Driving back to Albany at dusk, I had to slam on the brakes twice in order avoid hitting a baby wallaby and its mother, and then a huge kangaroo who, hopped in a direction that totally surprised us and made me glad to have stopped.

Old growth forests here include 300-foot karri trees that grow straight as telephone poles and tower over the landscape. Near Pemberton, the Gloucester Tree offers a 200-foot circular climb around its broad trunk to what is declared as the world’s highest treetop fire lookout. It currently serves strictly as a tourist attraction.

Claimed to be the world’s highest treetop fire lookout is the Gloucester Tree offering a 200-foot circular climb. (Photo by Mark Craemer)

Just outside the shire of Denmark in the Valley of the Giants, we strolled along the Tree Top Walk, a steel walkway that rises up to 120 feet into a canopy of large red tingle trees. Jarrah trees provide such strong and durable timber that they were once used for everything from railroad ties to woodblocks that paved the streets of London and Berlin before there was asphalt. Albany includes the Sandalwood Factory where these rare oil-filled trees now provide a prosperous industry producing soaps, lotions, lipsticks, balms and perfumes sold around the world. And in the same way that every part of a whale carcass was once put to good use, rich oil is harvested from the roots through the branches of these sandalwood trees.

Another aspect defining the Great Southern is its progressive efforts toward sustainable energy. The Wind Farm, owned and operated by Western Power, is the newest and biggest in Australia with 12 massive turbines rising 200 feet above the Bibbulmun Track along the coastline. These steel towers are topped by three blades—each the length of a 747’s wing—with the turbines providing clean, green electricity for 75% of Albany’s needs. I also discovered that most homes here contain solar panels on the roofs that are used for heating hot water tanks. Diane and Tony live just outside of Albany and, because city water or wells are not viable, they capture all their water from the rain by means of a sheet metal roof, which drains into two giant cisterns. Water is then filtered and pumped into the house as needed. And while Albany averages only about 34 inches of rain annually, this is usually sufficient for their family of six.

When it was time to leave my sister and family after 12 glorious days in this paradise down under, my wife and I knew it would be a long time before we visited them again. This is not the kind of trip you simply tack on to your Sydney visit. But if you’re looking for a rewarding vacation away from the typical Australian tour, you’ll find the Great Southern an unforgettable destination for the entire family.

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