Albany

Friday, March 4^th

Happy Birthday Clancy Cunningham and Barry Andriessen, just 60 years between you J

On this glorious hot and sunny morning we packed up, said farewell to our fellow travellers and explored Nannarup beach, Lower King and then onto the picturesque Oyster Harbour at Emu Point. This large, protected harbour with a very narrow channel is home to the now very small fishing fleet and oyster and mussel farmers. Overfishing has almost killed the industry here. Emu Point is a suburb of Albany and holiday spot, much like Middleton Beach, and home to the Squid Shack, a local icon. Our salt and pepper squid, which came battered and deep fried, was not our idea of a good meal and we were disappointed.

A couple of hours in the shade of the trees on the beachfront and a swim in the crystal clear water restored our energy and we continued on towards town, stopping to visit the Princess Royal Fortress,

Don't push your
luck, GV!

a fortification that began life during the Boer War and continued to be used until the 1960s. It was restored in the 1980s and is now used as a military museum relating specifically to this area with emphasis on the Light Horse brigades that embarked for the wars from this port. Some interesting information on the treatment of Aboriginal people in the armed services and upon their return. We also went up to the top of nearby Mt Clarence to the war memorial where dawn services are held on Anzac Day.

Our next stop was at The Old Farm at Strawberry Hill, a National Trust building and garden. The old house with its stone foundations, brick and stone walls and shingled roof was a beautiful piece of architecture although the inside is now in need of repair.

We eventually made our way to the caravan park where we were reminded that the long weekend had filled all available spaces, so we were glad that we had booked earlier in the week. We must remember this before Easter.

Sat. March 5^th

This day was spent enjoying the arts in this regional centre. We began the day at the Farmers’ Market where the organic meats and other produce were sold along with chutneys, jams etc. from the local area. We thought that the name of the chutneys and sauces - ‘a little bit on the side’- was very clever. We then attended the opening of the Minang Mainitch Indigenous Weaving Festival where the didgeridoo player was among the best I’ve heard.

Dolls for AIDS-affected
children in Africa

The women weavers from Papua New Guinea, various Africa countries, New Zealand Maoris and Aboriginal women from different parts of the state shared information about their work, materials and traditions and were running workshops during the day.

Our next stop was at the magnificent Entertainment Centre, designed by architects Cox Howlett and Bailey Woodland and opened at the end of 2010. Its situation, right on the harbour and below historic Stirling Terrace, ensured many debates and battles about the site and the architecture, however the result is spectacular. 

Here we were most fortunate to hear Joe Filisko, a maestro of the harmonica, and Eric Noden, a wonderful guitarist, talk about their music making and play some great blues and ragtime music. This was one of the free offerings of the Playmakers series, part of the Great Southern Festival 2011. We returned later in the day to hear Australians Dave Clarke and Justin Brady discuss and demonstrate the art of playing the mandolin and the harmonica (harp) in the rack. Celtic music was the preference of Justin Brady who could play with astonishing finesse.

Another part of the festival was the Paperazzi011 where works on paper were displayed on and in public and private buildings, papermaking sessions were held in the park and museum, and the short animations of William Kentridge were screened at the Arts Centre.

Sun. March 6^th

A drizzly, grey day – perfect for completing domestic tasksJ In the afternoon we drove to Torndirrup NP to see The Gap, the Natural Bridge  and The Blowholes, all granite features with water churning and tumbling under, through or around the feature; many tourists on the same route today. We also drove up to Mt Melville for a 360 degree view from the tower and a walk across the granite outcrops reinforced the beauty of the harbour. We have been pleasantly surprised by Albany’s natural features.