prostectution became my defence and rescue. The rock is big but not big enough, and the trees surrounding it are obstructing a good picture. They need to cut these down and make it look a bit more prominent. And this is why I am not a national park ranger.
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