To Perth and the Margaret River for Christmas
Dec 18th, 2022, 03:10 PM
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To Perth and the Margaret River for Christmas
Hi, live from Brisbane airport, it’s been a really long time between trips but finally we’re off. Just a shortish one for Christmas this time two and a half weeks. We do have a trip booked to the US in May , which we are very excited for.
This came about thanks to a Jetstar airlines credit due to a COVID cancellation 2 years ago. With the voucher due to expire we grabbed the opportunity to visit a part of the country we haven’t been to.
So we are flying to Perth today….. fingers crossed (with so many cancellations, you just never know). We’ll stay in an airport hotel and collect a small RV in the morning and drive to the Margaret River region. We’ve got 7 nights in Anniebrook and 6 in Albany and finish off with a few days in a hotel in Fremantle. Our daughter and her extended in-laws are meeting up there for Christmas Day and we will join them, so that will be lovely. The rest of our time will be very relaxed, visiting some of the many wineries and beaches.
Got to the airport really early, as advised due to the threat of ongoing strike action, only to find out Jetstar don’t open for checkin until 2 hours prior to flight. We did think it was 3 hours.
Oh well that’s life. Looking forward to a champagne when we finally make it to the loung. 🙂
I’ll try and keep this tr going while on the road. I hope everyone is well…..merry Christmas.
This came about thanks to a Jetstar airlines credit due to a COVID cancellation 2 years ago. With the voucher due to expire we grabbed the opportunity to visit a part of the country we haven’t been to.
So we are flying to Perth today….. fingers crossed (with so many cancellations, you just never know). We’ll stay in an airport hotel and collect a small RV in the morning and drive to the Margaret River region. We’ve got 7 nights in Anniebrook and 6 in Albany and finish off with a few days in a hotel in Fremantle. Our daughter and her extended in-laws are meeting up there for Christmas Day and we will join them, so that will be lovely. The rest of our time will be very relaxed, visiting some of the many wineries and beaches.
Got to the airport really early, as advised due to the threat of ongoing strike action, only to find out Jetstar don’t open for checkin until 2 hours prior to flight. We did think it was 3 hours.
Oh well that’s life. Looking forward to a champagne when we finally make it to the loung. 🙂
I’ll try and keep this tr going while on the road. I hope everyone is well…..merry Christmas.
Dec 20th, 2022, 02:13 AM
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Thanks, nice to see you both 😁
So the Jetstar flight was just fine. We were both pleasantly surprised, it was on time and got us into Perth a little early. Admittedly we paid a few dollars extra for the 1st row so that helped. My only complaint was that the bar at the Qantas lounge in Brisbane doesn’t open till midday!!!! I know, first world problems. But I do like a bubbles to start the trip.
I’d organised a hotel transfer with the hotel direct. Worked out great. Rang them while waiting for our bags and met him in the pickup zone. $25 if anyone is interested. We stayed at the Quest Hotel Ascot and it was great. Had a small kitchenette and a lovely comfy bed. There was a pool which looked very inviting as it was 37deg C when we arrived at 4pm.
We opted to head out for an early dinner as we were both tired and feeling the 2 hour time difference. 🤣. What a fluke….. we walked about 500m to the country comfort hotel and had dinner in their Fire House restaurant. It was just lovely, the food was first rate as where the lovely staff.
if anyone is looking for near airport hotels, the Quest was just great, the Country Comfort looked really good too. A bit older but great lobby bar and pool area, along with the restaurant. Coincidentally The Ingot hotel was across the road from the Quest and looked lovely, our daughter will stay there tomorrow night, as they arrive quite late. Happy to let you know what she thinks.
We had an early start this morning, that 2 hours makes a big difference. Collected our RV, a Mercedes Sprinter which is a lot smaller than we’ve had previously. So looking to seeing if we like it. As it’s warm and our goals are, exploring beaches, winery visits and Christmas get togethers, we think it will be fine.
So the Jetstar flight was just fine. We were both pleasantly surprised, it was on time and got us into Perth a little early. Admittedly we paid a few dollars extra for the 1st row so that helped. My only complaint was that the bar at the Qantas lounge in Brisbane doesn’t open till midday!!!! I know, first world problems. But I do like a bubbles to start the trip.
I’d organised a hotel transfer with the hotel direct. Worked out great. Rang them while waiting for our bags and met him in the pickup zone. $25 if anyone is interested. We stayed at the Quest Hotel Ascot and it was great. Had a small kitchenette and a lovely comfy bed. There was a pool which looked very inviting as it was 37deg C when we arrived at 4pm.
We opted to head out for an early dinner as we were both tired and feeling the 2 hour time difference. 🤣. What a fluke….. we walked about 500m to the country comfort hotel and had dinner in their Fire House restaurant. It was just lovely, the food was first rate as where the lovely staff.
if anyone is looking for near airport hotels, the Quest was just great, the Country Comfort looked really good too. A bit older but great lobby bar and pool area, along with the restaurant. Coincidentally The Ingot hotel was across the road from the Quest and looked lovely, our daughter will stay there tomorrow night, as they arrive quite late. Happy to let you know what she thinks.
We had an early start this morning, that 2 hours makes a big difference. Collected our RV, a Mercedes Sprinter which is a lot smaller than we’ve had previously. So looking to seeing if we like it. As it’s warm and our goals are, exploring beaches, winery visits and Christmas get togethers, we think it will be fine.
Dec 26th, 2022, 01:08 AM
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Well don’t trips get in the way of TR’s 😂😂. Merry Christmas to all, hope everyone had or is having a lovely time with their family.
just to back up a bit, our daughter loved the Ingot, very spacious apartment hotel. Great with their 7 & 1 year old.
we collected our van and look, to be honest we don’t love it. We’re very lucky that the weather is perfect so really only using it as a bedroom. It’s just too claustrophobic. But it was a test, so now we know. We’ve filled the fridge with all sorts of local yummyness……red wine, cheeses prawns etc. so we’re fine ha ha .
it was about a 3 hour drive to Anniebrook, our first destination in the Margaret river region. Stopping off in the beautiful seaside town of Mandurah at the Brighton hotel, for a lovely fish n chip lunch.
We set our selves up and planned our time. headed first to the Cape Naturaliste light house, great views. We headed into Busselton, so far our favourite town. So beautiful, with its busy foreshore and famous jetty are fantastic. We did the long walk to the end of the jetty. 2 kms each way and it was hot!!!!! 37 degs that day but lovely. No humidity at all. Had a great swim in the bay and decided we weren’t too old to go jump off the jetty with all the local kids. Such fun. Settled in to Shelter brewery for a well deserved rest and yummy pizza c/w their own brew. Well if I’m honest I had a pomegranate spritzer that was Devine.
The next day we headed to the Ngiligi caves, had to wait for about an hour for an available entry time. So they suggested we walk to the Caves House hotel, I’m guessing about 1 km. Felt more as it really was bush walking and very hot. But what a spectacular house/ hotel with amazing gardens. Did our cave visit, the caves were terrific but it was a little too busy. Hard to squeeze past people on the boardwalks.
We felt we deserved 😉 a treat. So we headed to the Injidup Natural Spa. Wow. A beautiful crystal clear rock pool, that every now and then was hit by a massive wave. Seriously if you weren’t holding on it was like being in a washing machine. Such fun.
Drove back into Dunsborough to catch up with our daughter, her in-laws and my adorable grand children. Plans were made for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve was a special treat for the ladies. The men folk entertained the kids, 8 in all ranging from 6 months to 10 years, at a water fun park. The ladies went to a winery for an extravagant lunch. A stunning setting, with beautiful food with matched wine just a perfect day for all. The winery was Aravina Estate Yullingup.
Christmas Day was at the apartments the kids were stay at, fortunately they had access to really lovely grounds. We found as many tables as we could, decorated them with some local shrubbery and had a feast of local seafood, ham and produce. Perfection
So that’s it so far… today we headed to Albany, 3 hour drive so by the time we said goodbye to the kids we arrived in time to set up for the night. We will spend a couple of days exploring the region. We’ve decided to try and make it to Esperence.
Cape Naturaliste light house
Busselton jetty
Busselton jetty
Caves house gardens
Caves House gardens
Nguligi Cave
Injidup natural spa
just to back up a bit, our daughter loved the Ingot, very spacious apartment hotel. Great with their 7 & 1 year old.
we collected our van and look, to be honest we don’t love it. We’re very lucky that the weather is perfect so really only using it as a bedroom. It’s just too claustrophobic. But it was a test, so now we know. We’ve filled the fridge with all sorts of local yummyness……red wine, cheeses prawns etc. so we’re fine ha ha .
it was about a 3 hour drive to Anniebrook, our first destination in the Margaret river region. Stopping off in the beautiful seaside town of Mandurah at the Brighton hotel, for a lovely fish n chip lunch.
We set our selves up and planned our time. headed first to the Cape Naturaliste light house, great views. We headed into Busselton, so far our favourite town. So beautiful, with its busy foreshore and famous jetty are fantastic. We did the long walk to the end of the jetty. 2 kms each way and it was hot!!!!! 37 degs that day but lovely. No humidity at all. Had a great swim in the bay and decided we weren’t too old to go jump off the jetty with all the local kids. Such fun. Settled in to Shelter brewery for a well deserved rest and yummy pizza c/w their own brew. Well if I’m honest I had a pomegranate spritzer that was Devine.
The next day we headed to the Ngiligi caves, had to wait for about an hour for an available entry time. So they suggested we walk to the Caves House hotel, I’m guessing about 1 km. Felt more as it really was bush walking and very hot. But what a spectacular house/ hotel with amazing gardens. Did our cave visit, the caves were terrific but it was a little too busy. Hard to squeeze past people on the boardwalks.
We felt we deserved 😉 a treat. So we headed to the Injidup Natural Spa. Wow. A beautiful crystal clear rock pool, that every now and then was hit by a massive wave. Seriously if you weren’t holding on it was like being in a washing machine. Such fun.
Drove back into Dunsborough to catch up with our daughter, her in-laws and my adorable grand children. Plans were made for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve was a special treat for the ladies. The men folk entertained the kids, 8 in all ranging from 6 months to 10 years, at a water fun park. The ladies went to a winery for an extravagant lunch. A stunning setting, with beautiful food with matched wine just a perfect day for all. The winery was Aravina Estate Yullingup.
Christmas Day was at the apartments the kids were stay at, fortunately they had access to really lovely grounds. We found as many tables as we could, decorated them with some local shrubbery and had a feast of local seafood, ham and produce. Perfection
So that’s it so far… today we headed to Albany, 3 hour drive so by the time we said goodbye to the kids we arrived in time to set up for the night. We will spend a couple of days exploring the region. We’ve decided to try and make it to Esperence.
Cape Naturaliste light house
Busselton jetty
Busselton jetty
Caves house gardens
Caves House gardens
Nguligi Cave
Injidup natural spa
Last edited by aussiedreamer; Dec 26th, 2022 at 01:16 AM.
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