A while ago I was travelling with a Chilean who introduced me to a Spanish saying that was used to describe a place very, very far away. “Gary,” he said, “that is where the wind turns. Well, I found not only one such turning place but also a relaxed and peaceful way of life. And this all in the south-western corner of Australia.

Moving south from Perth, down the coastal plain which lies between the Darling Range (of hills) and the sea, the terrain becomes progressively more hilly offering delightful vistas, hidden-away surprises and finally, the forested coast .Even while getting there, there are places that date back way beyond our more hurried now. Williams, about a third of the way towards Albany, hosts the Williams Heritage Trail epitomised by their historic Agricultural Hall. It’s not quite a one-horse town - but getting there!
On the coast, Albany was established in 1826 (2 years before Perth) and is a good starting point for exploration and enjoyment. I decided not to try to take in too much, better to relax and let the area’s charms lull and win me over. (It helps if you’re intrinsically lazy and generally apathetic but hey!) Albany can be considered the focus of the Great Southern Region and, in my opinion, well, it’s great. They claim their Princess Royal Harbour is one of the best harbours in the world although just outside the narrow entrance King George Sound, though more exposed, isn’t too shabby either. Middleton Beach, pristine, safe and popular looks eastward over the Sound towards the larger Michaelmas and smaller Breaksea Islands.
South from Albany, across the harbour, is a large peninsula mostly occupied by the Torndirrup National Park. (Australian place names ending in: -up, -ing and -in usually mean ‘place of -‘.) The north coast of this peninsula is sheltered by the harbour itself and is where you’ll find the Albany Yacht Club and the whaling museum. The south coast, exposed to the Southern Ocean, features some of the roughest seas on the planet. Waves here are generated by the winds of the Roaring Forties blowing unimpeded between Australia and the Antarctic. Plants show the strain of surviving more than other species yet, in season, still manage to put on a show.
Though the wind alone is responsible for the monster 35-metre blades of the twelve turbines on the Albany Wind Farm. Amongst the biggest in the world, and certainly the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere, they’re expected to supply 75% of Albany’s electricity needs each year.
Staying along the coast and moving west of Torndirrup National Park we rounded Torbay Bay and entered the West Cape Howe National Park. We found Torbay Head and, among others, Shelley Beach and Cosy Corner. Not crowded and yet not unduly remote the beaches offer sunning, bathing, fishing and, truth be told, when the wind is up - a sand-blasting.
To explore further west from here it’s best to go inland a little, into the wooded hills and across the hurrying streams and the more sedate rivers. But first stay within the Park and find Elephant Rocks in William Bay. This is where the forests come very close to the sea and the coast is spectacular with granite rocks, quiet pools and, at times, migrating whales.
And now, head for the hills or, if you choose, go west. Both options lead to Denmark, a quiet, lazy little town mostly waiting for tourists to liven it up. It’s surrounded by forests and there’s an air of the logging industry and signs of it here and there. Much of the Denmark River is navigable to small boats and since it comes into the town centre, it offers an alternate means of exploring.
Staying in and with the forests a lazy time-insensitive traveller will enter a world before ours. Here there are plants and animals from the time of the super continent Gondwana. This was when Africa and Australia were joined, together with South America, Antarctica and India. This is the world of the Tingle - and it gives you one (a tingle that is …) - just to walk through it. In the Valley of the Giants, within the Walpole-Nornalup National Park, visitors can explore the Tingle tree forest canopy on an elevated walkway 50 metres above the ground. Personally, I’m more comfortable looking up rather than down but I did it. Honour preserved!
The larger trees are over 400 years old and most are fire-scarred. Eucalypts, like our own fynbos, are designed to burn. Due to climate change over millions of years, (we’re innocent in this case), the Red Tingle in particular is now restricted to just 6 000 hectares - worldwide.
One of the benefits of travel is learning new things, about new scenes and new places. There is however a further, and possibly more powerful benefit: to learn something new about ourselves. True, given South Western Australia’s beauty and variety, any trip there would be worthwhile. But it’s the country’s ambiance, its undeniable age and pedigree that not only humbles but vastly enriches us.