Albany

Western Australia's oldest port town, with a granite coastline, a former whaling station and the National Anzac Centre, plus the Stirling Range and Denmark's Greens Pool nearby.

Albany lies on the south coast of Western Australia, about 420 km from Perth. Founded in 1826, it was the first European settlement in WA and faces King George Sound, a natural deepwater harbour. The town spreads along the waterfront: the historic Stirling Terrace precinct has the Old Gaol and a replica of the brig Amity, while the Anzac memorial precinct to the east tells the story of the first Anzac convoy departing from here in 1914. To the south, Torndirrup National Park brings together The Gap, Natural Bridge, the Blowholes, Misery Beach and the whaling station museum, the focus of a first day. About 50 km north is the Porongurup Granite Skywalk and about 80 km away is Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range; heading west via Denmark you reach Greens Pool, Elephant Rocks and the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk, making two classic day trips. The climate is mild: summer (Dec–Feb) is warmest and best for beaches; from June to October, in winter and spring, humpback and southern right whales migrate into the harbour for whale-watching season; and wildflowers bloom from September to November. It is windy year-round, and coastal weather changes quickly. It is about a 5-hour drive from Perth, or about a 1-hour regional flight. Sights are spread out, so hiring a car is strongly recommended; plan on 3–4 days. The Southern Ocean swell is powerful, so stay well back from the waterline when fishing or taking photos on the rocks.

Top sights

• The Gap & Natural Bridge – Granite sea cliffs in Torndirrup National Park, where a cantilevered viewing platform hangs over the surging Southern Ocean, with a natural…
• National Anzac Centre & Princess Royal Fortress – In 1914 the first ANZAC convoy sailed from Albany. This museum retraces the First World War through the stories of 32 individuals, and near…
• Albany's Historic Whaling Station – Australia's last whaling station, which closed in 1978, now preserved as a museum with a whale catcher, a flensing deck and whale skeletons…
• Greens Pool & Elephant Rocks – A natural seawater pool in William Bay National Park near Denmark, sheltered from the open Southern Ocean by a line of boulders, with a nea…
• Stirling Range National Park & Bluff Knoll – The range that holds Koikyennuruff (Bluff Knoll), the highest peak in southern Western Australia at 1,099 metres. The summit trail offers s…
• Granite Skywalk, Castle Rock (Porongurup) – A steel walkway suspended over the edge of Castle Rock's boulders, with views over the Karri forest and the distant Stirling Range.
• Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk – Walk a steel-bridge trail 40 metres up through the canopy of giant red tingle trees, with a forest-floor trail where you can step inside ho…
• Misery Beach – A small bay of white sand named Australia’s Best Beach in 2022, with clear water and the most swimmable beach in Torndirrup.
• Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve & Little Beach – A coastal nature reserve east of Albany, where small beaches of white sand and jade-green water rival the tropics and important habitats fo…
• Middleton Beach – The long beach closest to the city centre, with a shark-protected swimming area, boardwalks and cafés, and the favourite spot for locals to…
• Mount Clarence & Padre White Lookout – A small hill east of town with a Desert Mounted Corps memorial and lookout over King George Sound, the birthplace of the Dawn Service on AN…
• Albany Wind Farm – A wind farm on cliffs above the Southern Ocean, where giant turbines and the coastal walk make a dramatic scene, with boardwalks you can wa…
• The Blowholes, Torndirrup – Blowholes where waves forcing through granite cracks send up spray and thundering sounds, reached by a clifftop path with wide ocean views.
• Brig Amity Replica & Museum of the Great Southern – A full-scale replica of the brig Amity, which carried the first European settlers to Western Australia in 1826, beside a museum on Noongar…
• Emu Point – A sandspit at the mouth of Oyster Harbour, with shallow, calm water that suits family swimming and paddling, and cafés by the shore for sun…
• Albany Convict Gaol – A labour depot for transported convicts built in 1852 that later became a prison, with cells and exhibits that tell the story of colonial p…
• Dog Rock (Yakkan Toort) – A granite boulder by the roadside in town that looks remarkably like a dog’s head, complete with a painted collar, a playful local landmark.
• Salmon Holes – A brilliant blue bay ringed by huge granite boulders, with a lookout over white sand and the Southern Ocean’s rolling swell, one of the mos…

Where to eat

• Ocean and Paddock – An upgraded fish and chip shop at Middleton Beach, named Australia's best takeaway fish and chips in 2026, and ranked f…
• Liberté – A Parisian-style bar restaurant in the historic London Hotel. It serves French-Vietnamese fusion food designed for shar…
• Garrison Restaurant & Bar – A scenic restaurant on Mount Clarence beside the National Anzac Centre, overlooking King George Sound. It serves modern…
• Due South – A large pub-style restaurant on the Princess Royal Harbour waterfront, with counter ordering and no bookings needed. Sp…

Itineraries

• South West Loop: Albany, Esperance & Wave Rock – Depart from Perth, loop along the south coast to the white sands of Esperance, and return via inland Wave Rock.