To the southernmost point of our journey

Once again, cruising almost alone on the road, we relaxedly drove 512 km from Esperance to Albany in 7 hours.

As a highlight on the way, we chose to traverse the Stirling Range NP, a mountain range that stands out from the monotony of the endless flatness of southwest Australia.

Since their mountains rise several hundred meters, we have our outdoor jackets ready in the car. You never know what to expect, as it was quite chilly yesterday. It is always cooler in the mountains. Today, however, we have consistently had temperatures of 30°C, even in the mountains. It's like a spell, on our travel days we have warmth and sun, but on the beach days we have cool and cloudy weather.

In Stirling Range NP, we take a detour to Bluff Knoll, where a large parking lot at half mountain height invites us to take photos. Bluff Knoll is the highest and only mountain in southwest Australia where some snowflakes can fall in winter.

In Albany, we check into a similarly appealing motel accommodation as in Esperance for two nights.

In Torndirrup National Park

Our breakfast is a bit meager today. The staff also has Sundays off. There are only small jars of butter, jam, and honey, and a few packs of muesli. But we had a very good dinner last night, so we're not very hungry.

Afterwards, we go on another scenic drive to Torndirrup NP on the peninsula of the same name. It is only about 15 km from the city of Albany. First, we visit "The Gap" and "Natural Bridge", two adjacent rock formations separated by a short footpath.

The Gap is a 40 m deep fissure in the granite cliffs. The waves roar powerfully and form towering sprays. From a viewing platform, one can look into the depths of the roaring water. It's quite dizzying.

Under the Natural Bridge, a mighty rock bridge that spans from one rock to another, the water also rushes vigorously.

A little further along Frenchman Bay Road, we come to the "Blowholes". From the parking lot, we walk down to the bay. Here, when there are big waves, the water is pushed up in fountain-like sprays through holes in the rocks.

We also make another detour to Stony Hill, the highest mountain in the park. We climb around on the rocks, from which we can enjoy a perfect panoramic view.

Other stops include Whaleworld, a museum complex that doesn't particularly interest us, and Salmon Beach.

Just as we get back in the car, it starts to rain. Lucky us! We drive into the city of Albany and find a cafe to sit in. As it should be on a Sunday, we enjoy a big, delicious piece of cake. We then wander around a bit until it starts raining again. In a small church, we find "refuge". Günther, our driver for today, doesn't leave us "out in the rain" and brings the car right up to the door. That's service!

After having Indian food yesterday, we have Chinese food for dinner today. The portions are so big that our lunch tomorrow is secured. Whatever is left, we have it packed to take away.

It has been another beautiful day.