Albany, Denmark, Walpole, & Hamelin Bay
“Hello?” I mumbled in an early morning stupor. “Hi Miss VanLent, this is Thrifty rental car company, we were calling to confirm you’re still picking up today as we’re closing at 10am for Boxing Day.”
With a quick look at my phone, I knew I only had an hour to get out of bed and walk 30 minutes to pick up our car. I messaged Nikki but knew there was no time for her to make it to Fremantle in time from Perth, so wouldn’t be able to be added as a second driver. Talk about a crazy way to start the day after Christmas!
Meeting Nikki back at the hostel with our car, a borrowed tent, and whatever clothes and food I had thrown into my backpack, we headed out for our 2.5 day long adventure.
Albany
We drove the inland route down to Albany, about a 4 hour drive. Our first stop was into the National Park to explore the Natural Bridge and the Gap, then down to the Blowholes and Salmon Bay. The colour of the water was stunning. Sign after sign told us to stay on the path and we easily saw why with the steep drop offs and surging water.
Our initial plan to grab food at the grocery store was easily set aside when we saw the high prices and opted to get hot fish and chips instead. The free camping guide took us to a beach site where we could hear the waves behind us and sleep on the sand. Unfortunately we chose to set our tent up on a slight hill, which caused some army crawling back to the top throughout the night. We ate dinner while watching lightning in the distance and finished just in time to get caught in the rain as we scrambled into the tent.
Denmark
An early morning wake-up gave us plenty of time to relax on the beach. Luckily the rain and lightning from the night before had cleared for a gorgeous blue sky with clear waters. We spent the morning at Elephant Rocks, enjoying our own private beach before the rest of the world woke up and joined us.
Walpole
The Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk. This walk is 40 metres above ground, weaving through the canopy of a tingle forest. The walkway was built to make as little impact on the natural environment as possible and even imitates the trees you’re surrounded by. As the advertising says “maximize views and minimise impact.”
Hamelin Bay
We may have made the mistake of not booking a campsite before the sun went down…but luckily we made it to a nearby State Park and found a free forested spot. At this point, all we had to eat were chips and dip, some coke to drink, and a bit of candy. Can’t say it was our healthiest adventure but we survived!
Early early alarms woke us to make the 20 minute drive south to Hamelin Bay where we climbed to the top of a sand dune to watch the sunrise. The real attraction came after as we walked along the beach and rounded the corner to the bay where the majestic manta rays swim. Almost immediately, we saw a huge ray gliding under water. Our hearts leapt and we began prancing in the water like giddy kids. Luckily, we pulled ourselves together fairly quickly and followed the ray along at a safe and respectful distance. A magical morning and wonderful end to the too quick road trip.
