| After a couple days in Perth, Sunday morning we headed south down the coast of Western Australia to visit the beaches and Margaret River wine country. But, it wasn’t quite as simple as that. The Perth City to Surf race was in full swing and the course ran right in front of our hotel. All the surrounding streets were blocked off. Bags in tow, we snaked through the runners twice before we reached a location Uber could meet us and take us to the airport to pick up our car. Fortunately we pack so we can walk-a-mile without strain (backpack and medium sized roller bag) as that’s just how far we walked. A voice inside my head kept playing a loop, “I’m getting too old for this.” But I guess I’m not as we made it without difficulty. Thank goodness for roller bags! |  |
 Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse | After the sketchy start on our journey , things looked up. The rental car is large and comfortable. Roads are excellent and traffic light. With only an occasional reminder to stay on the correct side of the road (the left) we were off on our adventure. Randall had downloaded maps to his phone so we could use GPS without consuming data. First stop: Mandurah for brunch on the pier overlooking a beautiful harbor. Next, a leisurely drive down the coast through karri forests with occasional glimpses of the coast. To say that Australia has a lot of beaches is a gross understatement. Not only do they surround the island/continent, but from what we’ve seen they are all soft sand and spectacularly beautiful. Of course we stopped for walks on the beach and photos of the local lighthouses. |
We spent our first night in a holiday park on the coast in Busselton. Accommodations in this neck of the woods tend to be family holiday parks, much like we’d have stayed in when traveling back in the 50’s. Most are spotlessly clean cabins which include kitchenettes and are run by very friendly and helpful locals. If you’re looking for Hyatt or a 5-star resort, this is not the place for you. But if you’re looking for laid back, beautiful and uncrowded beaches, great wines and lovely people, come!
Our second day south of Perth we passed through towns with names like Yallingup, Cowaramup and Prevelly/Gnarabup. We were torn between the natural glory of the beaches and the Margaret River wines this area is known for. True to our philosophy of life as “and” rather than “or”, we managed to do both. We stopped at three wineries, sampling multiple varieties including the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon this area is so famous for. The tasting rooms are intimate, wines fabulous and tastings free unless you want to try to “premium” stuff, which of course we did. This is like Napa and Sonoma in the 70’s. Well, not quite. Wine is expensive here – the least expensive bottle we saw was $20A ($16US), but $50 - $130A was more typical.
 Voyager Estate |  Weeuwin Estate Winery |
Xanadu Winery
 | One more surprise... Most of the world's truffles now come from Australia and are hunted by dogs rather than by pigs as has been traditional. Of course we had to stop for a sample! Leave it to the Aussies to combine truffles and wine. I've been thinking back to what the local said to us the first morning, "Don't tell anyone about us. We don't need more people here." I believe I failed meeting his request. This is one fabulous place to visit and live. Come check it out. We're staying near the Perth airport tonight. Tomorrow we're off to Darwin in northern Australia. |
