Visitor Information -- The Albany Visitor Centre (tel. 08/9841 9290; www.albanytourist.com.au) is in the old railway station, Proudlove Parade, Albany WA 6330, on the foreshore (open daily 9am-5pm except Dec 25).

Getting Around -- Avis (tel. 08/9842 2833) and Budget (tel. 08/9841 7799) have offices in Albany. You may want to drive on gravel roads in the forest areas to the west, so check for driving restrictions before hiring.

Getting There

Skywest Airlines (tel. 1300/660 088 in Australia; www.skywest.com.au) has approximately 1 1/4-hour flights up to three times daily from Perth. Airfares start at approximately A$140 one-way. The airport is 11km (7 miles) north of town.

Transwa (tel. 1300/662 205 in Australia) operates a daily coach service between Perth and Albany. The journey takes about 6 hours and costs A$56 adults and A$28 children 5-15.

Several tour companies, including Australian Pinnacle Tours (tel. 1300/551 687 in Australia, or 08/9417 5555; www.pinnacletours.com.au) and Western Xposure (tel. 1800/621 200 in Australia; www.westernxposure.com.au), offer package trips to Albany and the surrounding regions.

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