Day 21

Friday 27th March 2015

Albany

We visit the National Anzac Centre and spend the best part of the day there. 40,000 Anzac troops left this harbour for World War 1, a third of them were never to return home.

The stories and the letters are heart wrenching. It is a moving tribute to our ancestors and the special bond between our two nations. The museum has been built to showcase the view of Albany’s harbour, King George Sound, where the convoys assembled prior to their departure. It is a strange feeling to read about a battle then turn to the window and see where it all began.

When the Turkish people granted our wish to name Anzac Cove at Gallipoli the people of Albany reciprocated and named their harbour entrance Attaturk Channel.

In the early evening we were lucky enough to watch the cruise ship MSC Orchestra sail into the harbour on her Gallipoli centenary cruise.

Accom: $36.90

Travelling Kms: 0

Note: Until I started digging the pics out for these posts I’d forgotten how frustrating it was at the time. The Nikon worked sometimes then sometimes not eventually being replaced in Perth. The iPhone 3 gasped its last in Port Hedland and thankfully the iPad outlasted them all.

It’s amusing too, to recall how excited we were to watch the arrival of a cruise ship. These days we’d probably hold our breath until it was out of sight!