Pink rain at Pallinup

We've just returned from a short trip to Esperance. On the way we camped at Miller's Point at Pallinup.

In the evening we were treated to the amazing spectacle of diaphanous curtains of pink rain.

'Deep sand' at Lyons River

I realised I haven't written about Lyons River. It's a place I've loved ever since our first trip to the Kennedy Ranges some years ago. Where we got bogged and had to spend the night. Except we weren't really bogged ... no really ... 'We' just thought we were.

Mark at Lyons River

We had a delightful lunch there, under the spreading river gums, being entertained by families of yellow plumed honeyeaters. They played branch chasey, snuggling up in bunches then tearing away in twittering skeins to embroider another branch with their pale golden feathers. If that wasn't enough a party of striated pardalotes flew in feeding on the ground, then up to forage on lerp encrusted river gum leaves.

Looking up

 Back to getting bogged. As we drove out after that loverly lunch, through deep alluvial sand, the car just sank. Woops. Change gears, try again, dig it out a bit ... try again. Just sinks deeper. Hmmm.

Looking down

Me - are you sure you've got it in four wheel drive? 

Yes. of course.

Me - Are you sure the hubs are locked in?? 

YES OF COURSE. 

Just looking 

OK - more digging, more trying - not working. Stay the night. Enjoy the scenery, the birds, the pools of water, the sunset and sunrise.

Lyons River & the ford

Next morning, he decides to check the hubs - you guessed it, they were of course not locked in to four wheel drive. Fix that, and we drive straight out. 

Question - why didn't you check it yesterday.

Answer - because I KNEW they were locked in!!!

Looking upstream

We have camped there since, and even avoided being bogged. However it is a place for adventure and the unexpected. Last year there was a skinned dingo? hanging from a tree on the side of the road. Mark gallantly cut it down, as it was creeping me out every time I walked past it.

We made a quick trip to the Kennedy's as well, but it was the Lyons river that was the bigger attraction this time.

Road into the Kennedy Ranges

Robert Haddon's views of Albany

While researching early images of King George Sound and Albany I stumbled across the work of architect Robert Haddon. He worked in Western Australia in the late 1890's for the Department of Public Works and painted a number of water colours of Albany and environs during this time. Later, he incorporated them into a series of calendar books which are held in the State Library of Victoria.  The images give us a glimpse of Albany just over one hundred years ago and his hand written 'notes of the day' give a fascinating peek into the mind of Haddon. Here are just a few of them, along side similar views today.

The Dog Head Rock, Albany W.A. 1896.

' "To forget" is as important an act as "to remember", for we sometimes cannot forget what we would, and often remember what were better forgotten.'

At Albany, W.A. 1896.


'If you purpose to strike hit the nail on the head every time; do not fatigue yourself with abortive effort.'

This is taken from further back 

The Post Office, Albany W.A. 1897.


'Beautiful building is Architecture, and the man who designs and plans and directs the technical and practical trades in the construction of such buildings is an Architect.'










As an architect Haddon argued for simplicity, balance and originality of design. He believed that a uniquely Australian architecture could be produced by the use of local materials and by sensitively responding to the environment and natural light. His paintings capture the time of transition between sailing ships and steamers, well before the huge diesel or gas/diesel powered ships we see today. Cars hadn't yet made their indelible mark upon the landscape and our lives,and trains were an important means of transport. Many of his paintings show pristine white beaches which can still be seen today in places where the land has been preserved from development.                

Now the home of University of WA Albany Centre

Sunset at Albany W.A. 1896.


'There is one hour of the day, one moment almost, when the exhaltation of the spirit is rendered most possible; it is the hour before the sunset, the moment before the close of another day at its passing.
Nature so often, in the sky, gathers up the full forces of her dramatic art at such a time. Then is the soul expanded, the heart enlarged, the spirit strengthened.
Then are we no longer men but Gods.
The limitations of time & space are forgotten, and with the fading of glorious light, we feel some of the exhaltation of eternity.'

Albany Harbour today

Here is a link to Haddon's calendar books through Trove.