Western Australia is massive. Most people land in Perth, head north to see the whale sharks at Ningaloo, or drive three hours south to drink Cabernet in Margaret River. They usually stop there. But if you keep driving—past the towering Karri forests and the rolling hills of the Great Southern—you hit the City of Albany Australia. It’s rugged. It’s windy. It’s got a history that’s honestly a bit heavy, but there’s something about the granite cliffs and the turquoise water that just gets under your skin.
Albany isn't trying to be trendy. It doesn't have the polished, "resort" feel of Busselton. Instead, you get a working port city tucked into Princess Royal Harbour, surrounded by some of the most violent and beautiful coastline in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Coastline That Actually Tries to Kill You (In a Beautiful Way)
Let’s talk about Torndirrup National Park. It’s basically the main reason people come here. You’ve probably seen photos of The Gap and the Natural Bridge. They recently spent millions on a cantilevered grated walkway that hangs right over the edge of the cliff. Standing there is intense. You’re 40 meters above the Southern Ocean, and the swell hitting those granite walls sounds like literal thunder.
It’s loud.
A lot of tourists underestimate the power of the water here. Local rangers and the WA Police are constantly reminding people to stay off the black rocks because "king waves" are a very real thing. People have been swept away. But if you stay on the paths, the view is insane. The Southern Ocean has this specific shade of deep, bruised blue that you don't really see in the Indian Ocean.
Just around the corner is Misery Beach. Despite the name, it was actually voted the best beach in Australia a couple of years ago. It’s small, secluded, and the sand is that squeaky, fine white powder that looks like flour. The contrast between the white sand and the massive granite headlands is what makes the City of Albany Australia so visually distinct from the rest of the coast.
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A Legacy of Harpoons and Humpbacks
Albany has a complicated relationship with whales. If you go to Whale World (officially Historic Whaling Station at Discovery Bay), you’re visiting the last shore-based whaling station to operate in Australia. It only closed in 1978. That’s not that long ago.
Walking through the old processing tanks is pretty sobering. It’s gritty. It’s metallic. You can still feel the scale of the industry that built this town. They didn't just catch whales; they lived off them. Today, the irony is that Albany is one of the best places in the world to watch whales. From June to October, Humpbacks and Southern Rights hang out in King George Sound. You can literally see them from the shore while you’re eating fish and chips.
The transition from hunting to conservation is a huge part of the local identity. You’ll find that people here are fiercely protective of the marine environment now.
The ANZAC Connection You Can't Ignore
Most Australians know about Gallipoli, but not everyone realizes that Albany was the last piece of Australian soil thousands of soldiers ever saw. In 1914, the first convoy of Australian and New Zealand troops gathered in King George Sound before heading to Egypt and eventually Turkey.
The National Anzac Centre, located on Mt Clarence, is genuinely world-class. It’s not just a bunch of dusty uniforms in glass cases. When you walk in, you’re given a card with the name of a real soldier or nurse. You follow their specific journey through the museum using interactive screens. It makes the history feel incredibly personal.
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Outside, the view from the Convoy Lookout is spectacular. You look out over the vast expanse of the sound and try to imagine dozens of massive ships anchored there. It’s a quiet, heavy kind of place.
Why the Food Scene Is Quietly Exploding
For a long time, Albany food was basically just pub grub and bakeries. That's changed. Because the Great Southern region is such a massive agricultural hub, the produce coming into the city is top-tier.
You have places like Liberté, located inside the old London Hotel. It’s this moody, Parisian-style bar that serves incredible French-Vietnamese fusion. It feels like something you’d find in a back alley in Melbourne, but it’s sitting right there on Stirling Terrace. Then there’s the Albany Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. It’s strictly local. If it’s not grown or made in the Great Southern, they won't let it in. You get the actual farmers selling direct—potatoes covered in dirt, honey that tastes like Karri blossom, and some of the best sourdough in the state.
Mount Barker is just up the road, which means the Riesling and Shiraz selection in local restaurants is basically unbeatable. The cool climate here gives the wine a crispness that you don't get in the hotter northern regions.
Practical Realities: It’s Not Always Sunny
Honesty time: Albany’s weather is temperamental. You can experience four seasons in twenty minutes. If you’re looking for 35°C heat and still water every day, you’re in the wrong place. It’s often windy, and the "Albany Doctor" (the sea breeze) can be biting.
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But that’s sort of the point.
The mist hanging over the Stirling Ranges or the swell hitting Middleton Beach—it all adds to that end-of-the-world vibe. It feels remote because it is. It's a five-hour drive from Perth. There are flights, sure, but the drive through the Wheatbelt and the forests is part of the experience.
What to Actually Do When You Get There
If you’re planning a trip to the City of Albany Australia, don't just tick off the big sights and leave. You need at least three or four days to get the rhythm of the place.
- Hike the Bibbulmun Track: You don’t have to do the whole 1,000km. The section near Albany follows the coastline and offers views that are way better than the ones you get from the car parks.
- Check the Wind: If the wind is coming from the west, head to Little Beach in Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve. It’s often sheltered when the rest of the coast is getting hammered.
- Visit the Wind Farm: It sounds boring, but the Albany Wind Farm is actually one of the most beautiful walks in the area. The turbines are massive, and the path follows the cliff edge.
- Go Underground: Explore the bunkers at Princess Royal Fortress. It was built in the late 1700s because the British were worried about a French invasion.
Final Thoughts on the Great Southern
Albany is a place of layers. It’s the site of the first European settlement in Western Australia, predating Perth. It’s a place of immense indigenous significance to the Menang Noongar people, who have been here for over 20,000 years. It’s a place of industrial grit and high-end cool-climate wines.
Don't expect a curated theme park. Expect a real town with big weather, deep history, and some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- Book in advance for the National Anzac Centre. It gets busy, especially around school holidays and April.
- Pack layers. Even in mid-summer, the temperature can drop significantly once the sun goes down or the sea breeze kicks in.
- Rent a sturdy car. While the main roads are paved, many of the best "secret" spots and trailheads involve gravel roads.
- Check the whale migration calendar. If your primary goal is seeing whales, aim for August or September for the highest concentration of sightings in the bays.
- Explore the hinterland. Don't just stay on the coast; the drive out to the Porongurup Range (about 40 minutes north) offers the "Castle Rock Skywalk," which is a legitimate adrenaline rush.