We have been to Albany twice now. It is 416km from Perth and every bit worth the drive. Not because Albany itself is out of this world but because the scenic coastal drive to get to Albany is amazing. The drive is easy, the little towns along the way are pretty and the beaches are just spectacular.
Once you get to Albany, it is pretty much how you would expect an ex-whaling, fishing town to be. It is packed with history and the architecture is great. Beautiful colonial houses perched on hills - almost every one of them with a view of the ocean. That's the thing about Albany, it is quite confusing because everywhere you go, no matter which direction, you see the ocean. Makes you wonder if you are even driving the right way? However, Albany is situated right at the bottom left point of WA so I guess this would make sense. I didn't mind the views whatsoever!
The last time we were in Albany, we were there with friends. The great thing about that is you tend to go to places that you wouldn't ordinarily go to. I liked that. We were only there for a couple of days so time was tight. One of the first places we went to was The Whale Museum. It sounded cool but it wasn't. The beach next to it and the views around it were awesome but with a fee of $25 each, I was highly underwhelmed. If you do decide to go, it has a couple points working in its favour. These are the photo opportunities from aboard an old whaling ship and the little animal farm. I got to touch a koala which I have never done so that was nice.
From there we went to a couple of look out points - one was the Blow Holes. In certain conditions, the sea crashes onto the rocks and sprays water through the blow holes. This is beautiful but the walk down the cliff to the rocks is not for sissies. It is a few hundred metres and has a massive flight of steps. Not bad going down but the return trip is quite tough. I wondered why on the way down there were so many rest points with benches. This is also a great photo opportunity & good workout at the same time!
Next stop, The Spirit Distillery. Fun place to visit on an empty tummy! Here you can pay a couple dollars and try some of the best whiskeys around. They also distill gin and a few other treats. The girls that work there are very friendly and good for a chat, as well as knowing a lot about the different spirits which is always good. They make a good milkshake too.
A little behind schedule, fairly hungry and a bit warm and fuzzy, we made our way to the Marron Farm. I love Marron. For those who don't know what they are, they are freshwater crayfish and are absolutely delicious. Our friends had the most impressive 'freshwater' fish platter I have ever seen and it was really reasonable. $80 for the whole platter (see pic) which is a bargain. I had a butterflied marron which was cooked on the BBQ and then had melted butter over the top. Yum. I was very impressed and can recommend it. They also have a bird 'park' on the property. Not really our scene but it looked nice.
While I am on the subject of eating, I have never come across a coastal fishing town that doesn't have a single proper seafood restaurant. The only places we could find were 'fish & chip' like restaurants. It is quite disappointing. When you are surrounded by sea air, all we wanted to do was eat a massive seafood platter & there were none around. So here is an idea - if you want to make some money, move to Albany and open up a seafood restaurant. Luckily we hit a luck with the Marron farm which kind of felt like seafood!!!
A great, social place to go for some drinks and food is the White Star Hotel (Tanglehead Brewery) It has a great atmosphere and often has comedy shows or bands on which is great. We have had a good time every time we have been.
The beaches in Albany are beautiful and I think Albany is worth a visit just to see some of them. I have lived in Western Australia for 5 years now and still get gobsmacked at how stunning the beaches are here. The turquoise, crystal clear water would rival any island on a good day.
So overall, if you feel like a road trip and have some time on your hands, drive that little bit further down the coast! It will be worth the ride and something different too...
Points to Remember:
* Albany is a fairly cool place and windy too. The best time to go would be the middle of Summer for sure but even then, we needed a jacket when we went out at night. So be prepared!
* If you plan to go over a long weekend or peak season, best to book accommodation long in advance. This goes for eating out once you are there. We found it was good to book a couple days before in busy periods.
* The Farmers Market is every Saturday - go early for some great supplies
My score for Albany is 6/10
http://www.albanytourist.com.au/
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