Living the Luxe Life

Mr Andrew Robertson did a great job booking this wee treat....

Crown Towers on left, Crown Metropole on right- where the casino is. Looking across Swan River.

Right at home here and the view of Perth's CBD worth every cent...

Time to walk off the 3 hour drive from Busselton and explore the lush parklands and riverside highlights of South Perth.

Paused on way across to watch zipliners crossing river from central bridge tower. More height than my vertiginous tendencies could cope with I think. 

When you need a little spell....

Night time spectacle - no sign of the starry sky from here.

Bays and Brews

After good night's sleep, headed back up - or down- Caves Road, past  Dunsborough and out towards Cape Naturaliste for a bit of beach hiking. 

After quick look at Eagle Bay, including making friends with a local labrador, carried on to Bunker Bay. 

Still a few stormy downpours happening but the wind soon dried us out on way back. 12,000 steps today and sand walking just about as good as stairs😁 sea warmish but pretty rough. 

Up to Cape Naturaliste for a wander round historic lighthouse and cottages. Learned about local fire risk from arsonists in summer. A very real danger as apparently although very wet and lush at this time of year,  the bush and whole cape area is tinder dry through summer. 

Topped/tapped off morning with lunch back at Eagle Bay Brewing... best brewery lunch yet and gorgeous farmland views - between horizontal rain showers. Eagle Bay beers well worth finding; 3.5% XPA for me and wheat beer for Chris.🍻🍻 Oh, and the food was delicious with great sharing options to try several of lovely things. Oh, and the coffee.... just yum☕️

Last day in Busselton and headed back down coast to explore more beach action. 

A couple of hardy surfers were braving these biggies at Yallungup - their biggest challenge seemed to be just getting out to the waves. Clairault Bay had quite a group out and seemed a lot more user friendly. Next stop Meelup Beach back nearer Dunsborough and recommended by lighthouse volunteer the day before. This was Chris's pick and proved well worth the detour. A beautiful wee spot to do a good warmup walk before finally braving the Indian Ocean for a swim.

Actually saw a sea eagle- at last-  and a green parrot; both protected in this particular sanctuary area. Proof of mid-winter swim. This pic taken before Chris forgot swimming sea with sunnies still on not his best idea🤣

Ended  day with delicious  Margaret River shiraz

And perfect pasta from our new Busselton 'local' -  Al Forno.

A fitting last hurrah in Margaret River region. We'll be back for sure. 

Out and about in Busselton

So time to explore Andrew's new neighbourhood- well, his house"s vicinity anyway. Have realised Busselton is gateway to whole Margaret River region.  Resort row along Bussell highway makes for tourist vibe and all beside beaches of Geographe Bay. 

Time to make like tourists ourselves and walked the iconic  Busselton Jetty; almost 2km long so earning its southern hemisphere longest jetty title. 

Highly recommend the tour of under water observatory. Takes you under the jetty - 8m down to sea floor- and you see the way jetty piles are colonised as new coral reefs.  Very cool. If you don't want to walk the 4k round trip you can go by solarpowered train.  We earned our late lunch at Shelter Micro brewery on foreshore by choosing foot over solar power. 

Outdoor and underground adventures

 Farewelled Andrew who was off  to Gracetown to surf - after food and coffee at Seawall Cafe, Prevelly - just down road from where we are staying.  Almost my local after 3 days in a row to get coffee :)  Talked a slightly reluctant Chris into visiting Mammoth Cave; one of several in  Leeuwin-Naturaliste  National Park.  It's a 'tunnel cave' so you walk through it and out at end via a 'dolmine' - a large sinkhole opening - then back to the start via a bush walk.                                                                                                                            

The underground explorer admiring the stalactites:                                                                             .

This section of the national park has over 7000 different plants and is a one of only 35 identified 'biodiversity' regions in the world.               

A jawbone from a prehistoric critter .

Climbing further into cave out the dolmine - impressive ancient rockfall on right.

Leg day - grateful for my PT! (Looking up and looking back)

Very aware of environmental impact - 

"WADANDI BOODJA - the Wadandi people are the traditional owners of the South West of Australia.  Wadandi Boodja means Saltwater People's Country.  Whilst living, travelling, visiting, and holidaying on Wadandi Boodja, we ask that you respect the area and walk softly on the country, taking the time to listen to the Boodja (Country) as she Wongi (talks) of the season, and leave nothing but footprints." Pibulmun Wadandi Yunungjarli Elder Wayne Webb.  

 "walk softly" - 💚

Spectacular drive through massive Marri tree section of national park - this bit untouched by bushfires although we saw plenty of burned sections too.  

Saw my first kangaroo crossing road today -  definitely a potential hazard to watch out for. It appeared from nowhere then just as quickly disappeared into the bush again. Chris and Andrew saw plenty on Margaret River's golf course. Not so cute if one comes through front of car!

Next stop: Jewel Cave. An hour on guided tour. Different type of cave- 3 stories below ground and only natural entrance a hole bored by a tree root over  millennia. Great guide Murray- learned heaps about limestone, crystals and history of cave.

Photos don't do justice to the scale but even my somewhat reluctant, claustrophobe sidekick enjoyed it - probably much to his surprise. 😘

Back to Gnarabup - where we've been staying- after a wander round Margaret River Village, a tiny bit of retail therapy, a beer in a local bar, a visit to Coles for tea food (taking a break from restaurants😄) and a trip to bottle store- it is Margaret River after all🍷🍷

Finally found some surfing to watch on our evening stroll - until downpour forced a brisk walk back to indoors. Note the paddleboarder. More my style but suspect the Indian Ocean it bit more of a challenge than Lake Wānaka.

Tomorrow we head up the coast road to explore our way back to Busselton for a few nights by the beautiful beach of Geographe Bay. 

Andrew's new investment ...

 Left Perth in a torrential rain storm and headed south via Busselton - Margaret River Region here we come...  Stopped in Vasse (Busselton's newest growing suburb - think Rolleston/Chch) to check out Andrew's section and soon to be new built house.  Round the corner from a "great high school", a new recreational and sports hub and only 5 minutes from the beautiful beaches of Geographe Bay (pronounced Geograph).  

Seriously impressed Mum and Dad :) Didn't realise that this is really the gateway to the whole Margaret River region - lots of wineries round here and all the way down Caves Road and the Bussell Highway - a shortish hop to Margaret River village itself.  Kind of weird trying to gauge scale and frequency of what's available as everything is behind, under or amongst bushland and the omnipresent eucalypt trees of various types.  Sun out but shortlived as series of big fronts on way across Indian Ocean to make landfall right where we are staying.  This is certainly a lush and fertile country with cattle, sheep, deer AND grapevines everywhere.  

Thanks to google maps, arrived at next seaside stop and home for 4 days - Margarets Beach Resort of course. BTW biggest waste of $ ever paying extra for a SatNav in rental car.  Duh!!  Camp mother shouldn't have consulted  offsider on this one.

View from the balcony - while the sun still shining.  Again, kind of misleading landscape - all sorts of paths, roads, houses, mansions.... throughout the bush and the ubiquitous red dirt everywhere.  

Short drive back into town for fab pub grub at The Settlers Tavern - everyone's local it appears and learning to always book ahead and online                                                                                             booking available for everywhere.