Bunbury, Augusta, Brusselton, Margaret River

Busselton

Cale Leuwin Lighthouse

John & I at Augusta

Georgie, Mark, Helen

Bunbury

Every day seems to be busy and we are seeing a lot of the country in this corner of the world.

Bunbury
I think I referred to Bunbury as a town similar in size to Beaudesert but I was wrong. It would be closer in size to Toowoomba. Bunbury is a town that very much relies on outdoor activity for entertainment. Most of the people here are involved in some sort of sporting activity with sailing, wind surfing, surfing, canoing and swimmig being perhaps the most popular. There is an abundance of sporting clubs for the various codes of football with AFL being the most popular. Cricket and netball are also popular. Bunbury, like most of the south west that we have seen so far is relatively flat and would lend itself well to biking and walking, althouth I haven't seen too many dedicated bike trails.

The harbour is the centre of activity in Bunbury and is really very pretty. Over the years it has undergone quite a facelift to make it more picturesque and tidy with recent years seeing a spate of yuppy style development around the foreshore (lots of upmarket units, offices and cafes). On Sunday afternoon as we were recovering from Helen's party we had coffee at one of the surf clubs by the beach and had timed it just right so as to be able to watch the Crystal classic sailing race in which about a dozen or more sailing boats took part. It was lovely to be able to sit and watch as the boats completed the designated course before heading back into the harbour and out of our view. After coffee we did a tour of Bubnury including the lookout which offers spectacular 360 degree views of the harbour and surrounding areas.



Margaret River
Monday we headed down to Margaret River and on to Augusta and the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. Our first stop was the Margaret River chocolate factory where they make very decadent gourmet chocolate (read very expensive). Large bowls of white, milk and dark chocolate buttons are on display with spoons for visitors to help themselves to - very nice! The factory itself is kept fairly cool so as to preserve the chocolate at its best while visitors generally freeze while they are brousing. I guess it works to deter visitors form spending too much time brousing and eating choc buttons. We enjoyed a coffee with a choc brownie and tripple choc cookie before making the obligatory purchase and heading on our way.

Our next stop was in the town of Margret River where we visited the rammed earth church. The church is made almost entirely of rammed earth bricks and glass and looks spectacular. The overall effect is stunning. From there it was on to Karridale where we visited the Santa shop which started out as a specialized jewelry shop and then diversified into all things Christmas so now they sell Christmas decorations all year round as well as their own spectacular range of jewlery. Naturally we couldn't resist and had to buy something there. We also stopped at the fudge factory, a quaint little natural soaps shop and a cellar door with multiple winery tastings.

Margaret River area is quite large and encompases not only the town of Margaret River but many small towns in the region. While the area is perhaps most famous for its wines, it is also a significant dairy area which is famous for its cheeses and dairy products as well as venison. The region is quite picturesque to drive through and some of the wineries are particularly spectacular. Yesterday we had lunch at Flutes restaurant at Brooklands winery. After following the beautifully manicured driveway for a several hundred metres we came to the restaurant which is set on the banks of a beautiful lake and overlooking the vineyards. This would make a spectacular venue for a wedding or other special occasion but I have no doubt you would pay through the nose for it. Lunch is a very decdent but expensive affair and with what John & I had (a main with one glass of wine) there was very little change from $100. This is 5star yuppy quality at its best. The wines that we tried were very nice.

Augusta
Augusta sits on the south western most point of the mainland and is constantly windswept. Monday was no exception. There is a lovely river inlet that balloons out to a lake area just inland so this area is perfect for families with small kids and for windsufing, swimming and canoing. We had a picnic lunch on the foreshore and were entertained by the seagulls and pelicans. The coastline is rugged and mostly rocky but the water is the most amazing blue and green and crystal clear - absloutely pristine (and no doubt freezing). We ventured up to the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse and did our best not to get blown away. At this point the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean and the mix of currents creates al sorts of problems for ships and boats in the area, hence the need for a lighthouse. It also produces a unique mix of sea life but is not the best spot for fishing. From March to October this would provide a spectacular vantage point for watching the whales on their annual migration and the free telescopes at the lookouts would certainly enhance the experience. The area is also known for its seals and fairy penguins although we did not see any this time round.

Busselton
Yesterday we visited Busselton, home fo the longest jetty in the world. At just over 1800metres it is quite a hike to the end where they have set up an underwater observatory. they used to have a train running out to the observatory but at the moment it is under repair so walking is the only option. Busselton used to be a busy port but throughout the years the port was moved to Bunbury which offers better harbour facilities and now the jetty is soely used for tourism. We didn't walk to the end of the jetty which turned out to be a good decision as it rained when we were there and we would have gotten soaked which would have put a real damper on the rest of the day. It was also freezing. Instead we visited the museum and gift shop before having an indulgent Simmos ice cream while sheltering from the rain. The beach at Busselton is relatively flat and easy to access and the water is also pristine.

Cape Naturaliste
Yesterday we also visited Dunsburough and several other coastal towns including the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste. Unlike Cape Leeuwin, this is a relatively short lighthouse and is set back from the coastline on a hill. It is a category one lighthoue and is likely to always be in operation. We did the tour of the lighthouse which was very interesting. The conditions that the lighthouse keepers worked under were quite difficult and would probably not be tolerated by today's obsession with workplace health and safety. It is probably a very good thing that it is now fully automated. The view from the top of the lighthouse was quite spectacular. Most of the coastal towns in ths region are used as holiday getaways for people in Bunbury and Perth and surrounding areas. Beachfront land is extremly expensive with little available under seven figures and most in the high end of that. Although it is lovely I really haven't seen anything that I have lusted after, prefering the beaches on the east coast.