Winterly Westerly Wanderings

[kookaburra75]

It's coming to that time of year again. As MrsK is finding the winters in Canberra increasingly difficult to bear, we try and escape for a week or two in July/August. Usually we head north in search of warmer climate, typically involving a beach and coughtails.

But for this year, we'd thought we'd try something different, and head west. I lived and worked in the for several year in the (DPR of) Western Australia in the 80's. although most of my time was spent up in the Pilbara and Kimberley, slogging away in the honest profession of surveying. MrsK, has only travelled there twice, with me in 2007 where we stayed at Scarborough in Perth, and then in 2014 when we spent a week in Broome. We had been talking about travelling there again, to check out Margaret River, even entertaining using the new Jetstar flight into Busselton - but that thought got discarded very quickly (no bus class).

So in November last year, faintly hoping things would be back to some sort of normality, I checked out flights, cashed in points and made some accommodation bookings. Fly into Perth on Sat, spend a couple of nights at the Melbourne Hotel (which has been done up a lot from the old days), five nights at an AirBnB in Margaret River, three nights yet to be decided, and the final night in Perth at the Doubletree on the river. Thankfully, in Perth they have Bayswater Hire Cars, so a small car is only $580 for ten days, including insurance.

Flights are all in business - of course. After taking MrsK to Singapore for a significant birthday several years ago, in her first experience in business class, nothing else will do. We have a mix of B717 (CBR-MEL), A330 (MEL-PER) and B737 (PER-CBR).

We head off this Sat, so we're starting to get organised. It will be hand luggage only - as we will have a washing machine at the AirBnB and can wash on the go. We also get to try out our new July Carry On suitcases - I have the Pro with the detachable sleeve, and MrsK the hot pink with monogram. A few new things to report on as we go along. AFter the past few weeks we've both had, it will be good to get back out on the road.

 

[kookaburra75]

Well, only four sleeps to go. We're gradually getting everything out of storage and laid out in the spare room, so we can start to pile things up. We have a Campbells Winery dinner on Friday night, before our flight which departs on Sat morning at 7.50am (leave home at 6.30am), but that's ok. it will get us in the right mood.

One of the big tasks, is charging everything up. Camera, headphones, the batteries in the July cases, so we can keep other things charged up while on the road, etc.


We also thought more about our plans for the trip. I had a quick look at accommodation for the middle few nights, and saw that a lot of places were booked out, particularly as we were looking across the weekend. After some consultation with MrsK on options, how far to drive on each day (2 hours max), wineries, things see etc, we've pencilled in a bit more firmly:
Two nights in Perth
Perth to Margaret River (catching up with people we know who will be in Bunbury that day for lunch)
Margaret River for five nights
Margaret River to Pemberton
Pemberton to Denmark
Denmark to Bridgetown
Bridgetown to Bunbury
Bunbury to Perth
Final night in Perth

 

[drron]

But,But,but. Winter westerleys come from the west . So in august when they hit the Hunter Valley when we lived there we headed east. Fiji usually.

 

[kookaburra75]

One sleep to go, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring......
While getting the house ready, MrsK let the new Robovac loose, although is still getting use to it. I think she's is still stress testing it, by setting up an obstacle course in the family room


Otherwise, it's the usual wandering around the house, piling stuff around our suitcases, checking off things. More to report on tomorrow.

 

[kookaburra75]

Well the day arrived, and we headed out to Canberra Airport to start our trek to WA. The taxi was there at 6.30am, and off we went to start the day in the QF J Lounge at Canberra. While the QP was closed, it was very quiet with a good range of breakfast options. I stuck to a bowl of fruit salad as I knew we would get something on the flight to Melbourne.


The flight down was very pleasant, and the CSM Brooke looked after all of us up the front in J. Breakfast was a spinach, feta and roast pumpkin omelette, on roast potatoes and mushrooms. Very tasty and just right for an early breakfast option.


The flight from Canberra to Melbourne, during winter is always picturesque, passing over the Snowies and the Victorian Alps. This year they have had a major dump of snow, and it was also a bump-free ride.


We pulled into Melbourne on time. I had been a bit worried, as our flight leaving Canberra had been bumped back a couple of times, which meant the transit time in Melbourne was only 30 minutes. Thankfully, our flight pulled into Gate 22, and the flight to Perth was leaving from Gate 23. All we had to do, was wheel ourselves and our bags (after a few glasses of 'holiday' bubbles for breakfast) about 10 metres and wait with about 300 other people for the flight - it was a full flight.

We boarded about 15 minutes late and settled in to 2E/2F for out flight to Perth. We were served drinks straight after take off, and then lunch. Options were Butter Chicken, Beef Lasagne, or Chicken and Quinoa Salad. We both went with the salad, and a glass or two of wine. The cabin team were great, attentive friendly service - what I remember as the best thing about Qantas. As the crew were all WA based, when they heard we were going to Margaret River, they put together a list of wineries, eateries and bars to check out. They also dropped off a bottle of Margaret River Cab Merlot to take with us as a 'reference'.


After an uneventful flight, we had an eventful landing, as there were strong winds, lots of rain, cold weather. It was not PERfect as some of the locals try and make out (@JohnM I'm looking at you)

 

[JohnM]

After an uneventful flight, we had an eventful landing, as there were strong winds, lots of rain, cold weather. It was not PERfect as some of the locals try and make out (@JohnM I'm looking at you)

But it was PERfect for our agricultural areas...

It is meant to rain in SW WA during winter, you know...

Enjoy 'down south'.

 

[kookaburra75]

We had started planning this break, back in November last year - while not sure whether we would be able to make it in. The flights were booked with points, and I made sure I could cancel or change any accommodation bookings without penalty. I'm glad we did start making our bookings back then, as once everything started opening up, the prices all went up very quickly.

To start with, I locked in the first couple of nights in Perth, five nights in Margaret River, and the final night in Perth. Looking around, for our first two nights, I picked The Melbourne Hotel, on corner of Milligan Street & Hay Street in the city. I knew the place from 30 years ago when it had a comedy club, and being an old building had a bit of character - something that was lacking in Perth back then. They have kept the old building and built a new hotel around it. We booked a Heritage Verandah Room, which as the name suggests was in the old part of the building, and had high ceilings and plenty of room. There were doors out onto the balcony, with some space to relax.


As it was the weekend when we booked in, the street was quiet, and there wasn't much street noise. However, the middle of Perth on the weekend has never been an 'exciting' place, which we found out when we went in search of a snack and a drink. The main bar at the hotel didn't open until 4pm.

Luckily as we wandered down Hay Street (very quiet and a lot of empty shops which is sad), we came across The Stables Bar that had everything we needed. There was a Christmas in July pub crawl group there, but it added to the colour of the place. I remembered this area of Perth from my surveying days in the 80's, as a jumble of old warehouse and shops, and it's good that most of those original buildings have survived.

MrsK with a refreshing 'fruit' drink.

After a short break to help get over the jet lag, we headed back to The Melbourne Hotel, and had an early dinner, which was all very good. Sunday morning thankfully started with clear blue skies, and we planned our day - where to have lunch. I booked for lunch at the Ocean Beach Hotel at Cottesloe, so we could sit and watch the sea (I doubted whether we would be walking along the beach).

After breakfast at a little place across the road, Tiisch (thoroughly recommended) we had a stroll down Hay Street, to head down to the river. There were still many of the old sights, including the Old London Court.


After a wander in the sunshine, we headed back up to the hotel, and prepare ourselves for lunch.

 

[kookaburra75]

We headed down to Cottesloe and went for short wander along the path above the beach to take in the airs, and ogle at the cars. Being a sunny day, there were a lot of people out in their heritage cars.

I wish - I'll need a big lottery win for that

After that good start to the day, we retired to the restaurant at the Ocean Beach Hotel. I was surprised it was so quiet, but then a lot has happened in the world over the past couple of years. The meals were excellent (sorry I'm not a "must take photos of my meals" sort of person).


We then retired into the main part of the pub for a couple more refreshing drinks, and people watching. After a suitable amount of time, we headed back to the hotel, to get ready for dinner. We had hoped to check out the Roof Top Bar - Aurora, but it was closed. Unfortunately, it seems to be a theme in a lot of hotels at the moment, where due to staff shortages they have to pare back parts of their operations. We went up to have a look at the set up, and it looked great - just not on that Sunday night.

The way they have done up the old building is very impressive, tying in the new and the old, and enhancing some of the old character pieces.



We freshened up, and headed off down Hay Street again in search of sustainment. The Stables was closed, but luckily there were a few places open in what I used to know as Shaftesbury Lane, now more trendily called Shafto Lane. It used to have a really dodgy tavern, that always seem to have a big crowd mid week at lunchtime, with the 'skimpy' barmaids. Thankfully, it is a lot more upmarket today.

We stopped in at the Angel Falls Grill for dinner, the first Venezuelan restaurant we've been to. Brilliant food, and thoroughly recommended. They are 100% gluten free, not that we need that, but the mix of dishes and the bases/wraps of Arepas or Cachapas made for something really tasty and different. After a good dinner, we retired next door to Durty Nelly's (Genuine Replica) Irish Pub, which as the name suggests, is what it is. There was live music, and a so-so singer who managed to butcher the songs so badly, it became a competition to work out what he song he was actually singing. But entertaining none the less.

It wasn't a late night. MrsK and I are still getting over the effects of Covid, so we tend to tire early-ish. We headed back to the hotel to start sorting things for the next day.

 

[Ade]

Lovely report, @kookaburra75 following keenly.

 

[kookaburra75]

Monday morning came around quickly. I headed over to pick up the hire car from what I always knew an Bayswater Hire Car, but is now just 'No Birds' - remember when they first started advertising it that way, I've had to explain it to a few people - particularly the young-uns. When I was looking at cars back in November, the rates for the main companies were $100+ per day, with a limit of 100km per day. I turned quickly to the local 'No Birds", and we secured a Corolla Hybrid, with unlimited kms, excess reduction and additional driver for nine days, at $65/day.


We packed up the car and headed off south to Bunbury. We had arranged to catch up for lunch with friends, who had been staying down that way on the weekend. It was an uneventful, just wet and windy drive down along the freeway.

They had picked The Hollow for lunch, which had a good view of the beach (and rain).


It was a good old fashioned locals' pub, and the food was great - well above normal pub grub quality. After a couple of hours, taking it easy we then continued on our way to Margaret River. I had found a place through AirBnB (Old Dairy Cottage), which had all of the essentials of laundry, kitchen, fridge, lots of room, and a wood fire.

 

[kookaburra75]

We've now spent our first couple of nights in Margaret River, and have been kicking back and taking it easy. We've stocked up at the local IGA and cooked dinner at our place rather than go out. Most of the cafes and food places, including Settlers Tavern weren't doing meals due to staff shortages. Talking with people in and around town, and at the wineries, staff shortages is a major issue.

We started our visits to wineries yesterday, going to Brown Hill. It was listed in a brochure we found at the Visitors Centre, for Small Family Winery Trail. We try and look for the smaller operations, and have started working our way through the list. We checked out Brown Hill, and enjoyed all of their wines, and walked away with a 'few' for the fridge. On the way back to Margaret River, we also stopped in at Stella Bella Wines. They were good - but then taste in wines is a very personal thing. We grabbed a couple of bottles of their Pinot Grigio.

Last night we got the fire going, more for the effect than to keep warm, and settled in with a dinner of steak and roast veg, washed down with a glass or two of the wines we had bought.

Today we decided to head down south, and check out Augusta and the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, and maybe spot a whale or two. Augusta is only 30 minute drive from Margaret River, and we got there in time for lunch. We found a great restaurant, The Colour Patch and enjoyed a superb lunch in an excellent location.

My lunch of roast squid


View of Augusta from out the front of The Colour Patch

We then headed up to the Lighthouse, which is currently being renovated. The seas were quiet (according to the locals), but crashing onto the shore.

Looking east back to Augusta


Looking north up the coast, with the waves rolling in

We walked around the Lighthouse site, watching the waves roll in and crash on the rocks to the south of the point. They have a lot of information on the original lighthouse keepers and their families - and a few art installations



Cow Pirate

 

[kookaburra75]

After taking in the sights, it was time to find more wineries. From Augusta we travelled up the Caves Road, which runs parallel to the main highway. We drove up via Hamelin Bay, and then dropped in to Redgate Wines. A really good find, with an excellent sparkling and range of whites and reds. Again, we picked up a 'few' for the fridge. I'll also be ordering more wines once we get home. Both Brown Hill and Redgate offer free shipping.

View from Redgate Wines Cellar Door

We then checked the map for the next winery, as we headed back to Margaret River. There were some of the big wineries, such as Xanadu, Voyager Estate and Leeuwin Estate. Usually we steer clear of the larger operations, but they were close by. We went for Leeuwin Estate, as we'd heard a lot about them and the winery, and weren't disappointed. They have a really good cellar door operation, and as it was very quiet, we had time to chat with the staff and try different wines. Again, we picked up a couple of bottles of bubbles. At worst, I can get four bottles into my backpack, in case we don't get through the all before we head home next Thursday.

Out the front of the Leeuwin Estate Cellar Door

So, now back home to get the fire started, cook dinner and enjoy some of our spoils from the winery visits.

 

[kookaburra75]

We enjoy staying at self-contained places where we can cook our own food, have a laundry to keep up to date with washing, and generally kick back without having to worry about getting up and dressed, just to go down and have breakfast.

Kicking back with the log fire and Beauty & the Geek

After another good night's sleep, we decided on the plan for the day, which was simply drive north from Margaret River to Dunsborough and find wineries along the way. Our plan worked.

First stop was Windows Estate. Probably the best structured and flavoured wines I have had since I don't know when - a big rap I know. Definitely the pick of the wineries so far. A lovely setting too, which made the first stop of the day a good way to start off.

Looking down towards the picnic area at Windows Estate

After a pre-lunch tasting, we kept heading up the coast and pulled into Yallingup. The seas were rolling in, but not good enough for surfers. It's usually a good spot to watch the action, but not today.

Yallingup Beach

We then headed up to Cape Naturaliste, to check out the other "corner" in the region. We tried to spot any whales from the point, without any luck. We had planned to have lunch at the cafe at the lighthouse, but it was shut the day we were there. MrsK was getting a bit hangry, and thankfully the Pullman Resort at Bunker Bay came to our (my) rescue. We had a great lunch sitting inside and taking in the view. I had the Pork Belly Bites, and MrsK the Lobster Rolls. We will be checking out staying there in the future.

View out across Bunker Bay (no whales to be seen)

Lunch - Pork Belly Bites with Chilli Caramel

After recharging with lunch, we headed south back towards Margaret River, in search of wineries.

 

[kookaburra75]

Before heading off from the Pullman, we picked out a couple of wineries to check out on the way home. We had some recommendations from the Qantas crew on the way over, and tried the closest, Cherubino. It's a large operation, with a good range of wines. Like many of the wineries, there is a $10/head tasting fee, which is payable whether you buy wine or not. It was good, but not fantastic - we were probably spoiled by Windows Estate earlier. A nice spot to drop in and try out.

Out the front of the Cherubino cellar door.

And in some ways, I think that is one of the problems for the region - up to the north of Margaret River there are simply too many wineries. On some stretches of the road, they are lined up next to each other. For people like us who are new to the region, it's hard to separate them - especially the ok, from the good to the excellent. On the flip side, for the locals, it means we have to come back and check them all out.

After Cherubino, we headed towards Cape Grace Wines, but unfortunately they had shut early. Consulting the map, based on suggestions we had been given by some of the other wineries, we headed off to Juniper. It was a good find. Bernadette, who normally works in the back office as the Membership & Wholesale Manager was out the front on the cellar door - in fact we were the only people there. Another excellent set of wines, particularly their Malbec and Semillon. They have a number of well aged/museum release wines that are worth checking out. Again, we walked out with a 'few' more to add to our haul.

Looking down to the creek which runs around the edge of the winery at Juniper

After a quiet hour or so at Juniper, we headed back into town, as we had booked to have dinner at Swings & Roundabouts, one of the few places open on Thursday night. It's a ten minute walk from where we're staying to the middle of Margaret River, so that made it easy. They also have a large winery operation, and you can buy their wines by the glass, with a few even on tap. They specialise in wood fired/roasted dishes, including the usual pizzas. We went for Wood Roasted Cauliflower hummus, and Seafood Tangine.

Seafood Tangine - we tucked into the Cauliflower hummus before I could take a photo (I'm still getting used to this 'must photo food' idea)

After a lovely dinner, and a couple more glasses of bubbles for MrsK and a Session IPA for me, we wandered back through the streets of Margaret River, and settled in for quiet night - and of course, watching the final episode of Neighbours (don't judge us, we're on holidays).

 

[kookaburra75]

It's been a couple of days since out last posts. MrsK got hit by a stomach bug, plus on Friday it was bucketing down rain and strong wind gusts, so it was a good day to stay rugged up inside, in front of the fire. But at least MrsK got to try out her new slippers.

Our original plan was to stay in Pemberton on Saturday night. A friend Mike, who has a rural property near Mount Barker got in contact to let us know that due to a change in plan he would be home on Saturday, so we drove across to his place, for a good catch up, sitting near the fire and sampling more than a few wines from the region - he lives next door to a winery Poachers Ridge (sadly closed at the moment as the owner/winemaker isn't well).

On the way, we dropped into Nanup for coffee, and it was starting to get cold - even for us from Canberra.



Main street of Nanup

We continued easterly, and pulled into Manjimup for lunch. The locals in Margaret River had all told us that Manjimup was a cold and wet 'hole', and they were right. Even for us Canberrans/Ken Behrens, it was icey. Thankfully we discovered a good place for lunch Tall Timbers. We had a nice lunch of healthy salads, mine was apple, avocado and Persian feta. MrsK had a grilled haloumi salad. They had their own brewery, and MrsK enjoyed a glass of a Sav Blanc from a local winery, Pemberley, while I had a Session Lager.

Lunch


Manjimup main street

After lunch, we continued across to Mount Barker, going via Frankland River.

 

[kookaburra75]

After an hour's drive, we arrived at our friend, Mike's place. Mike bought his land nearly 20 years ago, looking for 5 acres with a view. He ended up with 100 acres and views in all directions.

Looking north, with the Stirling Ranges in the distance


Looking south, with the south coast just in view

We stayed for a good breakfast and a catch up. I declined the offer of going out to help move his cattle to a different paddock, it was just a bit too cold, and wet.

Mike gave us a few recommendations for wineries and lunch spots in and around Denmark, so we headed off into what was becoming increasingly wet weather.

 

[kookaburra75]

We headed down the hill towards Denmark, and our first stop was Singlefile Wines. Another great find. We spent well over an hour, relaxing in front of the fire and enjoying their wines, which were all exceptional. They also provided a cheese platter of local cheeses to compliment the wines. We bought a bottle of bubbles to keep our stocks up, and will be ordering more when we get home.

MrsK sampling the wines


Out the front of the cellar door at Singlefile.

After relaxing, we went in search of lunch. AJAR on Shadforth had been recommended, especially for the views from the restaurant. They had told us it was BYO, so we also grabbed a cold bottle of Riesling from Singlefile for lunch. The meals were all good, and the view was spectacular. You can see all the way down to the coast, although with the rain showers moving through, the view changed quickly.

View


No view

After a relaxing lunch we drove down to Ocean Beach, just around the coast from Denmark. The wind had dropped and the seas were rolling in.

Looking east, towards Albany

 

[JohnM]

- he lives next door to a winery Poachers Ridge (sadly closed at the moment as the owner/winemaker isn't well).

Hmmm - I know Alex and Jan. They do some good wines, but are somewhat off the trail for passers-by. I hope whichever one is unwell bounces back soon.

 

[kookaburra75]

Hmmm - I know Alex and Jan. They do some good wines, but are somewhat off the trail for passers-by. I hope whichever one is unwell bounces back soon.

I agree, the wines are very good, especially the Riesling and Malbec. I've sent you a message about the health aspect

 

[kookaburra75]

Today (Monday) dawned sunny, for a while at least. We stayed at The Gables apartments in Denmark, which worked well for us. It was a two bedroom apartment, with the full kitchen, lounge, lots of towels and a laundry. You could have easily fitted in two couples, or a family of four. It's located across the road from the IGA, so you can shop for local cheeses, dips and food. We had had a big lunch at Ajar, we just had bikkies and cheese, and glass or two of our spoils, while kicking back on the lounge. It doesn't have a view of the ocean, but then I'm not sure whether many of the accom venues do.

We started off the day with breakfast in the apartment, and headed off for a quick winery visit before getting underway to Bridgetown. We had been told Rockcliffe Winery was worth visiting, so off we went. First minor fail of the day, we arrived at 10.30, and they didn't open until 11am. So, back into Denmark for a morning coffee, at Mrs Jones Cafe - another recommendation. The coffee was excellent, a must for MrsK.

MrsK happy, with her morning coffee

After that interlude, it was time to head back to Rockliffe, which was only a five minute drive away. We were the only people there, so we sat, sipped and chatted with the staff. A great range of wines, with the sparkling, riesling, shiraz and cab sav being our picks. We grabbed a couple of bottles to keep us going until we leave to head home on Thursday.


View from the Rockcliffe cellar door

We then set off for our next overnight stay, at Bridgetown. going through Walpole and Manjimup. We didn't do the Tree Top Walk near Walpole, as it was bucketing down rain and blowing a gale - not the best conditions for walking up high. We did stop for lunch though, and found the Philippine Magic Cafe. To be honest, on first impressions we weren't sure about our choice, but looking around everything, including the kitchen was spotless and the food great. They covered the usual burgers and sandwiches, but also asian style dishes - and a good range of local wines and beers. Well worth a visit.

After being refuelled, we headed onwards to Bridgetown, stopping in at Manjimup for a rest break, and a quick glass. As the rain got heavier, we continued on our way, and pulled into Bridgetown.