Albany is an attractive town of 35,000 on the south coast of Western Australia (WA). European history dates back to the early 1800s: establishment of the settlement in 1826 predates Perth, though we know indigenous Menang people were in the area for thousands of years prior. As part of the long running English/French antipathy, the English settle Albany as a military outpost to keep the French out. In subsequent years, the fact it is a deep water port has added to its history.

Scott is excited to find the (Princess Royal) harbour is one of the best natural harbours in the world, in that it’s deep enough to take any ship, and is protected from big seas and high winds. It is part of the larger King George Sound (all so colonial) and full of beautiful beaches, bays and, yes, historical killing grounds: the last working whale processing factory only closed here in 1978.

The whale station is now a museum but looks as though it could start up again any minute – most of the equipment is still there, as is a lingering odour, a bit like an abattoir. One of the last whale chaser boat rests on shore and you can stand at the bow and yell “Thar she blows!” if you feel so inclined. There’s also the killing and flensing floors, and massive rendering silos to examine, along with lots of photos which, once seen can not be erased from your brain. It’s interesting. but very grim. A couple of days later on a boat trip, the skipper tells us he remembers going on school camps, when he was seven or eight, to the whaling station when it was still operational. What a fun day out for the kids, watching flesh stripped and blubber boiled down for oil.

The river trip takes us across Oyster Bay – more oyster tasting – and up the Kalgan River. Originally a French explorer, Baudin, charted and named the Rivière des Français in 1803, but of course Aboriginal people were there long before: there are fish traps dating back 7.500 years. Kalganup translates as place of many fishes. It is a beautiful trip on a calm. blue day, and we watch pelicans and osprey diving for fish.

Albany sits not just on the ocean but between what the Australians like to call mountains; Mount Clarence (177 metres) and Mount Melville (152 metres). Despite their Tom Cruise-like aspirations to height, they are both worth our time to visit. We yomp up the steps at the summit of Mt Clarence not only for the view, but to the dramatic Desert Mounted Corps Memorial.

Albany has a proud ANZAC history, as the harbour is where the Australian and New Zealand troopships gathered before sailing off to the First World War. Mt Clarence would have been their last sight as they sailed away, many never to return. This is also the site of the National ANZAC Centre and Albany Forts. The forts now operate as a museum and you can explore the barracks, armouries, underground magazines and gun emplacements. Sorry Mt Melville, but you’ve only got beautiful views.

It’s hard to know where to begin when talking about the landscape, national parks and coastline around the Albany region. We take trips out to Torndirrup National Park which stretches out from the south western part of town and curls around the harbour. It is home to some of the most stunning rock formations you’ll ever see. Granite formations such as the Gap, the Bridge and the Blowholes are self explanatory, but don’t prepare you for the power of the ocean smashing into them and carving them out.

We commit to a tramp/walk/hike out to Bald Head at the far end of Torndirrup which takes us along cliffs and wave smashed beaches, up and down gullies, great granite slabs and bushy promontories. The views are stupendous: we traverse a narrow isthmus where the Southern Ocean roils on the right and the harbour exudes calm on the left. You know you’re alive.

As we travel around Australia we look at places with a could we live here kind of eye. Not that we are thinking remotely about moving, but when you look at a town like Albany and evaluate the plusses, they start to stack up. And I didn’t even mention the fishing.