Through our Interval International time share we had exchanged for a week at a resort in Busselton about 230 kms south of Perth. We really didn't know much about this town other than we'd heard it was a lovely holiday area. The resort had the uninspiring name of “The Busselton Apartments” so we weren't sure what we were going to find. Anyway, on Saturday October 20th we packed up and set off from the Coogie Beach Caravan Park where we'd been staying and headed down the coast highway, on this pleasantly warm morning.
Our drive took us through the picturesque countryside of this region of WA. Long gone were the red earth and barren landscape that had been the norm for so many weeks across the top of Australia and down through the northern parts of WA. Here the countryside was a lush green with many different varieties of trees dotting the landscape. We drove through rolling pasture lands full of sheep or cows, and dense forests of towering pine and deciduous trees. And we often encountered patches of colourful wildflowers growing along the side of the road or spreading like a brightly colored carpet in the nearby fields. In the days t come we were to see many beautiful displays of flowers which were in their full spring glory.
Our drive was uneventful and we arrived in Busselton in the early afternoon. Our first stop, as usual in a new town, was at the local Information kiosk. Pretty much every town in Australia has an Information Office where you can obtain a wealth of information about the local area as well as brochures, maps and local guides.. These places are really top notch and have really helped to enhance our knowledge and enjoyment of the various places we've visited.. Here we picked up some local brochures as well as directions to our resort which was about 6kms outside town.
The resort turned out to be very nice indeed. We had a large two bedroom apartment which was up to Interval's usual standards. It was certainly the most spacious and luxurious accommodation we'd had since leaving Cairns and were very comfortable during our week's stay. The resort was located just back from the beach which we discovered was a strip of dazzling white sand in a sheltered bay stretching to the horizon in both directions and bordering the incredibly turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. No matter how many times we see this incredible body of water we still marvel at the gorgeous water which is as lovely as any we've seen elsewhere in the world. We were here in low season and the beaches were pretty much deserted except for the occasional walkers or early season sun bathers. The sun was still very intense though the air temperature was only in the low 20's, so really very pleasant.
Busselton is a nice little town which, judging by the numerous resorts and caravan parks, must be hopping during the tourist season. As well as the lovely beach the area's main attractions include stunning coastal scenery, whale watching in season and WA's primary wine region of Margaret River stretching to the south. During our week there we took in as many sights as we could as well as doing a little relaxation in the warm sun. I should note that we returned to Busselton a couple of weeks later for 3 nights after we sold our van in Perth, so I will “roll in” our second visit into this description.
Sunday morning we took a drive to the west to Cape Naturaliste, a long point of land at the west end of Geographe Bay which shelters Busselton's beaches from the prevailing SW winds. To the west of this long peninsula, covered with hardy scrub bushes which seem to thrive in the constant wind and salt air, are some rugged rock formations where swirling seas and crashing waves produce the most incredible shades of blue, turquoise and white. At the end of the cape, several rough walking trails take you along the cliffs to lookouts where, with some luck, you will spot a whale or two in the waters off shore. Geographe Bay is a resting place for Humpback, Right and Blue whales during their migration to their summer feeding grounds in the Antarctic. On our two visits here we were fortunate enough to see several of these wonderful creatures breeching and splashing about. We also saw a pod of dolphins just off shore and a number of sea lions sunning on the rocks below the high cliffs. On our second visit when we returned to Busselton, we again saw sea lions doing something we'd never seen before. A dozen or so of these sleek sea creatures were actually floating on their backs with their flippers straight up in the air as if they were lying on an air mattress soaking up the sun...which is probably exactly what they were doing.
Monday we decided to take a drive south and to take in some of the famous wineries in the Margaret River Region. The relatively cool climate here compared to some of Australia's other wine regions, is conducive to the production of white wines such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, semillon and pinot noir. But the classic Shiraz and Caberet Sauvignon grapes are also grown producing reds of a lighter tone than are produced in the warmer regions such as the Barossa and Hunter Valleys. Our first stop was at Clairault, a boutique winery where we tasted some excellent vintages which had corresponding price tags. Our brochures on the wine region had emphasized that you don't have to feel compelled to buy, so after nice chat with the server, we were on our way sans wine. Our next stop was at another small winery called Were (rhymes we're) where we picked up a couple of whites which were cheaper than the previous place. Our next cellar door (as they call the tasting rooms at the wineries) was a place called Knee Deep, where we spent 2 very enjoyable hours.
I've talked before about the “isn't-it-a-small-world” coincidences that have repeatedly happened to us on this trip, at at this winery we had another. As we entered and were greeted by a pleasant women behind the counter, we noticed two young women (the only others in the place) sitting at the bar just next to us). I immediately thought I recognized them and it only took me a minute to remember from where. A month earlier we had been returning to our cabin at the caravan park where we were staying in Exmouth, when we notice two women vigorously scraping at the inside of the windows on their station wagon. We struck up a conversation (turns out they were trying to get rid of some supposed transparent anti-glare material which the previous owner had affixed but which actually obscured their vision rather than reducing glare). Anyway, we chatted for a while and moved on. Well, wouldn't you know it....here they were again. There are about 150 wineries in the Margaret River region and what an incredible coincidence it was that these two were in this region, at this particular winery at exactly the same time as us. Makes one wonder. Anyway, they remembered us too and we had a nice chat with them before the left to continue their tour, leaving us as the sole “tasters”.
We had a long talk with the server about the Knee Deep wines, tasting several of their excellent product. And as it was about 1:30 by this time, we decided to have bite of lunch here and ordered a “tasting platter”. We sat at a table in the warm sunshine surrounded by fields of grape vines stretching to the nearby woods. The platter was excellent being comprised of several slices of hardy wood-fired bread, several different dips - aioli, a garlic mayonnaise, dukkah a delicious mixture of seeds and crushed nuts, a tasty hummus and local olive oil, along with a section of raw vegetables and some wonderful olives. Feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes. After our wine tasting we were feeling a bit mellow and it was just wonderful to sit nibbling and soaking up the sun. It doesn't get much better than that!! We bought a couple of Chenin Blancs and we were on our way. We had one other stop that afternoon, though on our return visit we took in a couple more of these delightful wineries.
The Margaret River region is truly a beautiful area made all the more spectacular by the many wineries and picturesque vineyards. I'm sure a two-week holiday could be spent here just touring the wineries and enjoying the ambiance and friendly staff in these “cellar doors”. I know we considered our time in this area to be a very special part of our tour to Australia and we'd certainly like to return some day.
As the weather had warmed up somewhat in midweek, we decided to have a couple of days without touring so we spent all of one day and part of another sitting by the pool reading and playing the occasional game of Scrabble.. One afternoon we were just parking our van when another car pulled in beside us. A couple about our age got out, and obviously having noticed the Canada sticker on our van, asked us where we were from. We told them Calgary, and in yet another “small world” coincidences it turns out that they had once lived in Calgary. They had spent several years in Canada working initially in Winnipeg before moving west. Their daughter had been born in Calgary, and they apparently have other relatives there. We got to know them quite well and shared a meal with them one night. They were only at the resort of three nights but they promised to look us up the next time they travel to Calgary which they do every few years.
Late in the week we drove south to the very tip of SW Australia to a place called Augusta. This pleasant seaside town sits on the very southern coast of WA....next stop Antarctica! We took a drive along a small road bordering the ocean and at one point I caught some movement just off shore. After a “double take”, I said to Sue....”Those are dolphins”. I pulled over at a small deserted beach and sure enough there were two large dolphins in the shallows only a few feet off shore, swimming back and forth, occasionally putting on a burst of speed as they hunted small fish in the shallow water.. What a sight! We watched them for a few minutes before they eventually submerged and must have left for deeper water. One of the things that makes a trip to Australia so special is the frequent encounters with wildlife like this. Whether it is dolphins, birds, kangaroos, lizards or whatever, the country is full of fascinating wildlife which the tourist can often see up close.
On our way back we stopped in Margaret River as Sue was hoping to tour some of the shops and galleries offering the works of local artists. But there seemed to be a dearth of such places here in town.....seems they all set up in woodland locations on some small side road out of town. Shopping would have to wait to another day! (I was able to find a local internet hot spot to do our email, so all was not lost).
Another interesting excursion was to one of several caves which are located in this area. Although we've been in several caves this year, we always seem to be up for one more subterranean tour and this one called the Mammoth Cave was not disappointing as the large cavern had some of the most spectacular stalactite and stalagmite formations we've seen. But I think this will be our last cave for a while, as our interest in spelunking has sort of caved in.
(Well, that was as far as I got on our flight from Perth, so I'm picking up the story from here in Tasmania...writing the blog with one eye on the tele, watching the cricket test match between Sri Lanka and Australia....my observations on cricket will be in a future entry.)
Saturday we had to pack up and head off after our week of luxury in our resort. As mentioned we did return to Busselton a couple of weeks later and again found some excellent accommodation just by chance. We were seeking out a cabin in a caravan park and we came across a park called the Peppermint Eco Village Park, not far from where we'd stayed previously. The park was named for the many Peppermint trees planted there which are the favorite habitat of an endangered species of possum . This park is focused on being ecologically friendly and has planted the trees in hopes of helping the possums to survive. Anyway, we arrived here about 12:55 pm to find a note on the reception door saying to come to the camp kitchen for assistance. As it turns out, this was Melbourne Cup Day and the camp was holding a Melbourne Cup Luncheon, one of thousands being held throughout Australia at that exact time. The Melbourne Cup is Australia's biggest sporting event, sort of like the Super Bowl in North America.. The event itself is a horse race held in Melbourne, but for the whole day, and in fact most of the week, Australians partake in a national celebration of this the world's richest horse race ($5million purse). As well as the colorful race itself, the focus at the track is the get ups of the ladies, especially their hats which come in all shapes and imaginative designs. The dress code at the race seems to have been picked up from Royal Ascot in Britain, and the thing is that dressing up is not limited to the high society attendees at the race course. Across Australia people dress up for Melbourne Cup lunches where wine, beer, creative hats, food and “sweeps” betting on their favorites, are the order of the day. The races throughout the day are broadcast on Australia's TV networks, but it is at 3:00 Eastern Time when THE CUP takes place and all of Australia stops to watch. So, here in WA where it is two hours earlier, we stepped into the camp kitchen just as the horses were being pushed into the gate. The proprietor welcomed us in to join the group of 25 or so campers who were sitting at tables covered with wine glasses, bottles of wine and munchies. We helped ourselves to a couple of sausages just off the barbie, and took our SRO place for the running. It turned out to be an exciting race with the winner winning by a head to a chorus of shouts and groans from the assembled campers. The sweeps pot was quickly divided amongst the three winners and everyone filed out, leaving us to corner the camp proprietor to ask about a cabin for a few nights.
Our cabin here turned out to be the nicest we'd had in Oz. The manager told us that as well as the Melbourne Cup celebration they were also celebrating having just one the Best Caravan Park in WA the previous weekend. And it certainly was a great place. Our cabin was well laid-out, roomy, tastefully decorated and well equipped.
During our second visit we again drove out to Cape Naturaliste and took a walk along the cliffs in a different part of the cape to watch the whales, and also took in another winery which had a stunning garden and some pretty good wine! However, back to our first visit to the SW corner of WA.
When we left Busselton we headed southwest towards the little town of Pemberton. We got off on the wrong road but eventually found our way and had an excellent day as we drove through some unique and spectacular countryside blanketed with wonderful scenery. This area of the south west is famous for its forests which are protected in a number of national parks. We drove through Beedelup and Warren national parks marvelling at the towering Karri trees, some rising over two hundred feet from the forest floor. In the afternoon we followed a small undulating dirt track through the forest and at one point as we rounded a bend in the narrow path, we came across a scene that immediately seemed familiar to us. It took us only a few seconds to realize that we were looking at a view of a bend in the road and giant Karri trees that had been pictured on the cover of our road atlas that we had seen nearly every day for the last six months. Amazing!
Late in the afternoon we made an obligatory stop at a wine emporium where you can taste many different wines of the region. We tasted two or three and bought a couple of bottles. I haven't talked about the change in tasting protocols since we first visited Oz in 1978. When we toured the Barossa Valley in South Australia north of Adelaide, it seemed almost a free-for-all. Large measures of wine were poured for you or, at some wineries, bottles were laid out and you could help yourself. That has all changed, due no doubt to the heightened awareness of drinking and driving. Today, small 20 ml (or less than half an ounce) tastings are served and there are cautions posted about not drinking too much. Many people either take a tour where they can consume more (often a lot more!) or if in a small group in a van or car, have a designated driver, referred to here as “the skipper”. Australia's alcohol limit is .05% and they are very serious about it. Random breathalysers are common on Australia's roads. I have been stopped twice to “have a blow” (.00 both times!!) and we've seen a number of other “check stops”. So, you have to be pretty careful about wine tasting these days.
That evening we stopped at the picturesque little town of Pemberton. The town lies nestled in a valley surrounded by the tall Karri trees of the Gloucester National Park. Apparently there was some equestrian event on in the area and most accommodations were booked. We ended up in a motel which was decent enough except for the constant noise of kids squabbling or playing loudly from next door which restarted about 5:30 a.m. But we did have a great meal at the motel's restaurant which puts on a locally-famous buffet on Saturday nights.
The next morning we continued our journey south towards the coast and the city of Albany where we were to spend two nights at a lovely little caravan park situated on Middleton Beach stretching along a long bay. The day was overcast and dull with a definite chill in the air as we continued south. En route, we drove through more terrain covered with thick forests of Karri, Marri and many other species of trees, and in the early afternoon, pulled into a place called the Valley of the Giants. The “Giants” are towering Tingle trees, yet another type of eucalypt, growing here in a small forest, their massive trunks rising to nearly 200ft. Like many of Mother Nature's spectacular elements, this impressive stand of trees has been turned into a tourist attraction with the construction of a canopy walk. A five hundred metre long elevated walkway rises gently into the upper foliage giving visitors a unique and impressive “tree top” view of the great trees. We followed the metal walk, which Susan informed me was much more stable than the canopy walk she had taken seven months ago in the Amazon jungle, getting some great views of the trees and the surrounding green countryside.
The large bay where our campground was situated was supposed to be prime territory to see whales (one guide book said on most days from July to November it's almost impossible not to spot whales) and we were hoping to see more of these magnificent creatures. But we must have been the exception that proved the rule as despite staring out to sea on several occasions, we didn't spot any. Albany is renowned for its dramatic coastline and we weren't disappointed. At several places along the coast we had impressive views of coastal cliffs and bays where the powerful waves from the Southern Ocean came crashing ashore. The sea was coloured a deep blue which transformed into brilliant white spray as the breakers smashed against the rugged coast. Attractions such as the Natural Bridge, where waves thundered in under a rock platform forming a bridge between two rock outcroppings, and The Gap where a deep gorge has formed over the millenia by the surging sea eating away at a fault in the rock, make the coastline near Albany one of the most dramatic we've seen anywhere. We had also hoped to explore the apparently picturesque Porungorup National Park, but after a 40km drive north of Albany, we found that the park was closed due to fire hazard. A planned excursion to the nearby Stirling Range with its “mountains” rising up to nearly 1100 metres also didn't pan out because the local weather report reported snowfall on the ranges and we were in no mood for snow at this point! But all-in-all the Albany area was well worth the visit.
On Tuesday October 30th we set off back towards Perth as we had less than two weeks before we left for Perth and had to get on with selling our van. We returned to the Coogie Beach Caravan Park in Fremantle where we'd been previously and settled in to await offers. We had posted a For Sale sign in our van and had put ads on 2 or 3 local web sites. The weather had turned very warm again though the constant and sometimes gale force wind kept things cool, especially here on the coast where we were. But we were able to enjoy some relaxation in the sun and excursions around the area as we waited for the phone to ring.
On Friday we had to search out different accommodation as pretty much every room in the Perth area had been booked for a major weekend event being held in the city, an international air race which was happening along the Swan River and inner harbour. We had seen these Red Bull races being advertised several months ago in Cairns. I don't know much about the air race circuit but apparently they attract huge crowds as evidenced by the lack of rooms in Perth for the weekend. Anyway, we decided to head off to the pleasant rural town of Armadale in the Perth Hills to the east which we had visited a couple of weeks before. We found a motel room near the pub where we dined that evening, I having an excellent beef and Guinness pie while Sue had pumpkin soup and Oysters Kirkpatrick... very tasty food indeed.
On Saturday we returned to Fremantle , keeping our fingers crossed that we would sell the van at the private sellers mart we were attending that day.We had had a few enquiries on our van via cell phone text messages or emails, but nothing serious and I was starting to worry that we might not sell it. At the end of the day there had still been no interest in our van. So it was with some relief that we got a call Monday morning from a young French woman saying she had seen our ad and could she and her boyfriend come out to Fremantle from Perth to see it. We arranged to meet at the Fremantle train station early that afternoon, and after a test drive they said they would take it with one proviso. They had recently arrived in Oz to begin a one year visit and had already bought a van from a dealer that turned out to be a lemon with numerous problems. They were taking their van in for an independent assessment the next morning (as required by law I guess when backing out of a deal) prior to getting their money back from the dealer. Everything went well on that front, so next morning they showed up with an envelope full of fifty dollar bills and we concluded the sale. What a load off our minds! We got a fair price for the van so it turned out to be a reasonably priced way for us to travel around Aussie. We left the van and all the camping gear with the young French couple and set off to the local Avis dealer to rent a car.
After our few days in Busselton, we returned to Fremantle on Friday and then on Saturday to a motel near the airport. We were up early the next morning for our 9:00 a.m. flight to Hobart on Virgin Blue, Richard Branson's low cost Australian airline. Our route approximated the famous highway and railway across the ultra-barren Nularbor Plain 35,000 ft below, and in what seemed like no time, as I worked on this text, we were landing in Adelaide. We deplaned for half an hour as the aircraft was refueled and then reboarded to continue on to Tasmania to tour what many Australians believe to be the most beautiful part of the continent. And ninety minutes later we were setting down in the capital city of Hobart.
As mentioned in previous entries, though we have been to Australia twice before this tour, we had never been to Western Australia and had been looking forward to seeing Australia's largest state. We spent nearly two months there from our first days in Kununurra visiting the incomparable Bungle Bungles, through sweltering outback towns such as Fitzroy Crossing, to the beaches of the radiant Indian Ocean, the awe inspiring gorges of the Karijini and the delights of spring in southern Australia. It has been a wonderful time and WA has not disappointed. Like Australia in its entirety, WA is a land of huge contrasts from the deserted, dry and baking red earth outback, to the dazzling coastal beaches and sparkling ocean waters, to green and rolling pasture lands of the southwest filled with brilliant displays of spring flowers, to the chilly climes, dramatic coastal cliffs and pounding surf of the south coast, to the modern towers of Perth city, its harbour and idyllic surrounds. Western Australia is a place we will never forget and one to which we will hopefully return someday, with the realization, however, that there are plenty of other destinations still on our want-to-visit list!
Till next time and our write up on Tasmania.....
The following are some pictures from Busselton and area. Some more pictures of the SW follow in the next blog entry..number 20.
The beach in front of our resort in Busselton.
The famous Busselton Jetty which appears in all the tourist brochures
Some scenery on the beach outside our resort.
The sand almost looks like snow in these rocks.
Robb relaxing in the warm sunshine
Drinks on the beach at sunset
A typical vineyard in the Margaret River region.
Lunch at the Knee Deep Cellar Door
Our pool at the resort.
The pool was surrounded by lovely foliage include Birds of Paradise
Cape Naturaliste just a few kms from where we were staying
Gimp trying to negotiate the rough coastal paths of the Cape
Spectacular coastal scenery along Cape Naturaliste
Sea lions sunbathing off shore. This was taken through my binoculars so not great quality, but it gives you the idea.
More of the amazing coastline.
Calla Lillies growing wild.
A scene typical of the region
A slow moving Blue Tongued Lizzard which we spotted near the coast.
Robb doing email on the streets of Fremantle
A tree by the pond in the Peppermint Caravan Park.
More Pictures follow in the next entry.
No comments:
Post a Comment