Albany & Vicinity.

Arrival in Albany!  The Information Centre pointed out a big weekend with the Classic Car Event, so being Wednesday, I booked into a caravan park (overpriced at the best of times, well & truly so with a loading for the Big Weekend!) for Friday and Saturday, then went to Cozy Corner freecamp for a couple of days - the forecast was two days of rain, so paying to sit in a caravan park wasn't in my plans, though I feel guilty about not contributing to the National Economy.   Cozy Corner is just that, tucked in behind the sand dunes, and a good thing too, as the wind & rain were fierce.  In the next camping bay along were a couple of Tasmanians, Yvonne and Gavin, in a bus they'd converted themselves; they were traveling with their two retrievers, so I got my dog 'fix' and they got a great skritch. 

On Friday I toured Albany in the morning, including attending a general auction:  It wasn't going really well though.  In the afternoon I booked into the caravan park and caught up on a lot of tasks so I could go to the Classic Car Event, which raced through downtown Albany on Saturday.   Arriving early I roamed among the many cars displayed before the race and there were many classics ranging in age but all in superb condition!  If that Triumph TR6 were mine I certainly wouldn't chance it in a race!  But race they did, the roar and the fumes - a revhead's dream.   On Sunday I toured the Anzac Memorial and Fort before heading east to check out Betty's Beach for a couple of nights. 

I was surprised by the few campsites on offer, even more surprised to get a decent one from the two remaining.  I met Brian & Sheila, who snaffled the prime spot, and who told me that there were fish to be caught off the nearby rocks.  Out came the rod etc. and a quick scramble over the rocks to try my luck - which was up to my usual standard so on this trip I have yet to clean a fish.  Monday morning was brilliant!  Not a cloud in the sky, so we sat in the sun most of the day pondering life, kids and the lovely snakkies brought out by Sheila.  On leaving the next morning I stopped again in Albany to provision and visit the Museum.  En route I visited the Whaling Station and Torndirrup NP before continuing to Parry Beach for my last night on the coast, as i am now heading inland to the jarrah & kauri forests.  Weather is, at best, described as woeful,at  worst *^%$*??+.  Never-the-less, tall timber beckons so onward to Shannon NP!