Busselton – When the Cat's Away…

Author: Mr A

Location: Busselton

Distance cycled: 30 km

We took the Zone to see the doctor this morning, The Caravan Doctor, that’s right. Somewhere down the Gibb River Road our suspension had taken a hammering and some little plastic stoppers had been damaged. Or was it the weight of the hefty wine cellar, packed in anticipation of a vitculatural desert, that gave the suspension too much to cope with? The lovely people at Zone had sent some new ones down to this caravan repairer in Busselton. We rolled in at 8.45am, they immediately went to work, and we were away by 9.30am. How about that for service?

So back we went to the caravan park and set up again, not exactly arduous, plug in a few pipes and leads and we’re done. Our trusty two wheeled steeds were readied for exploration and off we set. We headed along a cycle way that followed the coast, ogling some amazing houses on the way, and all the native flowers that had been planted beside it. It truly was one of the best cycle paths we have ever seen. Beautifully tended flower beds alongside us, views of pristine white beaches, oh…and flat…Mrs A is doing well but still on the mend.

The path eventually led us into this new marina development at Port Geographe, just stunning, the houses, the landscaping, the canals, its one of the most spectacular estates I’ve seen in Australia.

We forced ourselves to turn round and cycle back into Busselton and explore in the other direction along the coast. It was just the same, beautiful beaches framed by wild flowers flowing alongside this cycleway. We wanted to just go on and on…but the afternoon was drawing on so we headed back into town, stomachs grumbling.

A shingle backed lizard we spotted along the way – very well disguised in the pea gravel and sand:

Busselton, you really are something special. The wealth of this council must be enormous to invest in the infrascture of the town as they have. And its all so terribly tasteful, darling.

Author: Mrs A

From: Australind

To: Busselton

Distance driven: 63 km

Distance walked: 4 km

We moved off down the coast to Busselton, calling at the Bunbury Farmer’s Market on the way for some bread. Well, at least that was the plan. Somehow my basket filled with some more fruit and vegetables, another dip, some dairy-free banana bread…oh it was hard to leave – I had to keep reminding myself that Mr A and Miss T were outside waiting for me!

Eventually we pulled away and drove the short way down the coast to our next location. Not long after setting up, visitors arrived. Two fellow Zone owners who live on a property between Busselton and Margaret River called in to say hello and exchange local knowledge and experiences. We have now realised we need a whole six months in just this part of Western Australia – so much to do!

Before long, two prospective Zone owners also arrived to have a look around our mobile apartment and ask a few questions about it. The Zone is manufactured across the other side of the continent in south east Queensland, so there is little opportunity for Western Australians to have a look, unless people like us are willing to do a demo. We do get a voucher as a thank-you for our trouble.

After everyone had said goodbye, we decided to go for a walk and a look around. Busselton is on the coast, and one of WA’s only north facing beaches. No surf here. It is famous for having the longest wooden jetty in the world, which stretches almost 2km out to sea.

We didn’t take the train to the end, instead spotted The Goose Bar, conveniently located at the beach end of the Jetty, with a DJ playing some chilled Sunday afternoon tunes and the tempting sight of people enjoying the sunset with a glass of wine or beer. A couple kindly shifted across their bench so we could enjoy the view with our own beverages.

As often happens in these situations, we started chatting as we watched dolphins fishing in the still waters in front of us. It turned out Chris and Anne own Brash Vineyard in the Margaret River – acclaimed wine critic James Halliday has rated their wine no lower than 92 points, and they have just had several bottles selected to be showcased in Neil Perry’s new Sydney restaurant, Rosetta. Located opposite Wills Domain, and open by appointment only, we plan to give them a call for some tastings when we are down that way next weekend.

We shared a few more wines/beers/soda waters (Anne is doing a dry October!) as the sun set, before heading back to cook dinner. Fresh fettuccine with a basil pesto, sundried tomatoes, fresh cherry tomatoes and salmon – thank you very much Farmer’s Market!

Category: Busselton

Day 132: 9 October – Brilliant Busselton by bike

Day 131: 8 October – Winemakers and Dolphins

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