Australia – Page 31 – When the Cat's Away…

October 23, 2017July 14, 2023

Day 146: 23 October – Back to the bush

Author: Mr A

From: Denmark

To: Tozer’s Bush Camp, Bremer Bay

Distance: 233 km

After a very civilised few weeks working our way round the vineyards and cafés of the SW of WA, we headed off this morning into the wild and wooly hinterland further east along the coast. Firstly though we thought we would detour through Mt Barker, and of course a winery beckoned. Well Ok then, just one more tasting. Plantagnet Winery was just on our route…it would have been rude not to…so we spent a very happy hour tasting some of their range. I know, what a way to spend a Monday morning.

We had a few hours drive ahead of us and were overjoyed that Tassie had decided to crash rather than stomp around the car, as is sometimes her want. Catherine employed the “Thunder Shirt” technique that is used on dogs to calm them when there’s fireworks or thurnderstorms. Basically swaddle them in something warm. In this case Catherine’s waistcoat. Seemed to do the trick, she was flat out the whole trip – wonderful!

We then drove through the magnificent Sterling Range, stopping for a roadside lunch to admire their towering presence, rising almost sheer out of the flat country surrounding them.

It was finally time then to head bush, this time to a place called Tozer’s Bush Camp, which had shown up on WikiCamps as a relatively new place getting 5 star reviews. We headed off the tar and onto the dirt for the first time in over 6 weeks…it felt good. We met Tozer himself briefly, and his 9 month old kelpie.

Tassie woke up and viewed both from the safety of my driver’s seat. We were told to go and pick ourselves a spot, which we did, a fabulous array of wildflowers surrounding us. This looks like a top location. Only 3 other caravans are here, and 50 metres to our nearest neighbour. We are so loving travelling in the off season here. From December on it will be heaving.

Tas heads off for a walk in searchof lizards and mice

I know it’s a Monday, and in the “old days” that meant fasting and alcohol free, but what the heck, madam was cooking up a storm of a fish red curry, so I brought out the big guns with a bottle of the Rockcliffe Third Reef Chardy we had brought in Denmark. A Halliday rated 97 pointer. We can’t believe how we have both been converted after such a short sojourn in the Margaret River. Such floozies! So easily swayed from “Oh no we don’t really like Chardy”…stereotyping a whole genre of wine with one foul swoop. The delicacy of the oaking is quite remarkable. It’s there in the background, but not shouting at you.

The evening concluded under the stars with a glass or two of Plantagenet Shiraz, meeting the neighbours around the communal fireplace and exchanging tips and stories. One of the many joys of travelling.

October 22, 2017July 14, 2023

Day 145: 22 October – Birds, beaches and blossoms

Author: Mrs A

Distance cycled: 22 km

Distance walked: 3 km

Turning left out of our campground we followed a cycle path without truly knowing where it would take us, enjoying the adventure of spontaneity. The path followed the forest behind the water’s edge with occasional diversions down to white sand beaches and incredible views.

We continued on as the paved pathway made way for an off-road route, following the Bibbulmun Track for a couple of kilometres, and back out through a housing estate. We chatted with a couple of local cyclists out for a Sunday morning explore who gave us advice on directions to go. We chose to follow the river towards the ocean, finishing up at a lookout with a vista of the spectacular Ocean Beach.

A typical sleepy sandy and seaweedy beach

It was a warm and very humid day, with temperatures in the late 20s, constantly threatening storms which we would have welcomed, but never came. We returned via the other end of the rail trail, which brought us conveniently back to camp.

A lovely gravel trail to return us to camp

After a BBQ lunch, we spent the afternoon cleaning. Fridge, floors and shoe cupboard for me, mountain bikes and car for Mr A. After a shower and quick pick up of final supplies (we are off bush camping for a few days, and the IGA supermarket here is fabulous!) a walk to enjoy the stunning evening was in order.

The water was very still, offering mirror-like reflections.

The only ripples come from a pelican swimming up the creek

A drumstick – threatened species in these parts, with phytophthora dieback which feeds on the root system, rotting the plants

A pelican checking to see whether I had any fish to feed him

One of four kookaburras which stalked me on the walk

Tomorrow we farewell this beautiful water and woodland paradise, and head further east. We’ll be sad to leave serene Denmark. It’s not quite Western Australia’s answer to Byron Bay as some suggest, but a far sleepier, more peaceful version of it. Denmark – it has been wonderful.

October 20, 2017

Day 143: 20 October – Walpole to Denmark in an hour

Author: Mrs A

From: Walpole

To: Denmark

Distance driven: 73km Cycled: 28km

Well who knew you could travel to Denmark in less than an hour and still speak English? Denmark Western Australia was named by Europeans in 1829, not after the country as you would imagine, but after a naval surgeon, Alexander Denmark. The resident aborigines called the area Kwoorabup (place of the black wallaby).

We turned in an easterly direction from Walpole and drove through stunning scenery, Marri, Karri and Tingle forests lining the roads with blue skies overhead, the morning sunlight filtering through the trees. Beautiful. We booked into a campsite down by the Wilson Inlet, a shallow lagoon full of birdlife with forest and white sand beaches lining the shoreline. We were keen to enjoy the beautiful day and so after setting up jumped on our bikes for an explore. Denmark is very bike friendly with shared pathways throughout town.

We decided to embark on a ride along the Heritage Rail Trail which starts just 100 metres from the campground.

It was a beautiful ride, along relatively flat pathways, mostly alongside the inlet and beaches, and frequently reminding us more of English countryside rather than typical Australian landscapes – it was only the flora and fauna which reminded us where we still were.

It was a stunning afternoon’s ride taking us to a little under 30km return and working up a good appetite for the evening’s activity.

Just before heading off on our cycle, we had received a knock on the caravan’s door, as you do. It was the skipper of the the caravan site’s boat, popping over to let us know they were doing an evening cruise – $35 to head up the local creek and out into the inlet to see the sun set, including a fish and chip dinner delivered by the local pub! That was something we couldn’t say no to, so of course we booked on.

The cruise departed at 5.30pm sharp, and took us up the river, allowing us to see some incredible reflections while learning a bit about the region’s logging and farming heritage.

It was BYO so of course we took along a rather delicious chilled white to accompany us on the journey and to enjoy with our food. With a cloudless sky, sunset was lovely but not spectacular, and best enjoyed through the glow on the trees and scenery.

A lovely end to a fine day.

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017

Day 142: 19 October – Walpole is apparently the belly button of the world

Author: Mr A

Distance – cycled: 9km Walked: 3km

Sometimes you meet someone in life, who when you match yourself against them you realise how little you know about the world. Today we took a eco-tour (as its marketing describes it) which was actually a history lesson, a science show, a naturalist history talk, and a fabulously entertaining tour of the Walpole Wilderness by boat.

The tour was hosted by a larger than life, eight generation stockman, turned tour raconteur and self styled eco-warrior, Gary Muir. How the heck Gary has amassed such a vast ranging knowledge of the history, natural and human, of this area is amazing. There is no subject he couldn’t range on, with enthusiasm and humour.

Even describing (by drawing in the sand) how Walpole was at one point just below the equator and positioned as the belly button of the world. His respect and knowledge of the local aboriginal culture was also refreshing. When he asked what I had done in Sydney I mumbled “sell software”, and felt embarrassed against his impact on the world. His award winning boot cleaning station has been used to prevent die back spreading further around the coast, Australia and soon to be the world. He has unearthed letters from Tolstoy in a local boat shed (metres from where we are camping), educated thousands of people and sewn a spark of environmental care into their hearts. Gary…I am not worthy.

After this trip we took a drive up into the “Valley of the Giants”, and wandered amongst the giant tingle trees. I’m sure this has been said before, but these trees produce a tingle down the spine as you crane your neck up into their upper branches, up to 80 metres over you head. The red tingle tree is also up to 20 metres round, and if I carry on eating the amount of pies I have on this trip I wont be far behind. It is truly humbling to walk amongst these giants.

Back at the caravan park we decided to go four a late afternoon ride along the the Biblimum track. Primarily a walking route, stretching from just outside of Perth to Albany, some parts of it are available as cycle trails. This section near us was and we headed into the forest as the afternoon sun was shining through the canopy. What a great little ride.

There’s so much to do around Walpole, we are really reluctant to leave tomorrow.

October 18, 2017October 18, 2017

Day 141: 18 October – The sun re-emerges and reveals Walpole’s beauty

Author: Mrs A

Location: Walpole

Distance walked: 5km

The rain and wind continued this morning, keeping the temperatures down and people inside.

Mr A bravely decided to embark on a solo adventure to try out his new bike tyres while I got down to some volunteer work I had committed to. I’m helping two doctors in the USA and one in the UK with separate research projects – they have drafted questionnaires and I am helping to finalise them. Keeps me in a research mindset while travelling, and helps them with something positive for patients. Meanwhile I was also compiling a Q&A for another doctor who has agreed to answer questions for a support group I run. A busy morning on the laptop for me, grateful for a strong 4G signal!

The wind dropped and the sun came out mid afternoon and Mr A and I decided to do some exploring on foot. Our campsite is surrounded by national park in every direction – an extremely picturesque location on the banks of the Nornlup Inlet. The inlet is calm and tinged red with the tannins from the forest which reaches down to the water’s edge. We can hear the roar of the surf on the Southern Ocean in the distance.

We walked through bushland full of beautiful wildflowers through to a stunning beach. Pelicans joined us along the coast and a sea eagle soared through the sky.

This region is a true haven for wildlife, with birds galore around the campground, along with wallabies munching on the lawns. Tomorrow we’re booked on an Eco tour around the waterways where we hope to learn a lot more about the region. We are in love with its peacefulness and serenity, as well as its many opportunities for toy usage. To bike, hike or PacKraft, that is the question…!

(Below: Western New Holland Honeyeater on a fence post behind our caravan)

A relaxing evening with a chicken curry, Peaky Blinders on Netflix and a glass of Coonawarra Cab Sav followed this gentle activity, accompanied by a small furry friend. Life is good!

October 16, 2017October 17, 2017

Day 139: 16 October – 100km an hour winds and torrential showers

Author: Mrs A

Location: Margaret River

The wind and rain started in the early hours of this morning, prompting a slow start to the day. We headed out around 9.30am to do a few tasks in Margaret River, before sitting down for a pot of tea and some brunch. Mr A then dropped me off at the scarily named hairdressers – Ed Scissorhands, while he dropped his bike off at the shop for some new tyres to be fitted.

It is always a little daunting having a cut away from your usual trusted advisor, but my hairdresser was fabulous, listening to everything I asked for and delivering perfectly. Given the ever increasing wind gusts and rain showers I suggested they might just want to do a basic blow dry, not my usual request of bouncy curls, but my consultant insisted and did a great job! I made her take a photo to prove what it looked like before I stepped out into the world!

Mr A met me and we drove north out of Margaret River about 25 minutes to Amelia Park Wines, the newest cellar door in the region. As with many cellar doors, the landscaping surrounding the building was spectacular, but unlike others, the entrance to the actual cellar door was something else. We entered through a big heavy wooden door into a dark wood panelled room full of wine barrels. The corridoor then led you forwards at which point two sliding wooden doors opened, revealing beautiful vineyard views and a tasting room – quite theatrical. It clearly worked its magic – after a few tastings we bought a couple of absolutely delicious wines and joined their members club.

From there we went down to Vasse Felix, probably the region’s most famous winery. A little bit of name dropping didn’t go amiss, and being (extremely!) loosely connected to Virginia Willcock (Vasse Felix’s world class chief winemaker!) enabled Mr A and I a free tasting of their $85 a bottle award winning Chardonnay – absolutely delicious. Our friends Carole and Nick drove up and joined us in the tasting here.

Our next vineyard was Howard Park, before we headed back into Margaret River for something quite different. Whisky. Yes, there is a distilliary here too. The starting price for a bottle of local Whisky is around $85 and they go up from there. We tried quite a few – learning how the bouquet is not always reflective of the taste, and just a tiny drop of water can make all the difference.

All in all a very successful day despite the inclement weather, and Mr A is very proud to have a fine bottle of single malt for those evenings around the camp fire. We returned to camp for spaghetti bolognaise and an alcohol free evening!

October 15, 2017October 16, 2017

Day 138: 15 October – Wheeling around Margaret River

Author: Mr A

Distance cycled: 35 km

As Einstein said “There’s hope for a race that invented the bicycle”. After a fortifying BBQ brekky, we were off on the bikes following a very rough mud map drawn by the station staff, showing us how to get to the town of Margaret River “the back way”.

And what a brilliant back road it was, meandering through tall stands of trees, the sounds of the forest enveloping us. I was leading the way trying my best to interpret the map, and got the usual questions from my team that always started with the same phrase “Did you see” then ended with words like “massive tree, bird, lizard”. Now I don’t have the best eyesight, as some of you know, so invariably I didn’t. I like to think I’m seeing the big picture, not getting focused on details…..but actually I’m just charging through on my boulder crusher enjoying the rush.

After a few back tracks we came out on the rail trail that leads into Margaret River, and were soon sipping hot chocalates at the local bike shop cafe that I had also been recommended to call in it. My bike always garners attention (which Mrs A thinks is the whole point of me owning it, suffering only child syndrome) and this time was no exception. In fact the mechanic has offered to come in on his day off and fit me up with tubeless tyres! Such enthusiasm, perhaps helped along by me buying a new helmet, after mine has mysteriously disappeared.

Sadly the order of a dairy free and dairied up hot chocolate may have been mixed up, as Mrs A immediately shot off to find the nearest toilets, emerging quite a while later looking decidedly uncomfortable. We set off back to retrace our steps, and in time were wheeling down the beautiful driveway that frames the entrance to our delightful campsite-come-sheep station.

That evening we had arranged to share dinner with the couple we had got to know on our wine tour, Nick and Carol. We had a Western Rock Lobster from the freezer, kindly gifted by people we had met in Geraldton, so Mrs A is found keenly watching YouTube to work out how we prepare it. After some anxious moments, its halved and a lovely marinade prepared for the BBQ.

It cooked beautifully, and would have comfortably fed a less than hungry mouse, oh dear, we should have brought another one. Well it was only supposed to be the entree, and thankfully Carol had had a casserole bubbling away all day. With some fresh bread it was just fantastic. Oh, and rather a lot of red wine, and then the Choclate Port came out, and the cheese. A perfect end to a perfect day, breaking bread with new friends, getting to hear their stories and dreams, simply wonderful.

October 15, 2017October 16, 2017

Day 137: 14 October – Old friends, new friends and more hidden delights

Author: Mrs A

Location: Margaret River

We were treated to another warm, blue sky day here in the Margaret River as we headed into town to the Farmer’s Market which runs on Saturday mornings. We didn’t know what to expect, given the range of markets we have experienced around Western Australia – ranging from the very poor Derby market which sold a few cacti and a couple of home made jams through to the surprisingly delicious Carnarvon market with famous chefs serving up food. This market was fabulous – more along the lines of what we are treated to at Forestville or Warriewood markets in Sydney.

Rows of stalls with samples of sheep and cow cheese, fresh bread, cakes, croissants, vegetables and herbs, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, fresh meat, eggs and fish…the choice and sampling opportunities were endless. We picked up some sheep cheese (I discovered I can tolerate this in small amounts – yay!), vegetables and wood fired bread. As Mr A was listening to the story of the bread shop, I looked around to see what delights awaited us next and spotted an old friend from Sydney! We popped over to surprise her…

Fiona now lives about 45 km away from the Margaret River in Augusta, and runs a successful and growing business, Alkomy Kombucha. Kombucha is a sparkling, non alcoholic beverage which contains probiotics which help your stomach health as well as help clean your liver and overall boost your immune system. Our livers are already crying a little after all the wine tasting, so we bought a bottle to take with us. It was great to see Fi and catch up on how she’s doing now.

Returning to our sheep station we found the ‘Griswalds’ have moved into a spot next to us – two feral families headed up by a potty mouthed Australian bloke. Fortunately after setting up their tent they went out for the remainder of the day, returning us to our serenity. We enjoyed freshly baked bread, cream sheep cheese and sliced tomato in balsamic and olive oil for lunch, sitting under dappled shade overlooking meadows of yellow flowers and grazing sheep. It feels like France!

Carol and Nick, an English couple we met on the gastronomic tour yesterday popped over to see our mobile apartment. They are considering moving to an off road van from their 26 foot monster. We wandered over with a bottle of wine to check theirs out too – it is huge, with three distinct separate rooms, each separated by sliding doors – makes ours look tiny! Not sure we could have got into all the interesting locations we have visited with that length of van, however. We whiled away the afternoon exchanging stories while enjoying a cool white wine.

The evening saw us back in Margaret River for dinner. We had been told about and had read great reviews about a restaurant called Miki’s Open Kitchen. Set back from the street in an arcade area, first impressions were quite unassuming, but once we were seated we were in for a treat.

The kitchen is the centrepiece of the restaurant, with seating on three sides. Nothing is hidden here – we were able to watch everything being prepared as the chefs worked their magic. Miki’s is Japanese fusion, with some incredible food prepared. We chose the Miki’s Trust menu, an ever changing degustation. I lost count of how many dishes we were served, but each contained about three different morsels, every one consisting of carefully balanced flavours and perfectly cooked. They were served up like mini artworks, with delicate edible flowers adorning the ever unique serving dishes. What an experience!

A really lovely evening, and a relatively late night home for us – 11 pm!!

October 14, 2017October 14, 2017

Day 136: Friday 13 October – Sampling the delights of Margaret River

Author: Mr A

Location: Margaret River region

The day dawned sunny, finally it was warm enough to have breakfast outside again. A certain member of our family group particularly enjoyed the warmth:

So we’re not usually tour group inclined, but on this occasion I’m glad we signed up to today to do this all day guided exploration of some local producers. I really enjoyed having someone do the driving and make the decisions about where we go. We left at 10am and got back at 6pm – thats a big day of sampling I reckon, and for $80 a head, great value.

We had a wine tasting, followed by a decent lunch, another wine tasting, with nougat sampling thrown in, then a chocolate factory, another winery, a venison farm and finally a distillery!

A little background first. The Margaret River is a relatively young wine region, with dairy farmers starting to turn to grapes less than 40 years ago. Blessed with really fantastic terroir, they have aimed at the premium end of the market, with mainly low volume, bourtique producer (around 185 at last count). In total last year Margaret River wineries only accounted for around 1% of Australia’s total wine production. In an effort to diversify, a number of wineries have added other foods to their cellar door shelves. Nougat production, fine olive oils and chocolates. One has even built a distillery, offering premium (an overused word in this region I think) beers, whiskey, and liqueurs.

We drank some good wine…and some very ordinary wine, but had a lot of fun and learnt some things. Objective achieved. There has been very little about the food and wine in WA that we would perceive as good value, compared to what we have experienced in other states. My take is that those who truly are offering premium goods and services in their niche will continue to do OK, but those businesses who aren’t at the top of their game will find, as the economy in WA struggles, their usual queue of well heeled local customers will shorten or disappear. The customer demographics are also changing dramatically – UK visitors were down in WA this year by 10%, tourists from Asian countries are all up significantly. The businesses who understand how to meet these changing customer needs will prosper, but those who continue to present a very traditional white Australian face perhaps may not.

October 12, 2017

Day 135: 12 October – Margaret River has sheep too!

Author: Mrs A

From: Yallingup

To: Rosa Brook, just outside Margaret River

Distance driven: 51 km

Distance cycled: 10 km

We continued our exploration of the region, heading further south and setting up camp about 10 minutes drive outside of the town of Margaret River. It’s a very picturesque area, and a lovely change of scenery being surrounded by bleating sheep and lambs, all recently shorn. We’re set up on a working sheep station, complete with chickens, cockerels and guinea pigs (!) roaming the area, much to Miss T’s delight. The native birdlife is prevalent.

(Above: Western New Holland Honeyeater)

We decided to cycle to a nearby winery, one of many recommended by friend Cathy. It was only 5km away, and Miss Google promised just a 15 minute ride. It was a very scenic journey, though quite hilly. While it was 15 minutes in one direction, it was definitely slower on the return journey (particularly with a couple of bottles in my pannier and a few tastings under our belts!).

Brown Hill Vineyard had some great well priced wines though, and an enjoyable visit.

We did very little the remainder of the day, choosing to relax in the sunshine and read. We’re booked on a gastronomic tour tomorrow, so we’re saving our eating and drinking energy for that!