The Eerie Beauty of Albury: Where river Meets the Art.

We’ve swapped the political buzz of Canberra for the quiet charm of Albury, arriving mid-afternoon ready for a new adventure.

Manor House Mayhem

First order of business: checking in to The Manor House. James was immediately suspicious; this place felt less "Aussie B&B" and more "Scottish Highlands."

We’re talking suits of armour, shields, intimidating old paintings and a four-poster bed. A proper castle stay in the middle of New South Wales? Certainly not what Two's Company expected!

Our initial hours were spent enjoying the relative peace of the town. We popped into the Botanical Gardens, which were a calm, green oasis, though admittedly quite small compared to the sprawling ones we’ve visited elsewhere.

Two’s Company even found time to pause for a moment of crucial contemplation, which, of course, involved an emergency ice cream stop.

Next Stop: The Majestic Murray

Our full day was devoted to strolling along the bank of the Murray River.

The water was absolutely stunning, the kind of glassy perfection James lives for.

The Sculpture Park, a great little spot right near the water. It was an excellent place to wander and appreciate the human touch alongside all the natural beauty.

The Horror Movie Lake

The real drama began when we encountered the lakes adjacent to the river. They were genuinely strange and somewhat eerie.

The water had clearly surged and then receded, leaving behind a skeletal landscape of dead tree stumps and spiky branches.

Birds had claimed the area for a safe haven. The air was calm, hot and absolutely full of flies all adding to the spooky environment along with very real warning signs.

It felt less like a restful water park and more like the set of an outback horror movie. James half-expected to see something drag itself out of the swampy water.

Helen was busy admiring the huge pelicans floating effortlessly on the surface, magnificent but somehow out of place.

What was supposed to be a nice, restful day of peaceful walking had quickly turned into a real slog when the sun finally came out properly, it was brutally warm.

The sun didn’t stop several Kookaburras from making a joyous appearance, the walk back suddenly becoming more enjoyable.

The day was capped off with a promise to find a calm, cool place for dinner where we wouldn't have to battle either humidity or medieval weaponry.

Albury done, onward to Melbourne!