Day 110: Denmark to Fitzgerald River Rest Area
Today we packed up and said goodbye to our lovely campground by the Denmark River and continued eastward. Our first stop for the day was outside Albany at the Historic Whaling Station. This was the last whale processing station in Australia, which closed in 1978. It was interesting to learn about the history of the industry and how Albany has changed since the 1970s to have a more conservation focus.
We all really enjoyed exploring one of the old whaling ships. The kids struggled with how the whales were killed for their oil but enjoyed the sheds where we got to learn about the whales and learn to tie different knots.
On the way back towards Albany we stopped in at the Natural Bridge and The Gap in Torndirrup National Park. The lookout had one of the most impressive car parks that we have encountered. It appeared to be raised above the surrounding rock, with drop offs along the edges of the road to navigate with the caravan attached. Once parked we walked out to the Natural Bridge and The Gap to watch the waves crashing against the coast. It was fascinating to watch the power of the ocean and learn how it helped to create the bridge and gap.
From Torndirrup National Park we drove through Albany and continued towards Esperance. In the evening we camped on the side of the road at Fitzgerald River Rest Area, just outside the Fitzgerald River National Park. Recently we have been travelling though the more built-up areas of WA, so it had been a while since we have had the chance to free camp. When we arrived at sunset we were the only ones there, but before heading to bed we gained a few neighbours and lots and lots and lots of mossies!!
Just as the kids were getting into bed one of our neighbours came knocking on our door asking if we could help them as their camp stove was on fire and they were worried they might start a bush fire. Armed with a fire blanket and extinguisher and a water bottle John and I went to help. Meanwhile the kids are hanging out windows trying to see what was happening. It was our turn to be the "people who know what they are doing". While initially it looked like a flame from a leaky gas cylinder, it turned out to be a few gumnuts that had caught fire under the camp stove. A few swift kicks to get the stove out of the way (with Crocs™ providing foot protection - no thongs were on hand), a bit of water to dose the flames, and any potential emergencies were avoided. I gave the inexperienced travels some reassurances, and some quick tips on using the dodgy little gas stove, and we left them to reattempt making their dinner.
