4th October, 2012 - Albany

My day began with a bowl of "light 'n' tasty" breakfast cereal, of the 'macadamia variety'.  As advertised, there was indeed a generous mix of flakes, wholegrains & oat clusters but the macadamia nuts (for which I'd actually purchased the cereal) were hiding very successfully, rather than appearing in "creamy chunks", as described on the box!  It hardly made me "feel better inside", as promised, in fact the lack of macadamia chunks produced withdrawal symptoms & encouraged me to write a letter to "light 'n' tasty's" Customer Relations Team!.  I could only hope that the rest of the day would be more satisfying.



The weather was as "iffy" as the cereal & so we didn't rush to go out - instead, we caught up with a few indoor jobs.  It's good to have a catch-up day, occasionally.

After lunch, the weather improved, marginally, & so we decided to go for a drive & look at a few places of interest.  This proved to be most enjoyable, as Albany & its surroundings are very attractive.  The town is set in a commanding position overlooking the ocean & has some lovely old buildings, which add character & interest. 



Natural Bridge



We drove around the Princess Royal Harbour & Frenchman Bay, making detours to look at the Natural Bridge & Whale World.  The latter was just closing but looked worthy of another visit; the Natural Bridge was a sight to behold, as the mighty waves thundered through it on to the rocks beyond.  So immense was the power of the sea, that it seemed to shake the very ground on which we stood! 

The wind howled & blew a gale (thank goodness for my windproof jacket & Bob's faithful fleece!)  We watched in awe as the sea pounded away at the rocks far beneath us & I, for one, was almost relieved when we moved away from our viewing point on the edge - it was a wonderful, yet terrifying spectacle. 

The scenery around Albany is impressive, particularly on a day like today, with the sky full of menacing clouds through which shafts of sunlight managed to escape, producing beautiful & contrasting effects.  I'm sure it would have appeared idyllic on a more clement day, but surely not as dramatic.  We shall continue to explore tomorrow when, hopefully, the rain will have ceased & it will be pleasant enough to walk as well as to drive.  There is much more that we would like to see.