A few weeks ago, I went for a drive through Langford Park, in Jarrahdale. In between rain showers, I ventured out of the car for a few forays into the bush.
I found the colour and texture of the pine tree bark fascinating, so here's a few photos focussing on the pine bark.

Firstly, here's a photo showing the wide range of colours in the bark.

pine bark detail

Langford Park, Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 17-85mm IS @41mm, 1/15 sec, f/5.6, ISO320

Here's a couple of photos of some flowers, taken while in Albany a few weeks ago.

purple flower power

Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 70-200mm f/4L @200mm, 1/1600 sec, f/4, ISO200

A sign, rusted by the salt spray of the ocean, points the way at Albany's Whale World.

This Way

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @22mm, 1/160 sec, f/7.1, ISO100

This whale tow boat is one of the sights to see at Albany's Whale World.
The water in front of the flensing deck at the Cheynes Beach Whaling Station was too shallow for the whale chasers, so they would tie whale carcasses to a buoy a few hundred metres offshore. Tow boats such as the one shown below were then used to tow whale carcasses the last few hundred metres to shore.

an old whale tow boat

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 24-70mm f/2.8L @34mm, 1/1000 sec, f/6.3, ISO125

This is the final resting place of one of the whalechasers used at the Cheynes Beach Whaling Station in Albany in the 1970s. It's now one of the attractions at Whale World, where you can explore the various nooks and crannies of the boat.

Cheynes IV whalechaser

Whale World, Albany, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @10mm, 1/200 sec, f/6.3, ISO200

The Cheynes IV was originally built in 1948 in Norway, and used for whaling in South Africa for a number of years. In 1970, the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company bought it, renamed it the Cheynes IV, and used it for whaling off Albany until the closure of the station in 1978. It was towed to its current location at Whale World in 1981.

While driving down to Albany recently, the many fields of blooming Canola look like a yellow carpet stretching over the hills. It's a great sight - particularly if there's a clear blue sky, and the sun is shining on the Canola.

Canola fields blooming

Cranbrook, Western Australia
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @10mm, 1/60 sec, f/13, ISO100