3rd November 2022
Albany
After the continental breakfast at the Hilton ($25 each - not bad value), we had a stroll around the marina outside the hotel and along the jetty. To extend the walk we went as far as the silos in the port.
The main event of the day was a visit to the National Anzac Centre (entry $25 each - the same as breakfast!) The museum and exhibits here concentrate on the 1st and 2nd convoys that took recruits from Australia and New Zealand to fight in the First World War. The ships travelled in convoy to avoid being attacked by German destroyers. I think I recall that there were 41 ships in the first convoy and that between the two convoys something like 41,000 volunteers, recruited in just a couple of months set sail, together with a couple of thousand horses. The first convoy left Albany on 1st November 1914. The most poignant fact was that for many this would be the last time they would see Australia. One couldn't help reflect on the war in Ukraine...
After the museum we walked round the grounds of the Princess Royal Fortress and surrounding area.
Later in the day we drive to Emu Point and walk along Middleton Beach, and back. A few people are walking along the beach, but not many.
Another restaurant we had previously noticed that looked appealing was Majuba on York Street, the main street in Albany. I tried booking online, but the restaurant didn't have this facility, only a Facebook page using which I failed to get anywhere. We therefore made a point of being on York Street shortly after 5:00 so we could drop in to book a table - it worked and we had a reservation for 7:30. When we arrived we were glad we had managed to book as virtually all the tables were occupied. A delicious meal and a restaurant I can recommend. When we visited it was only open for dinner and had a 'We're Hiring' sign in the window; another visible sign of the labour shortage.
Whilst strolling up and down York Street earlier in the day, Jo remembered she wanted a hole-punch and so we dropped into a newsagents. It was obviously run by a husband and wife, or more probably a wife and husband. Jo asked about a hole-punch and the man said he thought he knew where one was, but if he couldn't find it the boss would know. In fact he did find one, at which point we joshed about whether it was a metric one and whether it would punch holes for a UK folder. He assured us it would! I then asked when Australia had converted to metric for distances, and he shot back that it was 14th February 1966 for both distance, weight (Jo suppressed the urge to correct him to mass) and currency, adding that it was a great decision - he could never understand how anyone could use a system in which pound was a unit of weight and currency! I couldn't resist adding that the UK was 5 years and 1 day later on the currency front on 15th February 1971.
