10 - 13 April 2012

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On Tuesday we needed to remedy a problem we had inadvertently created by failing to leave the house key with the owners from the house sit in Bunbury. Off we headed mid-morning for another drive to the south-west but the weather remained perfect and we arrived in Bunbury just before lunch. After returning the key, pottering around the main street and having some lunch we headed back to Forrestfield. The temperature was on the rise (mid-30s) so by the time we made it back to the caravan park the pool was a welcome relief.

Wednesday had us setting off to Subiaco to explore another pocket of Perth we had not yet ventured into. This is a very exclusive suburb that is visually beautiful with immaculate suburban streets and sprawling urban gardens and parks. The shops and cafes were glitzy and glamorous and as far as food and coffee goes you could not find more options. However, the area was not for this little camper. A tad too upper-market for my taste so while enjoyable I don't think we will be back in a hurry.

Over the past few weeks we discovered our van's LPG system had a faulty valve so we had that tended to Thursday morning. Once that was over we took another drive into the gorgeous Perth Hills. We made a stop at Churchman Brook Dam before spending the remainder of the day at Araluen Botanic Park.

The Park was superb with plenty of walking trails that took you down to running creeks among the lush bushland that had a healthy sprinkling of large ferns by the water. The Park has an agricultural touch with a variety of vegetable gardens and there is also a large rose plantation on site. Weddings would be aplenty at this magnificent location. We took the opportunity to have a coffee at the tea house overlooking much of the charming surrounds.

Friday took us back into the Hills and this time it was an afternoon stop at the Core Cider House. The expanding orchard is set in a fantastic little valley and the afternoon sun highlighted the property's natural splendour. The Cider House has a great deck overlooking the property and we took the opportunity to sample the apple and pear ciders they had on offer as well as a delicious lemon tart. It was probably a good thing I was driving or there would have been a hefty bill that would have hurt the bank balance. There are plenty of food options to try so this spot is high on our list of recommendations.

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