SW Tour - Day 8

Covid has so far not spread within our family and Ella is looking better today. We began with the short 10 min drive to Mt Clarence. The home of more childhood memories! I reminisced how we used to do the Mt Clarence run up each Easter I believe. Beginning at the bottom of Apex Dr, it was around 1.3km uphill race finishing at the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial. The actual run wasn't too bad til the top when you had to negotiate several flights of stairs!

The finish line was the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial, a 9m bronze statue of an Australian mounted solider assisting a NZ solider whose horse has been wounded. It was from Albany that 30,000 ANZAC troops departed for the battlefields of WW1.

Behind the memorial, is the Padre White Lookout which provides excellent panoramic views over Albany, King George Sound, Princess Royal Harbour, Middleton Beach, Emu Point and across to Vancouver Peninsula. This lookout is dedicated to the Rector who in 1930 lead a pilgrimage from his church to Mt Clarence in what is thought to have been the first ever observance of a Dawn Service on ANZAC day in Australia.

We pulled up in the carpark, then strolled up to the Memorial and Lookout wondering where Andy was. At the top, as we looked back we could see the lone figure of Andy running slowly up the final part of the climb. Good timing!

   

After coffee, we did the essential food shop at the Dog Rock shopping centre! Then continued our journey towards Torndirrup National Park. We visited the Gap, the Natural Bridge both which the girls were not impressed with. Again the area had changed hugely - now defined concrete stamped paths, large overhanging look outs. and heaps of warning signs!

Hoping the Blowholes would be better but were bitterly disappointed. After walking the 800m to them, the blowholes were making lots of noise but not producing any spray!! Spirits were pretty low.

Continuing further east in Torndirrup NP, we were on the hunt for a lunch and swimming spot. Our first  choice was Salmon Holes, but the beach was too rough and windy. Next was Misery Beach, interesting name and an ok looking beach but still not sheltered enough. Frenchman's Beach was our final pick and it turned out to be the best choice. Tucked behind a small headland, this sheltered beach was an excellent lunch and swim spot just what we needed!

Feeling refreshed, we left for Denmark our next camping spot. The Big 4 at Ocean Beach a few km out of Denmark was much busier than anywhere we had stayed. I suppose you could attribute that to the Perth school holidays beginning. Katy was once again disappointed to not have a pool to swim in. While the load of washing was on and the girls were happy to chill, Andy and I walked to the river mouth lookout.