Advertisement
Published: November 22nd 2007
Edit Blog Post
Brochure Text:
• Margaret River
• Aboriginal Centre
• Busselton Jetty
• Dolphin Discovery Centre
Awakening to a wonderful misty southwest morning we rise to the sights of kangaroos and emus which are abundant in the area. Heading North West, we journey to the famous wine and surfing region of Augusta & Margaret River. The spectacular limestone coast winds its way to the mouth of the Margaret River. Nearby, waves from the Indian Ocean wash onto the pristine beaches, home of the world famous WA Masters Surf Championships. We continue to the Wardan Aboriginal Centre where we learn about the early tribal Aborigines, the Warandi people. Hear about the amazing ‘bush craft skills’ used by the original people who thrived in the district for thousands of years. After lunch, we enjoy wine tasting at an exclusive winery and also spoil ourselves at the locally run Chocolate Company. Next stop, we visit one of the vast networks of caves in the region. Then it’s Busselton Jetty, for a look at the longest wooden piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. Our tour is coming to an end and before we say our goodbyes, we have one last stop at Bunbury Dolphin Discovery centre sitting on the edge of Koombana Bay and maybe see a dolphin cruise by. Next stop Perth city where we arrive back around 7.00pm.
(B,L)
Thursday 22nd Alarm: 530! Already heard people moving before that... Don't want to get up but had a great sleep, so let's get moving! Up, packed and a quick breakfast - pulled a muscle in my back last night and still feeling it. By 630 we're on the road again, back past the vinyards and out on the road where a kangaroo bounces across in front of us. Drivers round here definitely seem to have more respect for the roads/harsh environment round here... Unsurprisingly. Few drivers drive at night if possible, and the vast distances to a hospital ensures vehicles are well stocked with spares and supplies... I'm not sure I'd want to be a backpacker with an old car on some of those empty roads, but still - would be fun?!
So, dozing off, start to smell the sea air and sure enough we're pulling in in front of the lighthouse where the 1) Southern Ocean meets 2) the Indian Ocean (try and tell that from photos) - no
great clashes but kinda interesting - but maybe not worth the early start! By 830 we're in the Bakery in Augusta - all looks tasty - go halves on an iced bun and relax in the sun. Bart tells us that Albany was the first settlement, Augusta the second and Perth the third - but when choosing the capital of WA Perth was chosen.
By 930 we're driving through the Margaret River wine region and stopping on the beach to watch the Margaret River Mainbreak come in... Area used to be agricultural, in last 10-15 years has gone from 10 or so wineries to over 300, then surfers started to chase the waves and surf tourism also took off - lot of money in this region now. Soon realise all those little black dots are surfers and watch as they ride or wipeout on the waves, whilst Bart goes 'whoah, man' next to us! The words 'chocolate factory have us jumping back in the van and off we go! Wow, that was good chocolate - there were massive bowls full of chocolate pellets to taste (not scoff, but I think our group may have made a bit of a
dent... Cleggy had said limited to 10 handfuls per 5 minutes.. Hee hee), and hot chocolate to buy - probably the nicest one I've ever had, so bought some pellets so can make my own!
Next stop, the Aboriginal Centre - pretty interesting - we were joined behind a school party and followed 'Big Eagle' around as he explained the medicinial use of plants (and how they're trying to share the knowledge without letting big pharmaceutical companies patent it), and how the aboriginal culture was (and is) very much a long-term sustainable one, with resources shared and never more than was needed taken. Demonstrated how they coped with the climate, etc and then provided a toolmaking demonstration - how natural materials were used for tools/weapons (and the culture was one of 'an eye for an eye' between tribes, and that ended the matter - no sustained wars), and then tribal dances, including, of course, the digeridoo! This all took a couple of hours in the baking heat after which we were ready for a winery, where olives and quince paste/croutons were laid out, and 3 whites, 1 rose, 3 reds and 2 liqueurs were tasted. Went for olives and
the 2nd liqueur - just got to pack it now so can enjoy later in my trip! Next stop a dash into Coles Supermarket for a couple of roast chickens before 5 minutes later stopping at the beach to have lunch ... And trying to ignore the seagulls.
Back on the road to Busselton, where there's a 2km long jetty (with an underwater observatory at the end) - we don't have time to do more than look at it before we're back on the road, shortly after driving through more trees which Bart tells us are Ludlow Trees, only on this 10km stretch in the world, and these ones are dying off and attempts to re-grow are not working, so within 20 years they will probably all be gone. All this rushing is to ensure that we get to Bunbary for 330 for a boat ride out to see the dolphins and we make it with 5 minutes to spare... Then we sit there - no sign of the boat so Bart goes off to phone someone, and by 345 we've been told that the boat left at 3pm, and the paperwork we have is wrong. There's nothing they
can do but this was supposed to be the cherry on the cake for this trip and there's quite a lot of disappointment when we get taken to the 'Dolphin Discovery Centre' instead which turns out to be a few information boards, a depressing video which demonstrates dolphins raping and dealing with dead pups - nothing too cheery there. Out at the 'interactive zone' there's no dolphins in so it's back on the road to Perth. Not impressed as the dolphin tour is quite expensive and would have been covered in the price of our ticket, and I was more excited by the boat ride than the dolphins but ho hum...
We get back into Perth for 7pm as promised. Hoping to meet Judy tomorrow to go round town and go to Perth Mint, but we'll see what time I wake up. Meantime, found my request for a female dorm/lower-bunk has not worked - am in a mixed dorm in a top bunk (not even sure I can get into that tonight with my back, but have to somehow!), but they always ensure that a mixed dorm should be 2/2, rather than 3/1 so I don't mind that so
much, but he's going to try and get me on a bottom bunk for tomorrow - there's just not a single bed free tonight, that's how popular this hostel is. Meantime, repack everything, have some bread and olives and finish off the previous port, then a bit of internet and sleep!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.079s; Tpl: 0.025s; cc: 8; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0213s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb