Margaret River is a
town that has been much written about, and advertised; with it's infamous
surfing beach and wineries, it was a destination that both Jackie and I had
been looking forward to visiting.
Having not visited
these parts of WA previously, we did not know what to expect, other than good wineries and that it would be lush and green, very similar to that of the
Hunter Valley in Sydney.
Well, lush it certainly was, and wet
as well. Driving through the wetlands on
the way south from Perth, it was apparent the area had received a good soaking
in the previous months, and with the skies dark and heavy, it looked like there
would be more to come.
We'd looked into
where we should stay during our time down south, and we agreed that Busselton
would be a nice central location that would allow us to visit the wineries, as
well as explore the southern areas of WA.
We'd researched a
few houses to stay in Busselton, one in particular catching our eye, as it was
backing onto a canal that flowed into the ocean. The advert said that dolphins visited the
canal and jetty at the back of the house on a daily basis. Unfortunately the place did not have
sufficient rooms and bedding for all, and was looking somewhat outdated anyway.
We provided Grandpa
a few options to choose from, and he chose a beauty. The house was 5 minutes walk from the famous
Busselton Jetty, on a quiet street, walking distance to the main shops.
The house itself is new, spacious, well equipped and luxurious (let's face it, anything would have been luxurious and spacious compared to the caravan).
The place was well stocked with 3 large screen Smart TVs, which the kids loved watching YouTube videos on, the WiFi was free, plenty of traditional board games and a Sony Playstation. It even had 2 kayaks for guests to use, the thought crossing my mind for a few seconds, until the cold wind hit my face and the idea of getting wet in the cold blustery Indian Ocean put pay to my thoughts.
The house itself is new, spacious, well equipped and luxurious (let's face it, anything would have been luxurious and spacious compared to the caravan).
The place was well stocked with 3 large screen Smart TVs, which the kids loved watching YouTube videos on, the WiFi was free, plenty of traditional board games and a Sony Playstation. It even had 2 kayaks for guests to use, the thought crossing my mind for a few seconds, until the cold wind hit my face and the idea of getting wet in the cold blustery Indian Ocean put pay to my thoughts.
After marvelling at
the house, and unpacking, we took a walk down to the jetty to take in the
surrounds. The sun was receding, the
bitter cold hitting hard as the wind picked up.
I was the only one foolish enough to walk out to the end of the jetty,
mainly to scope out the jetty for squidding, whilst the others scampered back
to the warm confines of our temporary home.
Next morning was
Father's Day, and hence I was up at
the crack of dawn trying my hand at the squid at Busselton jetty.
There were a couple
of other squid fisherman out already on the jetty, even
though the sun had just risen. After a
number of casts and change of locations, I venture down to a platform off the
jetty, casting downwind to the now firm breeze.
There was another squid fisherman already on the platform, and after
obtaining approval from him, I started squidding alongside him.
After half an hour
or so, there was not much fish activity nor success from either of us, and there
were dolphins cruising up and down the jetty, in search of a feed. This is never a good omen for fishing or
squidding, just another variable to reduce the odds against our favour. And so I start chatting with the guy next to
me, who from the way he squidded and the gear he had, gave the impression that he knew what he was doing.
The man was from
Perth, and had driven the 3 hours south to squid, leaving at 3am that
morning. I was glad I was not the only
crazy fisherman out there. He had been
squidding for years, and he showed me the array of jigs he held in his tackle
box. He also had modified his squid jigs
by pulling one prong back and connecting it to a bead on the main line,
allowing him to cast the jig further. We
shared stories, experiences and thoughts on squidding, as well as his favourite
squid recipe, which involved the use of a pressure cooker and whipping
cream. I'm one for fried, crisp squid,
but this guy was adamant that his recipe would result in the most divine squid
I've tasted. He had credibility about
him, so I will definitely try his recipe, I would just have to wait until I got
home to the pressure cooker, and catch some fresh squid.
In the time we were
chewing the fat, the guy had only caught the one squid. So I move to the other side of the platform, changing the colour of jigs a couple of times. After several casts, I eventually catch a Father's day squid. With the wind picking up further, and the squidding hard going, we both decide to call it a morning, with the guy generously donating his three squid to me.
I try my hand at the jetty one more time during our stay, this time with much more success, and the squid bigger than the first outing. The water was clearer, no wind, and plenty of fish activity. I fished on a different platform, and scored 5 squid in short time, a very enjoyable and satisfying session.
With the full sized kitchen at my disposal, I cooked some battered calamari and Mackeral for dinner, along with some oven baked potato wedges.
With my squidding craving out of the way, it was time to enjoy what Busselton and Margaret River had to offer.
The drive to Margaret River from the holiday house was only 45 minutes, nothing relative to the hours of driving we've become accustomed to. So we drove out to Margaret River to check out the town, and see what the fuss was all about. The town itself is not large, undeveloped, reminding me of a town like Jindabyne, but more lush and with mature forests around it. The main street is littered with boutique shops, and loads of surf shops, all having winter sales. There must have been over 6 surf shops we visited, all within a 150 metres of each other. I'd imagine the shops would be popular in Summer and during the surf competitions, but business was pretty slow when we were there. There was a Coles at Margaret River, but it was tucked away in an alley, perhaps hidden, to keep that unspoilt/un-developed look of the town.
We then drove out to Lake Cave, a cave 20 minutes out from Margaret River, apparently one of many cave systems out that way.
To be honest, caving is not my cup of tea, but this one was interesting and did not put me to sleep. The top of the cave had collapsed, opening up a crater like hole, and this is where we met our guide. After giving us a spiel about the area and caves in general, we are led down a ladder to the cave itself.
The cave is continuously filling with water, and the national park has installed walkways and lighting throughout the cave to enhance the experience for the general public.
Certainly the cave was spectacular, accentuated by the lighting, and somewhat interesting to see the formations of the stalagmites, stalactites, the table, columns (where stalagmites and stalactites join together).
The tour itself was approximately 1.5 hours, enough to keep all parties interested, especially the kids.
We then drove out to the mouth of the Margaret River, where the famous surfing tournaments are held. I was expecting to see a large river flowing into the sea, but instead there was more a stream flowing into the sea, I could imagine this would change during the wet season, where there would be a proper river flowing.
As what we have become accustomed to, the day was windy and cold, the kids struggling to stand on their feet. The main surf beach has monuments and artifacts dedicated to the people who've lost their lives surfing the beaches, as well as general surfing tips and jargon.
Despite the blustery conditions, and it being the middle of the day during the week, there were some diehard surfers surfing the break at the mouth of the river.
We returned to Margaret River region another time, where we had lunch, our most opulent lunch of the trip at Wise Vineyards. The vineyard is located in Dunsborough, half an hour west of Busselton. Like many vineyards, the adjoining restaurant oozed money and class, with whale and eagle sculptures decorating the surrounds.
The inside of the restaurant was bright, open, modern and had a general buzz about it. The food was delicious, the two fathers opting for the meat platter, and wine exquisite. A rather pleasant lunch was had by all, in an environment we'd not been accustomed to during the trip, so it was a nice change.
After the lovely Father's Day lunch, we decided to walk off our indulgence by going for a bush walk around the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste. We saw lots of wildlife, and certainly expelled some calories during the walk.
On our final trip to Margaret River, we had lunch at the aptly named Cheeky Monkey vineyard, which had been recommended to us by Grandpa's business partner. The vineyard had a brewery as well, catering for the wine and beer connoisseur, as well as an outdoor kids play area. The weather was horrific this particular day, with it being cold, windy and rainy; it was so windy that there were white caps in the dam outside the restaurant.
So there was no playing outside for the kids, so they decided to play with loom bands in front of the warm and cosy fireplace.
We decided to have pizzas at Cheeky Monkey, which was delicious, and the in-house beer was on the spot; I love a nice, crisp, cold beer straight from the tap.
We wrapped up our day by visiting the chocolate factory once again, and then visiting a little town south of Margaret River called Cowaramup. Like most less known small towns out here, each town must come up with a means to attract the tourist dollar, such as The Big X, or The World's Best X etc.. Well, someone in Cowaramup came up with the novel idea of planting life sized Friesian cows all over the town, to encourage passers by to stop at the town.
It certainly is a site to see a town covered in these cows, and it worked for us. If it wasn't for the freezing cold and rain, we may have stopped a little longer in the town, but a few snaps with/on some of the more accessible cows was sufficient, before we defrosted in the warmth of the car.
Before taking off fro Busselton, we did manage to visit the under water observatory at the end of the picturesque Busselton Jetty. We caught the train out there, again freezing our butts of whilst sitting in the open air train, amidst the cold wind blowing in our faces. We'd had been better to walk the jetty, at least that would have kept us warm.
The Busselton jetty as it stands has been rebuilt, and there is an ongoing drive to raise funds for it's maintenance. During the day, there is a charge to walk the jetty, and there is an underwater observatory at the end of the jetty, where guests pay a fee to walk down to the bottom of the water to observe all the marine life that make up the ecosystem around the jetty; all funds going towards the maintenance and upkeep of the jetty. The observatory itself is pretty good, with plenty of facts and videos about the jetty, marine life and conservation initiatives. Unfortunately for us, the visibility had dropped significantly because of the turbulent water, and so we could only see a couple of metres outside the plastic windows. The visibility was enough for us to see the Tailor and Salmon swimming in schools above our heads, as well as other smaller fish foraging off the growth on the pylons. An octopus seeking prey whilst planted on the window made for interesting viewing, keeping all entertained for a while.
Before we knew it, our time in the luxurious house in Busselton was up, and we were due to head further south to Albany and Esperance. This is the part of the trip that Jackie dreaded the most, as she knows the weather will be nasty, and by now the homesickness is starting to kick in. So southward we head, into the wet and wild south west of WA.
I try my hand at the jetty one more time during our stay, this time with much more success, and the squid bigger than the first outing. The water was clearer, no wind, and plenty of fish activity. I fished on a different platform, and scored 5 squid in short time, a very enjoyable and satisfying session.
With the full sized kitchen at my disposal, I cooked some battered calamari and Mackeral for dinner, along with some oven baked potato wedges.
With my squidding craving out of the way, it was time to enjoy what Busselton and Margaret River had to offer.
The drive to Margaret River from the holiday house was only 45 minutes, nothing relative to the hours of driving we've become accustomed to. So we drove out to Margaret River to check out the town, and see what the fuss was all about. The town itself is not large, undeveloped, reminding me of a town like Jindabyne, but more lush and with mature forests around it. The main street is littered with boutique shops, and loads of surf shops, all having winter sales. There must have been over 6 surf shops we visited, all within a 150 metres of each other. I'd imagine the shops would be popular in Summer and during the surf competitions, but business was pretty slow when we were there. There was a Coles at Margaret River, but it was tucked away in an alley, perhaps hidden, to keep that unspoilt/un-developed look of the town.
 |
| Old car on the main street of Margaret River |
To be honest, caving is not my cup of tea, but this one was interesting and did not put me to sleep. The top of the cave had collapsed, opening up a crater like hole, and this is where we met our guide. After giving us a spiel about the area and caves in general, we are led down a ladder to the cave itself.
The cave is continuously filling with water, and the national park has installed walkways and lighting throughout the cave to enhance the experience for the general public.
Certainly the cave was spectacular, accentuated by the lighting, and somewhat interesting to see the formations of the stalagmites, stalactites, the table, columns (where stalagmites and stalactites join together).
The tour itself was approximately 1.5 hours, enough to keep all parties interested, especially the kids.
We then drove out to the mouth of the Margaret River, where the famous surfing tournaments are held. I was expecting to see a large river flowing into the sea, but instead there was more a stream flowing into the sea, I could imagine this would change during the wet season, where there would be a proper river flowing.
As what we have become accustomed to, the day was windy and cold, the kids struggling to stand on their feet. The main surf beach has monuments and artifacts dedicated to the people who've lost their lives surfing the beaches, as well as general surfing tips and jargon.
Despite the blustery conditions, and it being the middle of the day during the week, there were some diehard surfers surfing the break at the mouth of the river.
We returned to Margaret River region another time, where we had lunch, our most opulent lunch of the trip at Wise Vineyards. The vineyard is located in Dunsborough, half an hour west of Busselton. Like many vineyards, the adjoining restaurant oozed money and class, with whale and eagle sculptures decorating the surrounds.
The inside of the restaurant was bright, open, modern and had a general buzz about it. The food was delicious, the two fathers opting for the meat platter, and wine exquisite. A rather pleasant lunch was had by all, in an environment we'd not been accustomed to during the trip, so it was a nice change.
After the lovely Father's Day lunch, we decided to walk off our indulgence by going for a bush walk around the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste. We saw lots of wildlife, and certainly expelled some calories during the walk.
On our final trip to Margaret River, we had lunch at the aptly named Cheeky Monkey vineyard, which had been recommended to us by Grandpa's business partner. The vineyard had a brewery as well, catering for the wine and beer connoisseur, as well as an outdoor kids play area. The weather was horrific this particular day, with it being cold, windy and rainy; it was so windy that there were white caps in the dam outside the restaurant.
We decided to have pizzas at Cheeky Monkey, which was delicious, and the in-house beer was on the spot; I love a nice, crisp, cold beer straight from the tap.
We wrapped up our day by visiting the chocolate factory once again, and then visiting a little town south of Margaret River called Cowaramup. Like most less known small towns out here, each town must come up with a means to attract the tourist dollar, such as The Big X, or The World's Best X etc.. Well, someone in Cowaramup came up with the novel idea of planting life sized Friesian cows all over the town, to encourage passers by to stop at the town.
It certainly is a site to see a town covered in these cows, and it worked for us. If it wasn't for the freezing cold and rain, we may have stopped a little longer in the town, but a few snaps with/on some of the more accessible cows was sufficient, before we defrosted in the warmth of the car.
Before taking off fro Busselton, we did manage to visit the under water observatory at the end of the picturesque Busselton Jetty. We caught the train out there, again freezing our butts of whilst sitting in the open air train, amidst the cold wind blowing in our faces. We'd had been better to walk the jetty, at least that would have kept us warm.
The Busselton jetty as it stands has been rebuilt, and there is an ongoing drive to raise funds for it's maintenance. During the day, there is a charge to walk the jetty, and there is an underwater observatory at the end of the jetty, where guests pay a fee to walk down to the bottom of the water to observe all the marine life that make up the ecosystem around the jetty; all funds going towards the maintenance and upkeep of the jetty. The observatory itself is pretty good, with plenty of facts and videos about the jetty, marine life and conservation initiatives. Unfortunately for us, the visibility had dropped significantly because of the turbulent water, and so we could only see a couple of metres outside the plastic windows. The visibility was enough for us to see the Tailor and Salmon swimming in schools above our heads, as well as other smaller fish foraging off the growth on the pylons. An octopus seeking prey whilst planted on the window made for interesting viewing, keeping all entertained for a while.
Before we knew it, our time in the luxurious house in Busselton was up, and we were due to head further south to Albany and Esperance. This is the part of the trip that Jackie dreaded the most, as she knows the weather will be nasty, and by now the homesickness is starting to kick in. So southward we head, into the wet and wild south west of WA.
