Margaret River region to Perth

Margaret River to Perth 11/5/12 - 18/5/12


Leaving the southern forests area we crossed west towards the Margaret River region. We were told there was a great camping spot at Alexandra Bridge. 



This was  right on the Blackwood River.  A great place to take the kayak out and also to leave the caravan so we could do our sightseeing of the southern part of this region.



Blackwood River

From here we made a quick visit down to Augusta and then  to the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse which sits on the tip of the peninsular and is the most south-westerly point of Australia where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet.  This is the tallest lighthouse on mainland, Australia.  During the months of June to September humpback and southern right whales can be seen from here as they migrate north.



Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

This region is also scattered with over 350 limestone caves, with 6 being developed into major tourist attractions. Beautiful sunsets and surfing beaches also feature in this region. We managed to fit in a delightful paddle up and down the river before setting off north towards Margaret River. The river was so calm it was like a mirror, as can be seen in the photo above.





Margaret River

The country town of Margaret River is situated 10kms in from the Indian Ocean on the banks of the Margaret River. It is set amidst green pastures and forests and is the state's largest premium wine producing region. It reminded us of the Barossa Valley in Sth Australia.  We were now getting good weather, with temps in the low to mid 20s. Very nice.

While in Margaret River we stayed a few kilometers out of the town at a sheep farm which had a part of the land turned into a caravan park. We had a gorgeous view overlooking green rolling hills where sheep were grazing.



Prevally Beach

The Margaret River township is very nice with many trendy cafes, gourmet restaurants and specialty shops. It has a relaxed laid back atmosphere.  Our stay here was short before travelling north along the coast passing some great surfing beaches and on towards the beachside towns of Dunsborough and Busseltown which lie within Geographe Bay.

Busselton

The resort town of Busselton has a population of 15,000, has lovely beaches and is famous for it's 1.8km jetty. It is the longest timber piled jetty in the southern hemisphere. For those unable to walk the distance  of the jetty there is a train to help transport people out to the end where there is an underwater observatory. Here you can view the ocean floor via a spiral staircase to view some of the amazing tropical and sub-tropical corals, sponges and fish living beneath the jetty. Unfortunately it was closing as we got there but we didn't mind too much as we see all this when we go snorkelling. While out on the jetty we could see a large storm approaching which meant a quick return but it caught us up as we neared the shore. Henceforth, we got a bit wet.  Being Mother's Day, Nigel thought he would spoil Carol, i.e. not having to cook a meal, so we finished the day up nicely with fish and chips. (Our 2nd bought meal since leaving Burleigh Heads.)

Bussellton Jetty

 Heading north towards Perth we arrived into Bunbury the following day, which was one of the largest towns (pop: 66,100) we have been to since leaving the Gold Coast. This is a very attractive and well laid out town. There were all the major shops here so we had to spend the day having various things to do. On our way out we drove past one of the coastal beaches where we found some kids doing some spectacular stunts on their body boards in the surf.

Look for the person upside down on the left

Still heading north we stayed a few days at Herron Point, inland from the coast, on an inlet south of Mandurah. This is a beautiful peaceful spot which was ideal for us to use the kayak and relax for a few days. There is a camp host here and every Wednesday night people come from around the area to put their nets in and catch fish from the inlet. We had beautiful weather as you can see from the photos.

From here we put aside a couple of days to visit friends and relatives who all live between Mandurah and Perth and were all conveniently located in close proximity to each other. It was lovely meeting up with two of Carol's cousins, Janelle (and 5mth old Lena), and Sandra who Carol hasn't seen for 35 years.

Also we were able to camp on the front yard of a house with access to showers and toilets.

A great camp site thanks to Neil. (Neil and Kerrin are friends from Melbourne who have just recently moved over to Perth). Kerrin was not there at the time as she was finishing up work in Melbourne before joining Neil.

At the same time Carol was also able to catch up with Bev, who Carol lived with in London, nearly 40 years ago.

It made a nice change seeing people we knew.

As we have been to Perth and Freemantle before we decided to drive straight through the City.   Nigel did very well  navigating the freeways with all the roadworks and traffic. We had a beautiful sunny day driving through and saw Perth at its best. 

A couple of other people we visited were Geoff and Lois Sutton, on the northern side of Perth. Geoff and Lois are friends from Wellington, NZ who moved to Perth about 40 yrs ago. We left there place late in the day as it was getting dark and weren't sure just where we were going to spend the night but we did find an overnight stop just off the road. Thank goodness.

Next blog will be from Perth to Geraldton.