Margaret River thru to Albany - Wine and Whales!!!

Whale - Albany
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Hi All,

What a fantastic few days we've had since we left Perth and headed South again. We stopped just outside Margaret River for a couple of days and travelled around checking out Winery's, Chocolate Factories, Meadery's, Cheese Factories, a couple of Micro Brewery's and a Shearing Shed!

Margaret River was wet the whole time we were there but we ended up staying at the Big Valley Camp, which is a working farm with sheep on it. On the first night we were sitting around the communal camp fire and met a bloke who called himself "Das" - short for Daryl. Bit of a character, bushman and a workabout of all sorts. Had done every job you could think of!! Das offered to cook everyone tea the next night, so of course we all accepted gratefully and enjoyed the best campfire roast you have every had the following night with all the trimmings!!

Whale - Albany
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We also went to the Margaret River Shearing Shed and had a sheep shearing demo and we all got too bottle feed some little lambs and of course we sampled what Margaret River is famous for - The Wine!! If you get over here,make sure you go to the Berry Farm. The best jams and ports you can find. I bought a bottle of the boysenberry port, which I thought was sensational.

After Margaret River we followed the coast down thru Augusta to Walpole to Denmark and to Albany. Along the way we free camped at Big Brooke Dam, Jessica climbed the Gloucester Tree which stands at 60 metres tall, we went to a toffee factory and onto the tree top walk among the Karri Trees which is about 40 metres off the ground.

Whale - Albany
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Albany is home to the last Whaling Station that operated in Australia, which only closed in 1978!! I never knew just how big Whaling was in Australia, but the information says it was one of Australia's biggest export industries until well into the 1900's.

We went on a Whale Tour out into the Bay and we saw about 15-18 Whales. Check out some of the new pictures I have put up!! Whales everywhere. It was absolutely amazing. These things weigh in bigger than me (over 45 Tonne) and can throw themselves out of the water like you cannot believe until you see it. Some come out of the water so far they are almost airborne!! There were Bull Whales and we saw Mothers with their Calves, it was just spectacular!!

Stephanie feeding a Sheep
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Tomorrow we're off again and heading towards Esperance. Not long now and we'll be home. :-((

Hello to everyone in Shepparton, Wangaratta and the rest of the North East - Hope your feet aren't too wet. Lot's of people over here asking about friends etc and how everyone is going as soon as they hear that's where we are from!!

Talk to you soon

MickyD, Doonna, Jess and Steph