The Great Aussie Road Trip begins...


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Oceania » Australia » Western Australia » Margaret River
December 22nd 2010
Published: December 22nd 2010
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After all the long hours and days spent tracking down the perfect car it was a welcome and astonishing surprise to us that it took mere minutes to become her owners. The stacks of cash that we'd been routinely withdrawing all weekend had exchanged hands, a big bundle of fifty dollar bills swiftly deposited into Stewerts wife's handbag. Now for the transfer of ownership...a cursory look at Lewi's passport and a few taps on a keyboard and the lady proclaimed we were done. It was as easy as that, she didn't even look at his drivers license, apparently you don't need one to own a car in Western Australia! With a wave goodbye to Stew and an excitement bubbling within we drove off, it felt so great to be back behind the wheel again, in our own car!

In the next few hours we stocked our car to near bursting, we spent hundreds of dollars on esky's (coolbox), gas stove, crockery, pots and pans, lots of food and two tanks of fuel. It was painfully to part with so much money in one day but finally, we were ready.

Before we began the long ascent to Darwin we decided that we should first go south...to the most southwesterly point of Australia to be precise, Augusta, and then meander through the Margaret River area before skirting back past Perth on our journey up. So, having purchased all supplies we giddily set off at 5pm hitting the rush hour traffic as we left Perth. We got three hours of driving under our belts before calling it a night and pitched up in the dunes at Bunbury. I was so pleased, the car drove so smoothly and being automatic was as easy as a go-cart to manage, we fell into an elated sleep cosy in our 'Freo' duvet.

The sunlight and thoughts of rangers patrolling the beach had woken us early to a thankfully empty beach and carpark. I was very aware that it was now our fifth day of not showering and so despite the cool 6am temperatures we braved the public toilets and took icy cold showers. This was the brilliant thing that we discovered about Australia, nearly all public toilet blocks include shower facilities, perfect for us smelly travellers!

It was only a couple of hours drive to the small town of Augusta through lush agricultural land with hay fields and vineyards lining the road. We picnicked by the river where a flock of pelicans waded, and then drove to Flinders Bay. This gorgeous cove is a historical site where a whaling settlement was based, now it's a lovely beach from which the protected Humpback and Southern Right whales can be spotted as they migrate to cool Antarctic waters for summer. The high winds and waves meant that it wasn't possible to spot any today.

The best part about Augusta was the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and the beautiful wild coastline surrounding it. Huge waves pounded the rocky shore sending spray metres into the air. We found one of numerous secluded places to park our car and were able to sleep in view of the now flashing lighthouse. With the wind whistling around us and the sound of stormy seas crashing below we really did feel at the ends of the earth, it was exhilarating.

The next morning as we cruised through Augusta in search of a shop in which to buy washing up liquid (there's always something you forget!) we came across the town's croquet club. A hearty welcome from the only two ladies there and a cup of tea later, and we were playing a round ourselves trying to follow the 'association' rules. Brightly colored parrots swooped over the perfectly kept lawn and the ladies complimented me on my swing, it was surreal to say the least.

We took an interesting route up into the popular winery area of Margret River, a 14km dirt track through an ancient karri forest. The huge white barked trees looked beautiful in the dappled sunlight, but the short distance on the bumpy road took almost an hour so you can imagine how slowly we had to drive.

We passed through the rather quaint township of Margaret River, and found ourselves heading north on Caves Rd. This 40 kilometre stretch cuts right through prime winery territory, with a turning every few kilometres to a cellar door with free tastings. It was too much to resist. Our first stop was the imposing and rather impersonal Voyager Estate, there was no doubting it's beauty; manicured lawns, ancient curling vines and sweet scented rose gardens, but inside it was soulless. This review came only after we'd sampled the full array of whites and reds of course.

As usual we had no idea where we would be sleeping that night but were heading roughly towards a town called Yallingup. Before we reached the traditional aboriginal honeymooning town we called in at 'Edwards' winery where a lovely simple scene greeted us. An alpaca and his beloved sheep glanced in our direction, their enclosure surrounded by neatly planned rows of grapes. The service at this family winery was excellent and the wine wasn't bad either! We chatted a while and took a look at the late owners Tiger Moth plane, in which he had made a memorable charitable journey all the way from England raising $70,000 for retired servicemen.

Yallingup seemed rather over populated for our style of free camping so after a quick look around the gorgeous cove, we searched for greener pastures. It was through this searching that we found Meelup Bay, where we spent the next three days. Part of Cape Naturaliste National Park, Meelup quickly endeared itself to us. It was a sheltered, shimmering sandy beach with the setting sun casting a spectacular light across the bay. A patch of woodland beside the beach gave us our first sighting of the iconic Australian animal, the kangaroo. It was a beautiful moment, watching it's unique marsupial movement as it bounded through the trees. Following our instincts for evading park rangers we left the obvious main carpark and tucked our camouflaged maroon car amongst the bushes in a lay-by further on. To be least conspicuous we didn't bother putting the tent up, instead choosing to sleep inside our car with the seats rolled as far back as possible..it was surprisingly comfortable.

Over the next few days we settled into a great routine. Every morning we would drive to the bay, shower in icy but refreshing water, then cook up a big breakfast on the free gas BBQ's. We were relaxing, sipping our Indo coffee from Tana Toraja, when Lewi said suddenly "look over there!" It was a huge Humpback whale gliding along only 100m from the shoreline. Her massive bulk would pop up from the waves and then slip back beneath with a jet of water ejected from her blowhole. It was magical. The next morning we saw another magnificent whale surrounded by a school of playful dolphins. Add to this the rainbow of colourful parrots, grey/pink galahs, and of course the wonderful kanga's and you can see what a wonderful wildlife spot this was.

When we tired of playing David Attenborough we would hit the road and go on a wine tasting tour a la Hannah and Lewi. It was brilliant, we had three afternoons of sipping the finest wines, ports and champenoise and all for free! We were initiated in the art of correct tasting etiquette, spittoons, and oaking techniques. Did you know an empty French oak barrel in which to age ones wine costs $16,000? (£10,000). On one memorable afternoon winery crawl when I was 'Des' we both learnt a lot about wine, spoke to some lovely people, bought two bottles of delicious vintage and (Lewi) got rather drunk!

Overall it had been one of the most beautiful and perfectly located places we've stayed. Three free nights car-camping, a stunning bay overflowing with wildlife, beautiful weather (even if the sea is too chilly for swimming), and over fifty wineries on your doorstep! What more could you want?!


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