Australia Vacation Sept 2014: Focus on WA
Oct 19th, 2014, 02:51 PM
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Australia Vacation Sept 2014: Focus on WA
Finally getting around to writing up a trip report on our recent vacation in Australia! As in past years, the vacation was a combination of visiting family and friends in familiar places as well as a separate excursion to a new part of the continent. This time we focused on Western Australia, more specifically the extreme southwest of the state, the bit lying more or less west of the line between Albany and Perth. On seeking advice from people on this board, we quickly realized that with only 11 days in WA, itineraries encompassing places further afield (Esperance or Ningaloo Reef for example) would be too rushed. WA is a BIG state - as it is we covered an area somewhere around the size of Pennsylvania!
I arrived in Sydney on 1 Sept, flying from the US east coast. I spent the next three days on business, traveling to Bowral on the Southern Highlands, then Canberra attending conferences. The weather was quite nice, though it was pretty chilly in the mornings, close to freezing in Canberra. Having lived in Canberra in the 80's I was expecting to remember my way around. Not true!
My wife and I then flew to Perth on Virgin Australia on 7 Sept. There we met up with our Connecticut friends "Laurenzo" and "B-A" who had arrived in Perth from CT the day before. There we shared a suite at the Adina Apartments opposite the convention center - very nice as well as being within easy walking distance to the city center. After a stroll around town, we enjoyed dinner at the Adelphi Grill close to the Adina.
Coming up: Day trip to Freemantle and our drive south to Margaret River.
I arrived in Sydney on 1 Sept, flying from the US east coast. I spent the next three days on business, traveling to Bowral on the Southern Highlands, then Canberra attending conferences. The weather was quite nice, though it was pretty chilly in the mornings, close to freezing in Canberra. Having lived in Canberra in the 80's I was expecting to remember my way around. Not true!
My wife and I then flew to Perth on Virgin Australia on 7 Sept. There we met up with our Connecticut friends "Laurenzo" and "B-A" who had arrived in Perth from CT the day before. There we shared a suite at the Adina Apartments opposite the convention center - very nice as well as being within easy walking distance to the city center. After a stroll around town, we enjoyed dinner at the Adelphi Grill close to the Adina.
Coming up: Day trip to Freemantle and our drive south to Margaret River.
Oct 20th, 2014, 04:26 AM
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Lucky you Mel. Unfortunately, with limited time, we breezed through Denmark on our way to Albany. We did stop for a pie for lunch at Denmark Bakery though.
Gotta work today...so keep staying tuned.
Gotta work today...so keep staying tuned.
Oct 20th, 2014, 10:10 PM
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We are also planning to travel Australia with family. But I have a newborn baby so my husband suggested me to carry a baby using baby carrier that he got from http://447942.hs-sites.com/blog/newborncarrier. Feeling excited.
Oct 26th, 2014, 08:02 AM
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Before I continue, I want to again thank all on this board, in particular Mel, who helped with some great comments and suggestions for our itinerary1
We started our first full day in WA (Sept 8) with a nice breakfast at the Secret Garden Cafe in downtown Perth, an easy walk from the Adina. Here, the four of us were joined a nice American chap, Gordon, from New Mexico, now living in Perth who heads up the USAsia Center at the UWA. Gordon, a connection of Laurenzo's, gave us a great introduction to WA, with lots of good suggestions of things to do and see. And he paid the tab. Thanks Gordon!
Although the day started out okay, by the time we walked over to the dock to catch our Captain Cook Cruise on the Swan River to Fremantle, the weather was looking pretty ominous. It started spitting rain. Fortunately, the trip was pleasant and we were treated to patches of sun now and again. Along the way, we saw what must be some of Australia's most expensive real estate, mansions with what must be fabulous views over the river. (We were wondering which one was Mel's.) None of us, even my Aussie wife, understood the commentary very well – strong Aussie accent over a squawky load speaker didn’t make for easy comprehension.
Closer to "Freo" (and the open ocean), the conditions worsened noticeably and consequently, the boat docked short of Fremantle proper and we were bussed the rest of the way into town. I was immediately impressed with all the historical charm – street after street of old buildings dating back to the British colonial days and the 19th century Gold Rush. While obviously a tourist destination, Fremantle remains a “real place” with an economy not solely dependent on visitors. After getting our bearings, hunger kicked in and we headed over to Little Creatures brewery for lunch. A fun place! We sat upstairs on the balcony looking down at the bar, tables and brewing apparatus. There, we shared wood-fired pizza and salad over a couple of beers. Service was friendly and efficient.
Heading back into town, it started to pour, so, looking for shelter, we nipped into the Freemantle Chart and Map Shop on Collie Street. Being a map buff, this suited me just fine and we ended up spending a good half hour there poking around. I almost bought a huge map of Australia showing explorer routes, but then reason set in as to how I was going to get it back to the States, and then where I would display it besides at the back of a closet somewhere rolled up in a tube.
With a break in the rain, we made our way to the visitor’s center for suggestions and ended up spending the rest of our time in Freo at the historic Round House and the excellent WA Museum Shipwreck Galleries that displays artifacts and timbers from the days when Dutch ships shipwrecked on the WA coast en route to the East Indies. (Indeed it has always fascinated me that Australia never ended up being a Dutch possession – the Dutch had mapped the whole west coast of Australia 150 years before Captain Cook discovered the East Coast! I presume what they saw of “New Holland” didn’t impress them – dry, poor soil, etc.) A lovely old lady provided commentary at the Round House, WA’s oldest building, which was used as a prison for much of its history. We saw some sun at the Round House. However, posing outside for pictures (nice views), the wind was really ripping and a huge black cloud threatened in the not-too-distant distance over the ocean.
At this point we made our way over to the train station for the ride back to Perth. Clearly there was a lot more we could have seen and enjoyed in Freo, but it was getting late in the afternoon, the weather wasn’t cooperating and jet lag was setting in. Intentions of finding a great city restaurant for dinner gave way to grabbing a burger at the Adina bistro. It was an early night for all.
We started our first full day in WA (Sept 8) with a nice breakfast at the Secret Garden Cafe in downtown Perth, an easy walk from the Adina. Here, the four of us were joined a nice American chap, Gordon, from New Mexico, now living in Perth who heads up the USAsia Center at the UWA. Gordon, a connection of Laurenzo's, gave us a great introduction to WA, with lots of good suggestions of things to do and see. And he paid the tab. Thanks Gordon!
Although the day started out okay, by the time we walked over to the dock to catch our Captain Cook Cruise on the Swan River to Fremantle, the weather was looking pretty ominous. It started spitting rain. Fortunately, the trip was pleasant and we were treated to patches of sun now and again. Along the way, we saw what must be some of Australia's most expensive real estate, mansions with what must be fabulous views over the river. (We were wondering which one was Mel's.) None of us, even my Aussie wife, understood the commentary very well – strong Aussie accent over a squawky load speaker didn’t make for easy comprehension.
Closer to "Freo" (and the open ocean), the conditions worsened noticeably and consequently, the boat docked short of Fremantle proper and we were bussed the rest of the way into town. I was immediately impressed with all the historical charm – street after street of old buildings dating back to the British colonial days and the 19th century Gold Rush. While obviously a tourist destination, Fremantle remains a “real place” with an economy not solely dependent on visitors. After getting our bearings, hunger kicked in and we headed over to Little Creatures brewery for lunch. A fun place! We sat upstairs on the balcony looking down at the bar, tables and brewing apparatus. There, we shared wood-fired pizza and salad over a couple of beers. Service was friendly and efficient.
Heading back into town, it started to pour, so, looking for shelter, we nipped into the Freemantle Chart and Map Shop on Collie Street. Being a map buff, this suited me just fine and we ended up spending a good half hour there poking around. I almost bought a huge map of Australia showing explorer routes, but then reason set in as to how I was going to get it back to the States, and then where I would display it besides at the back of a closet somewhere rolled up in a tube.
With a break in the rain, we made our way to the visitor’s center for suggestions and ended up spending the rest of our time in Freo at the historic Round House and the excellent WA Museum Shipwreck Galleries that displays artifacts and timbers from the days when Dutch ships shipwrecked on the WA coast en route to the East Indies. (Indeed it has always fascinated me that Australia never ended up being a Dutch possession – the Dutch had mapped the whole west coast of Australia 150 years before Captain Cook discovered the East Coast! I presume what they saw of “New Holland” didn’t impress them – dry, poor soil, etc.) A lovely old lady provided commentary at the Round House, WA’s oldest building, which was used as a prison for much of its history. We saw some sun at the Round House. However, posing outside for pictures (nice views), the wind was really ripping and a huge black cloud threatened in the not-too-distant distance over the ocean.
At this point we made our way over to the train station for the ride back to Perth. Clearly there was a lot more we could have seen and enjoyed in Freo, but it was getting late in the afternoon, the weather wasn’t cooperating and jet lag was setting in. Intentions of finding a great city restaurant for dinner gave way to grabbing a burger at the Adina bistro. It was an early night for all.
Oct 26th, 2014, 11:24 AM
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On Tues, 9 Sept we were up early, and after making ourselves breakfast, set about packing for the trip south. Unfortunately, we didn’t get out of the city proper until quite late in the morning after a couple of dramas – 1) fitting all our luggage into the Hertz rental car, a Suzuki Grand Vitara (thank God CJ and I decided to share a suitcase or we would have had a real problem!) and 2) the mystery of The Lost Tripod, which Dr. Laurenzo needed for his birding ‘scope.
The day was looking a lot nicer than the day before, but still mostly overcast. From Perth, we took the main highway (route 2) south, then cut toward the coast at Mandurah. We parked near the water in Mandurah then took a stroll looking for a place to eat. Rosie’s Café seemed quite popular with the locals so we decided to give it a try and it was good: sandwiches, soups and “flat white” coffees.
We continued south along the coast road. I was quite surprised at the extent of development, much of it build fairly recently. It must have petered out somewhere midway between Mandurah and Bunbury, giving way to farmland and “bush”. We started catching glimpses of unfamiliar birds like ringneck parrots on the side of the road.
Before reaching Bussleton, we stopped at Tuart Forest National Park for a walk to the Malbup Bird Hide for bird-watching and another longer walk through the tuart forest itself. (Tuarts are a species of eucalyptus prized for timber; now, only small stands remain.) Beautiful white lilies were in bloom all over the place, however, we learned soon that they were arum lilies, an invasive weed. We noted sections of tuart saplings fenced off from grazing western grey roo’s, many of which we spotted.
Late in the afternoon we arrived in Busselton for a walk along the famous jetty built of wood in the 1800’s for transferring cut timber to ships. It extends over a mile into Geographe Bay. The girls turned around after a hundred meters or so, feeling cold. Laurenzo and I continued to about the halfway point, and then headed back, feeling guilty about leaving the ladies. By now the sun was getting low and peeping through the clouds with beautiful reflections off the bay. Fishermen in bright yellow rain-gear headed out.
From Busselton, we made a bee-line down the main road to the town of Margaret River, getting settled in our accommodation, the Sol Boutique Apartment on Fearn Street just before dark: very nice, comfortable, and close to the shops and restaurants in “downtown” MR. Taking Mel’s advice we ambled over to the Arc of Iris restaurant for an excellent dinner – I think we all had the barramundi special that evening.
Next, our wine and beer tour: Margie’s Big Day Out, or, as my wife now says, “Ralphie’s Big Day Out”.
The day was looking a lot nicer than the day before, but still mostly overcast. From Perth, we took the main highway (route 2) south, then cut toward the coast at Mandurah. We parked near the water in Mandurah then took a stroll looking for a place to eat. Rosie’s Café seemed quite popular with the locals so we decided to give it a try and it was good: sandwiches, soups and “flat white” coffees.
We continued south along the coast road. I was quite surprised at the extent of development, much of it build fairly recently. It must have petered out somewhere midway between Mandurah and Bunbury, giving way to farmland and “bush”. We started catching glimpses of unfamiliar birds like ringneck parrots on the side of the road.
Before reaching Bussleton, we stopped at Tuart Forest National Park for a walk to the Malbup Bird Hide for bird-watching and another longer walk through the tuart forest itself. (Tuarts are a species of eucalyptus prized for timber; now, only small stands remain.) Beautiful white lilies were in bloom all over the place, however, we learned soon that they were arum lilies, an invasive weed. We noted sections of tuart saplings fenced off from grazing western grey roo’s, many of which we spotted.
Late in the afternoon we arrived in Busselton for a walk along the famous jetty built of wood in the 1800’s for transferring cut timber to ships. It extends over a mile into Geographe Bay. The girls turned around after a hundred meters or so, feeling cold. Laurenzo and I continued to about the halfway point, and then headed back, feeling guilty about leaving the ladies. By now the sun was getting low and peeping through the clouds with beautiful reflections off the bay. Fishermen in bright yellow rain-gear headed out.
From Busselton, we made a bee-line down the main road to the town of Margaret River, getting settled in our accommodation, the Sol Boutique Apartment on Fearn Street just before dark: very nice, comfortable, and close to the shops and restaurants in “downtown” MR. Taking Mel’s advice we ambled over to the Arc of Iris restaurant for an excellent dinner – I think we all had the barramundi special that evening.
Next, our wine and beer tour: Margie’s Big Day Out, or, as my wife now says, “Ralphie’s Big Day Out”.
Oct 26th, 2014, 12:06 PM
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Enjoying your report, Ralph. I'd never heard of Tuart eucalypts before in all my trips to Aussie. I shall have to google the species to learn more. Did you see many birds other than the ring-neck parrots?
WA is an area of Australia we still have to visit. Now we have retired we will be able to have a leisurely trip (instead of trying to cram our trips into the school holidays) and follow up all the places Mel, you and others have mentioned over the years.
I look forward to the rest of your report.
WA is an area of Australia we still have to visit. Now we have retired we will be able to have a leisurely trip (instead of trying to cram our trips into the school holidays) and follow up all the places Mel, you and others have mentioned over the years.
I look forward to the rest of your report.
Oct 26th, 2014, 04:17 PM
#12
<<(We were wondering which one was Mel's.)>>
Don't I wish!
I had no idea that arum lilies are an invasive weed, the things you learn on Fodor's!
I'm glad you enjoyed Arc of Iris, we're off to MR next week and I've booked us in for dinner.
We'll be staying 'in' town for the first time ever. As the flies are now out, this trip will be all about the food...to heck with walking.
Waiting with bated breath for more...
Don't I wish!
I had no idea that arum lilies are an invasive weed, the things you learn on Fodor's!
I'm glad you enjoyed Arc of Iris, we're off to MR next week and I've booked us in for dinner.
We'll be staying 'in' town for the first time ever. As the flies are now out, this trip will be all about the food...to heck with walking.
Waiting with bated breath for more...
Nov 9th, 2014, 12:35 PM
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A bright sun rose on Wed morning on what was to be a beautiful day. I walked to the Coles just down the street to do shopping for breakfast. High on the list: Australian crumpets, which we never see in the States, at least not in Connecticut. Too good! If they weren’t perishable, CJ would have filled two suitcases of them to bring back to the USA.
Then it was Margie’s Big Day Out! Although I was naively disappointed there wasn’t a real “Margie” leading the tour, I have to say Rich, aka Dicko, a true blue Aussie larrikin, did a great job. It was a fun group too, mixed ages, nationalities and backgrounds – about 18 of us in total. Here’s how the day went:
Tassell Park Wines – small but good!
Margaret River Dairy Company – cheese samplers.
Margaret River Chocolate Factory. Too decadent - it was all I could do not to buy and eat one of their chocolate almond balls on top of all the samplers I ate.
Hay Shed Hill Winery – lovely spot, very knowledgeable guy pouring for us.
Bootleg Brewery – gourmet platter lunch – breads, cheeses, hams, salmon, etc. - on the veranda. Nice!
Evans and Tate Winery – the fanciest cellar door, least knowledgeable pourer, however
Cheeky Monkey Brewery /Killerby Wines
I suppose we could easily have done this all on our own driving around, but, relieved of any responsibility of driving, we could imbibe at will as well as enjoy the gently rolling countryside. And, by the end of the day, sitting outside on picnic tables, taking in the sun and scenery at Cheeky Monkey, everybody ended up being best friends with everybody else. The young Canadian ladies Kelsey York and Amy were a real scream - I wasn’t the only one feeling no pain after downing the eight or ten samples of Cheeky Monkey brew on a beer paddle!
Back in Margaret River that evening, it was another great meal at The Arc of Iris. Sometimes when you find a good thing, you stick with it!
Then it was Margie’s Big Day Out! Although I was naively disappointed there wasn’t a real “Margie” leading the tour, I have to say Rich, aka Dicko, a true blue Aussie larrikin, did a great job. It was a fun group too, mixed ages, nationalities and backgrounds – about 18 of us in total. Here’s how the day went:
Tassell Park Wines – small but good!
Margaret River Dairy Company – cheese samplers.
Margaret River Chocolate Factory. Too decadent - it was all I could do not to buy and eat one of their chocolate almond balls on top of all the samplers I ate.
Hay Shed Hill Winery – lovely spot, very knowledgeable guy pouring for us.
Bootleg Brewery – gourmet platter lunch – breads, cheeses, hams, salmon, etc. - on the veranda. Nice!
Evans and Tate Winery – the fanciest cellar door, least knowledgeable pourer, however
Cheeky Monkey Brewery /Killerby Wines
I suppose we could easily have done this all on our own driving around, but, relieved of any responsibility of driving, we could imbibe at will as well as enjoy the gently rolling countryside. And, by the end of the day, sitting outside on picnic tables, taking in the sun and scenery at Cheeky Monkey, everybody ended up being best friends with everybody else. The young Canadian ladies Kelsey York and Amy were a real scream - I wasn’t the only one feeling no pain after downing the eight or ten samples of Cheeky Monkey brew on a beer paddle!
Back in Margaret River that evening, it was another great meal at The Arc of Iris. Sometimes when you find a good thing, you stick with it!
Nov 9th, 2014, 02:43 PM
#14
Glad to see you back here Ralph!
We were in Margs last week, had one meal at Arc of Iris, but Muster blew our doors off. Had a lovely dinner there, then returned for breakfast three times! We also discovered Gabriel's chocolates - fantastic - dark chocolate nirvana with fabulous hot chocolate. Onik, Oink!
Missed out on Cheeky Monkey, must now go back.
Carry on please!
We were in Margs last week, had one meal at Arc of Iris, but Muster blew our doors off. Had a lovely dinner there, then returned for breakfast three times! We also discovered Gabriel's chocolates - fantastic - dark chocolate nirvana with fabulous hot chocolate. Onik, Oink!
Missed out on Cheeky Monkey, must now go back.
Carry on please!
Nov 16th, 2014, 12:24 PM
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Sorry to disappoint Mel, but there’s no more chocolate in the rest of the report. Not sure if you’ll want to keep reading 
Thursday, Sept 11 – as became the routine, we again cooked ourselves breakfast in our suite before heading out for the day. From the town of MR, we drove the short distance (maybe 10 km) to Prevelly, the small settlement on the coast where the actual Margaret River empties into the Indian Ocean. We parked north of town near the river mouth and the nature reserve where we took a walk along the beach and south side of the river, enjoying the scenery and of course, helping Laurenzo spot birds.
Doubling back to Caves Road, we headed south then turning off on the unsealed Boronup Drive through tall karri forest. We stopped a couple of times, once for a forest walk, and once at the Boronup Lookout with a nice view of the coast a couple of kilometers distant. Reemerging on Caves Road, we debated doubling back to visit the Boronup Gallery (Mel’s recommendation), but instead decided to continue the trek south toward Cape Leeuwin.
We had packed food for lunch and decided on a detour to Hamelin Bay for a picnic near the beach. The only picnic table we could find was in the shade and weighed a ton. But four of us managed somehow to inch the thing a couple of meters into the sun. We cracked up laughing about how ridiculous we all must have looked. Good thing no one was around - it would have been perfect fare for Australia’s Funniest Home Videos.
After eating, we took a hike for a kilometer or south on the Cape-to-Cape Track, the coastal trail that connects Cape Naturaliste in the north with Cape Leeuwin in the south; beautiful scenery – pristine white beaches, turquoise water, and a deep blue sky.
But we didn’t walk to Cape Leeuwin (some 15-20 km south), we drove, arriving mid-afternoon, spending a couple of hours in the reserve after paying the $8 entry fee. The cape is the most southwesterly point of Australia. As a geography nerd, I had long been fascinated by the fact that the cape is the furthest place on land from the northeast of the USA, some 12000 miles (20000 km) from Connecticut - literally the other side of the world. It is also recognized as the point of confluence of the Southern and Indian Oceans. We took the audio tour around the grounds out to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, which sits prominently on the rocky shore. Most of the commentary pertained to the lighthouse, the support buildings and the tough, lonely lives of the lighthouse keeper in the days before automation.
I was the only one of the four of us keen to tour the lighthouse so I paid the extra $12 for the tour while the other three took a walk at the start of the Cape-to-Cape Track. What an amazing view from top of the lighthouse - sweeping vistas north toward Hamelin Bay on the Indian Ocean and southeast toward Point D’Entrecasteaux along the Southern Ocean coastline. Massive waves crashed on the rocks just off shore. The sun dipped toward to the horizon casting long shadows.
Before starting back to MR, we enjoyed coffee, tea and scones on the verandah of the visitor’s center. We then made a beeline back to MR on the Bussell Highway. It was too late to stop at the Boronup Gallery as we had planned. After a stop at Coles, we cooked baked chicken in the comfort of the Sol Apartment.
Thursday, Sept 11 – as became the routine, we again cooked ourselves breakfast in our suite before heading out for the day. From the town of MR, we drove the short distance (maybe 10 km) to Prevelly, the small settlement on the coast where the actual Margaret River empties into the Indian Ocean. We parked north of town near the river mouth and the nature reserve where we took a walk along the beach and south side of the river, enjoying the scenery and of course, helping Laurenzo spot birds.
Doubling back to Caves Road, we headed south then turning off on the unsealed Boronup Drive through tall karri forest. We stopped a couple of times, once for a forest walk, and once at the Boronup Lookout with a nice view of the coast a couple of kilometers distant. Reemerging on Caves Road, we debated doubling back to visit the Boronup Gallery (Mel’s recommendation), but instead decided to continue the trek south toward Cape Leeuwin.
We had packed food for lunch and decided on a detour to Hamelin Bay for a picnic near the beach. The only picnic table we could find was in the shade and weighed a ton. But four of us managed somehow to inch the thing a couple of meters into the sun. We cracked up laughing about how ridiculous we all must have looked. Good thing no one was around - it would have been perfect fare for Australia’s Funniest Home Videos.
After eating, we took a hike for a kilometer or south on the Cape-to-Cape Track, the coastal trail that connects Cape Naturaliste in the north with Cape Leeuwin in the south; beautiful scenery – pristine white beaches, turquoise water, and a deep blue sky.
But we didn’t walk to Cape Leeuwin (some 15-20 km south), we drove, arriving mid-afternoon, spending a couple of hours in the reserve after paying the $8 entry fee. The cape is the most southwesterly point of Australia. As a geography nerd, I had long been fascinated by the fact that the cape is the furthest place on land from the northeast of the USA, some 12000 miles (20000 km) from Connecticut - literally the other side of the world. It is also recognized as the point of confluence of the Southern and Indian Oceans. We took the audio tour around the grounds out to the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, which sits prominently on the rocky shore. Most of the commentary pertained to the lighthouse, the support buildings and the tough, lonely lives of the lighthouse keeper in the days before automation.
I was the only one of the four of us keen to tour the lighthouse so I paid the extra $12 for the tour while the other three took a walk at the start of the Cape-to-Cape Track. What an amazing view from top of the lighthouse - sweeping vistas north toward Hamelin Bay on the Indian Ocean and southeast toward Point D’Entrecasteaux along the Southern Ocean coastline. Massive waves crashed on the rocks just off shore. The sun dipped toward to the horizon casting long shadows.
Before starting back to MR, we enjoyed coffee, tea and scones on the verandah of the visitor’s center. We then made a beeline back to MR on the Bussell Highway. It was too late to stop at the Boronup Gallery as we had planned. After a stop at Coles, we cooked baked chicken in the comfort of the Sol Apartment.
Nov 16th, 2014, 02:57 PM
#18
Ralph -
No chocolate? Awwww.
We just recently discovered the walk from Prevelly to Gnarabup ourselves, pretty isn't it?
Sorry to hear you missed Boronup Gallery, beautiful wood products; the shocking prices alone make it worth the stop (30K tables).
Good to hear the views from the lighthouse make it worth the entry price.
I have to visit Hamlin Bay every time we're in the area - it's just so darn pretty. Glad you got to see it.
No chocolate? Awwww.
We just recently discovered the walk from Prevelly to Gnarabup ourselves, pretty isn't it?
Sorry to hear you missed Boronup Gallery, beautiful wood products; the shocking prices alone make it worth the stop (30K tables).
Good to hear the views from the lighthouse make it worth the entry price.
I have to visit Hamlin Bay every time we're in the area - it's just so darn pretty. Glad you got to see it.
Nov 29th, 2014, 08:05 AM
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The next day, we packed up our car and struck off due west from Margaret River on the Rosa Brook and (newly paved) Mowen Roads for the town of Nannup. This was a straight run and we made good time. Just before Nannup we turned north on Brook Rd for a walk at Barrabup Pool, a lovely spot that we had it all to ourselves. From the pool we followed a trail on an old logging railroad for a kilometer or so, then turned back. Although Laurenzo was disappointed there were not a lot of birds about, various species of banksia lined the path in different stages of flowering. So thus far this day, the only new bird species we picked up were the emus we spotted in fields along Mowen Rd.
Nannup is a nice little town. We parked near the Blackwood River to go for a walk along the riverbank but were disappointed that the path was closed due to flooding damage. Speaking of flooding, we were fascinated by a tree marked to show the high water mark of floods over the years. The highest mark (1946?) must have been 35 feet (~11 meters) off the ground. Incredible! Driving into town, we settled on Pickle & O for lunch, a health food restaurant of sorts with homemade breads, fresh salads, great coffee and friendly service. We sat outside on the back patio enjoying our meal in the sun, birds flitting about in the garden. I found the adjoining gift shop/bookstore interesting with a number of books for sale on the subject of the “Nannup Tiger”, a creature closely related to the Tasmanian Tiger (thylacine), now widely accepted to be extinct. But as local folklore has it (perhaps for the purpose of selling books) occasional sightings of the Tiger continue to the present day. So we had our guard up as we headed into the deep forest of Warren National Park on the way to Pemberton.
To see Warren NP, we turned off the Old Vasse Hwy onto the unsealed Heartbreak Trail Drive, a one-way loop through the karri forest. The road was deeply eroded in a few places and for a time we were wondering if we had made a poor decision to keep going in our 2WD vehicle. But in the end we made it, no major dramas. We stopped at the Maiden Bush picnic area to take a walk on a section of the actual Heartbreak Trail as it hugged the bank of the beautiful Warren River. We probably walked a mile (1.6 km) or so before turning around. Laurenzo was delighted to have spotted a red-winged fairy wren along the way; the rest of us saw it too – very pretty. Continuing along the road, huge karri trees lined the way on both sides. After brief stop at the Warren Lookout, we parked to have a look at the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree, one of a handful of trees in the region that is pegged for climbing. The highest platform on this one is 75 meters (about 250 feet) up in the air. There are no guardrails as the pegs spiral up and around the tree. Laurenzo, CJ and B-A would have nothing to do with the thought of climbing, but I decided to have a go. It was pretty easy – the pegs are roughed up for grip and are well spaced. I made it up to the 25 meter platform before going back down – I didn’t want to deal with passing a couple headed down from the top. Now that might have been scary!
We arrived in Pemberton in the late afternoon as the sun was getting low and it took us a while to find our accommodation, the Salitage Suites (an adjunct to the Salitage Winery Estate), which we didn’t realize was so far out of town (about 8 km along the road toward Manjimup). On arrival we drove up a hill to the owner’s house situated in the midst of vineyards – a gorgeous place indeed. John, the owner was very welcoming, escorting us by car to the suites, hidden among tall trees adjacent to the vineyard. I don’t think the others would argue that our Salitage Suite was the nicest accommodation we had on the trip, both in terms of location and comfort. John had started a fire for us in the stove - very cozy. Before dinner, we watched the sun set over the vineyard and distant hills from our verandah.
As it turned out, options for dining in Pemberton were very limited. As I recall some restaurants in town were closed at that time of year. So it was either the pub (the Pemberton Hotel) or Sadie’s Restaurant at the Gloucester Motel. We chose the latter. Despite general reservations about restaurants associated with motels, we were all quite please with the meals and service.
Nannup is a nice little town. We parked near the Blackwood River to go for a walk along the riverbank but were disappointed that the path was closed due to flooding damage. Speaking of flooding, we were fascinated by a tree marked to show the high water mark of floods over the years. The highest mark (1946?) must have been 35 feet (~11 meters) off the ground. Incredible! Driving into town, we settled on Pickle & O for lunch, a health food restaurant of sorts with homemade breads, fresh salads, great coffee and friendly service. We sat outside on the back patio enjoying our meal in the sun, birds flitting about in the garden. I found the adjoining gift shop/bookstore interesting with a number of books for sale on the subject of the “Nannup Tiger”, a creature closely related to the Tasmanian Tiger (thylacine), now widely accepted to be extinct. But as local folklore has it (perhaps for the purpose of selling books) occasional sightings of the Tiger continue to the present day. So we had our guard up as we headed into the deep forest of Warren National Park on the way to Pemberton.
To see Warren NP, we turned off the Old Vasse Hwy onto the unsealed Heartbreak Trail Drive, a one-way loop through the karri forest. The road was deeply eroded in a few places and for a time we were wondering if we had made a poor decision to keep going in our 2WD vehicle. But in the end we made it, no major dramas. We stopped at the Maiden Bush picnic area to take a walk on a section of the actual Heartbreak Trail as it hugged the bank of the beautiful Warren River. We probably walked a mile (1.6 km) or so before turning around. Laurenzo was delighted to have spotted a red-winged fairy wren along the way; the rest of us saw it too – very pretty. Continuing along the road, huge karri trees lined the way on both sides. After brief stop at the Warren Lookout, we parked to have a look at the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree, one of a handful of trees in the region that is pegged for climbing. The highest platform on this one is 75 meters (about 250 feet) up in the air. There are no guardrails as the pegs spiral up and around the tree. Laurenzo, CJ and B-A would have nothing to do with the thought of climbing, but I decided to have a go. It was pretty easy – the pegs are roughed up for grip and are well spaced. I made it up to the 25 meter platform before going back down – I didn’t want to deal with passing a couple headed down from the top. Now that might have been scary!
We arrived in Pemberton in the late afternoon as the sun was getting low and it took us a while to find our accommodation, the Salitage Suites (an adjunct to the Salitage Winery Estate), which we didn’t realize was so far out of town (about 8 km along the road toward Manjimup). On arrival we drove up a hill to the owner’s house situated in the midst of vineyards – a gorgeous place indeed. John, the owner was very welcoming, escorting us by car to the suites, hidden among tall trees adjacent to the vineyard. I don’t think the others would argue that our Salitage Suite was the nicest accommodation we had on the trip, both in terms of location and comfort. John had started a fire for us in the stove - very cozy. Before dinner, we watched the sun set over the vineyard and distant hills from our verandah.
As it turned out, options for dining in Pemberton were very limited. As I recall some restaurants in town were closed at that time of year. So it was either the pub (the Pemberton Hotel) or Sadie’s Restaurant at the Gloucester Motel. We chose the latter. Despite general reservations about restaurants associated with motels, we were all quite please with the meals and service.
Nov 29th, 2014, 02:04 PM
#20
Ah, Pembie, one of my favorite places, despite the dinner challenges.
Glad you climbed one of the lookouts Ralph, and the highest one at that! We climbed all three one year, but once was enough for me.
Also happy to hear that Salitage Suites worked out well - we make a point of visiting their winery when in town and their suites have been on my radar for some time, but the set-up always struck me as better for two couples traveling together than just one - is that the case?
Glad you climbed one of the lookouts Ralph, and the highest one at that! We climbed all three one year, but once was enough for me.
Also happy to hear that Salitage Suites worked out well - we make a point of visiting their winery when in town and their suites have been on my radar for some time, but the set-up always struck me as better for two couples traveling together than just one - is that the case?
