28/1/20 More around Albany

  Time has been passing by , the weather hasn't been the greatest - but we won't complain too much , as it's much hotter just about everywhere other than Albany . We've had some drizzly rain , wind and more wind - we've had temps from 12 overnight to 23 max during the days . 

 Enough of that , we headed out for a drive to Goode Beach , a suburb of Albany about 20 minutes drive out to Torndirrup NP . In between showers we got this photo at Frenchmans Bay , looking toward the old Whaling Station , now a museum . 

This photo however is Misery Beach in Torndirrup NP .

 Plenty of new growth here , this is a Banksia .

 Still in Torndirrup is Salmon Pool - a great fishing spot apparently , also extremely dangerous for rock fishing - many people have lost their lives here .

  This photo is Jimmy Newells Lookout - he apparently took shelter here in his boat from a vicious storm - he survived .

   Still plenty of wildflowers about , here's a couple .

 The rest of the day was cold & windy , so not too much was done .
 Saturday rolled in and I decided to play golf , Albany Golf Club was once rated in the Top 100 public golf courses in Australia , it still is quite challenging , especially if you're not hitting the ball straightish - there's lot's of ball eating scrub lining the fairways . This is one of the fairways that has scrub down one side only . The fairways have been formed on the existing sand dunes , and accordingly , there is a lot of ups & downs and walking on different angles on this course . It is supposed to be just like the original links courses in Scotland . The golf wasn't great , but I ended up with a nearest the pin prize and a couple of birdies , finished with 33 points .

 Another day and another drive out to Nanarup Inlet , which is east of Albany . There's a tidal lake that doesn't always flow out to sea and a haven for bird life when the winds not blowing . It's lined with tea trees & coastal scrub .



 This is out on the beach , looking to what looks like a small island , but it's joined by a sand spit , and it hides a nice little bay - more of that soon .

  This is looking the other way , the mountains are part of Two Peoples Bay NR , one of our favourite places here .



  Walking up the beach and past the island revealed a superb small sheltered beach , and on the other headland a set of steps that we went up for this view of the beach looking back toward the inlet .

 It was also the perfect opportunity to let the bird have a fly , so here is the view above the island looking back to the inlet .



 This view is toward the next beach to the west - Ben Dearg Beach.



  This is also that beach with a couple of the islands that are in front of Frenchmans Bay - the entrance to Albany from the ocean . Torndirrup NP is on the right hand side in the distance .



  The colours in the cliff beside the small beach were impressive for their variety .



  The sun came out again a few days later , so we headed up the road a bit to see the chainsaw sculptures - it's a bit different in that it is a drive through gallery . Most of the sculptures are cut out of tree stumps & trunks . It is a place that needs to be seen - there's carvings of eagles , owls , cockatoos & kookaburra's , people & animals . You are also asked to make a donation , which is quite reasonable given there's over 60 different sculptures . Here are just a few . Peakaboo .

 Grizzly Adams & his bear .

 A rhino's head .

 Found a gum tree out in blossom on the drive home .

  Another day we headed north toward the Porongorups Mountains about half an hour away . Now it was going to be one of those drives where you look at the gps and see a road to the right that will take us through the back blocks , then you proceed to zigzag right & left , back and across , up & down . The weather was a bit iffy again , with intermittent showers and overcast . We didn't mind though as we were seeing more of the countryside . There are plenty of pine and eucalyptus plantations around this way , and I like the way the trees are all lined up .

  The Kalgan River flows down to Oyster Harbour before going into the ocean - we came across it on our drive .

  We eventually came out onto the highway near Manypeaks - a small village , but in usual fashion we were no sooner onto the highway , then we were off it again until we couldn't find any more side roads to go on .
  This is King River , it's also about 20m away from the van , so not such a bad view .

  That's an update for you , here's the map link : - https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IWqp7O4ahUO7K2YyR_yPoFPaq3oU6Y2T&usp=sharing