Albany
Albany has many local attractions including the stirling range. About 4.5 hours drive SE from Perth Albany makes for a great long weekend holiday destination. There is a heap of outdoor activities including hiking, mountain biking, fishing, whale watching, and much more.
Hiking and Bush Walking
If you are into hiking or bushwalking then you have come to the right spot, there are some spectacular walks in Albany. You may like to climb Bluff Knoll, the highest peak in southern WA which is nestled in the Stirling range (about 1hr drive from Albany). There is also a number of walks in the Porongorups, a mountain range a little closer (about 40min drive from Albany). There are a whole bunch of touristy things to see along the way including some local wineries and galleries.
The Albany Windfarm
Albany is proud to be home to what was at one stage the largest wind farm in the southern hemisphere. The 20MW windfarm captures some of the powerful wind energy along the south west coastline and converts it to electrical energy supplying over half of Albany's homes. It has become a popular tourist attraction and you can literally stand underneathe one of the turbines and listen to the blade tips whistle around at about 250km's per hour (full speed). You may also like to walk along the coastal ridge past the windfarm which is actually part of the famous Bibbulmun Track walk.
Fishing
Albany is renouned for being a great fishing spot. You can try your luck at off the jetty, or go out on a chartered boat. Marine life is very rich in Albany and there are lots of websites about the various marine related tourism options.
Whaling History and Whale Watching
Albany has a rich history being one of the old ports for whaling operations on the Southern Ocean. You can visit the whaling museum if you are interested in the history of whaling in Albany or you might like to try one of the whale watching trips in the hope that you can see one of these majestic creatures up close.
Often you will see whales not far from the shore along the south west peninsula of Western Australia. Here you can see a jet skiier who almost ran over a whale near Muttonbird in Albany. The whale poked its head out of the water to see what was going on.
