Homeward Bound



Cheese Tasting in Harvey today

My eyes are heavy but I have no time to sleep.  It has been an exhausting day.  It started early packing and cleaning the holiday unit. Mel helped which I was grateful.  By mid morning we were at the Dome in Busselton enjoying coffee and Merv was tucking into his beloved apple pie!  Helen had suggested we take the long way home via the South West Highway.  I am always ready for variety and a challenge.  At times we  were alone on the road with not a soul (or car) in sight.  It made for easy driving.  We turned off to Harvey shortly after bypassing Bunbury. We stopped at the Harvey Cheese Factory, tasting and buying more delicious cheese!  We continued on the long and winding road to Pinjarra.  We were looking for a lunch stop and a sign on the side of the road alerted us to the town bakery.  We knew it was the ideal place to eat as the locals were out in force!  Merv had a meat pie and chips while Mel and I ordered baguettes filled with cheese, chicken and fresh salad.  We were so full we were unable to finish our feast!  Back on the road for just over an hour and our relief was felt as we pulled into our driveway.  It is always good to get home!  Dustin and his lovely girlfriend helped us to unload the car.  They treated us to coffee and cake while we chatted about our adventures.  Our holiday together has been a wonderful adventure.  Now it's time to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Meelup Beach

Mel forgets about calories while on holiday!

A kookaburra entertains us at Meelup Beach

It's our final full day and we are planning to make the most of it.  Even the ongoing road works between Busselton and Dunsborough refuses to deter our enthusiasm! We arrive in Dunsborough at 10:30am and meet up with friend Helen.  Mel is determined to bite into a custard and cream doughnut from the local bakery.  We arm ourselves with coffee in disposable cups, cakes of our choice, serviettes and choose a table sheltered from the chilly breeze.   We watch Mel devour half of her doughnut before she has a change of heart and gives the remaining half to Merv.   He has no reservations and devours both the doughnut and his apple pie.  I delight in a fruit slice and Helen enjoys a French vanilla slice.  We chat for an eternity only stopping as time beckons and our day is being swallowed up.  Helen suggests we give Meelup Beach a miss and visit the beach down the road where we went on  Monday.
It's been twenty four years since we visited Meelup Beach and the memory of calm bluer than blue ocean, soft sand, trees and grass come together to paint a perfect picture.  Mel is thinking likewise and we head off ignoring Helen's directions and we end up at Yallinyup before we turn around and successfully find our way to Meelup.  I feel like we are on a treasure hunt.  We pull the fold up chairs from the boot and arrange them on the grassed area which offers an amazing view of the ocean, sand and people frolicking in the water.  A palette of blues keep us mesmerised as their intensity changes constantly.  A lone kookaburra shows off in a tree not far from us.  He delights in laughing and I capture his cheekiness with my camera.  Merv and Mel sit on their chairs while I kick off my shoes and squish the sand between my toes before allowing the salt water wash over my feet and tickle me with delight!  My memories of today compliment my memories of yesterday.

The beauty of Meelup Beach

We return the wheelchair after we have our final long walk along the Busselton foreshore.  The weather has warmed slightly and the exercise is our plan but the view and enjoyment make our last day in Busselton a special celebration.  We finish our day with a meal at the Esplanade Hotel.  I remember as a teenager eating counter meals at the Esplanade Hotel.  I take photos to show Mum.  Hopefully it will bring back pleasant memories of years long gone.




Busselton Jetty Observatory

Tourist train on Busselton Jetty

An array of fish viewed at the observatory

A chill filled the air as we grabbed our jackets this morning.  We were booked on the tiny train which takes tourists the 1.7km ride to the end of the jetty.  At the end of the jetty sits an underwater observatory.  I had enquired about disability access and was pleased to know a lift is also available.  The train trundled slowly along the jetty as the children waved to the walkers, fishermen and maintenance men along the way.  Once in  the observatory Mel joined the main group and took the spiral staircase to the various platforms until they reached the ground floor. Merv and I took the lift and reached the main viewing platform first.  There were thousands of sardines and schools of anchovies.  Tiny little fish, some of which I could swear were featured in Nemo and other kiddies animation movies! An array of medium and larger fish were in view but we did not see any octopus or jellyfish. The observatory has been placed near the coral reef.  The colours and variety of the coral brought back memories of snorkelling various places of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.  Many years ago for us now.  This afternoon we headed for the Bushshack Brewery in Dunsborough and taste tested numerous beers;  chocolate, lemon, chili, strawberry and mango.  It was a bit of fun and added a little zest to our holiday.



Mel enjoying sample fun beers

We continued on to the Goanna Gallery Café and drank coffee and ate hard scones with jam and cream!  Oh well!  The Gallery was full of very expensive art and craft.  We stopped and admired before we left empty handed.  It had been a fun day but our eating in the last few days rather extensive.  We took the wheelchair to the Vasse River and enjoyed a brisk walk while Merv enjoyed the scenery.  The weather had improved during the day and we are hoping for fine weather tomorrow to enjoy our final day in Busselton. 

Margaret River Tasting

Tranquil Aussie bush

Miss Google Maps woke with a sore head and took the morning off.  She showed up for work at lunchtime and was back on sick leave for the rest of the day.  The paper maps, a couple of brains and a little planning saved the day.  Merv and Mel are both in good spirits and I know there is not much walking in our plans today.  We leave the wheelchair in the unit.  There were many gravel areas but we managed to keep Merv on his feet and prevent any accidents.



Enjoying morning tea in the bushland setting

Margaret River is the tasting territory of the South West and we began our adventure at the Nuts and Cereal Factory.  It was much smaller than I expected.  The young man took no notice of us and barely grunted when I purchased chocolate coffee beans.  Along the same road is the renowned Chocolate Factory and Provodore Store.  At 10am my morning caffeine fix beckons me and we sit and enjoy hot drinks and share a large slice of apple pie with Merv, who has the cream and the best part of the pie to himself.  The setting amongst the natural bush is serenely calming.  We sit and enjoy its pleasure before tasting and buying chocolate and then we drive through to Provodore.  We are the only customers so early in the morning.  The place has taste tasting for every conceivable jam, pickle, olive and oil you can imagine.  I stock up with an array of different flavoured olives.  It is a short drive to the Silk Factory.  They tell us they are the only silk factory in Australia which makes their own silk.  They send their silk overseas to workers with disabilities.  The products are returned and are sold in the store alongside other products from silk producers and retailers.  I buy a beautiful teal silk scarf.  We try mulberry leaf herbal tea.  It is delightful and we wont leave until we purchase some.  We are soon back on the highway speeding legally at 110kph.  We pull into the Margaret River Dairy Factory and sample the cheese.  We buy camembert, herbal, marinated feta and cheddar. It is impossible to leave without buying an array of choice cheese.  I am glad I remembered the esky,  Next stop is Millers Ice Cream.  We travel what seems forever before finally seeing the sign.  We sit inside because it is hot but there is a delightful patio and garden area.  I enjoy Rum and Raisin, Merv has the chocolate and Mel the Mascarpone and Fig.    We are close to Olio Bello and choose to venture out to their store.  It is too hot to stop for lunch in their outdoor café and choose to purchase more olives, oil and feta.  We are almost on the doorstep of Margaret River township and I know Settlers Inn is the perfect lunch stop in the main street.  It is cool in the rustic looking inn.  The meals are huge and we are unable to finish everything but we leave well fed.  The staff  helped us locate the Berry Farm and they take time out to chat with us.  Last year I stayed in Margaret River twice and visited this pub twice.  Every time has been a pleasure.  We take our time and eventually we are on our way.  The scenery is picturesque and the driving pleasant.  It has been a very long time since we last visited the Berry Farm and it doesn't seem to be the same.  I am not impressed with any of their wines but buy a white wine anyway.  There are raspberries on sale and I do not need any encouragement to buy. I scoop them up and pay for them straight away.  How I love raspberries!  We return via Caves Road and suddenly the Venison Store is approaching.  We stop and buy venison sausages and have a poke around the store.  We return to Busselton at 4:30pm,  it has been a long eight hour day but a most enjoyable one.

Bunbury Bypass

Kangaroos in the Wildlife Park

After a restless night I was rested enough to take on the day ahead.  We left early and headed for Bunbury north of Busselton.  Mel had an appointment with Weight Watchers and we were excited to find she has lost 1.3kg (yes even on holiday).  Our next stop was to the Dolphin Discovery Centre with the help of Google Maps.  Even when I went the wrong way the nice lady soon had me back on track!  There were no sightings of dolphins today but we took time out to view the aquariums  and enjoyed  the ocean view.  For lunch we dined at a delightful café overlooking the Indian Ocean.  We had arranged to meet up with my friend with whom I will be holidaying in October.  This was the first time she had met Merv and Mel.  We shared a happy lunch of delightful food and conversation.  Our final stop in Bunbury was the wildlife park.  It was very small.  I find it is always pleasant to view animals but the park could do with an upgrade.  We enjoyed a pleasant drive back to Busselton taking the scenic route.  After a cuppa we took the wheelchair and enjoyed a walk along the foreshore.  There were families cycling and playing.  We will take home pleasant memories of our stay.


Catching Up




Merv, Helen and I enjoying our beach picnic

This morning I filled the tank with petrol and Mel bought an original ceramic olive dish for the same price!  Just proves you can have the same holiday but have different expectations!  The Google Maps on my mobile wouldn't work. Instead the tried and trusty tourist maps were thrust between the seats and I balanced them on the steering wheel while I checked my speed.  Mobile phone usage suddenly appeared less of a threat.  The tourist map has to be folded six times to make it A4 size.  It was seriously impairing my vision.  Only by luck did we make the correct turn and find ourselves at Happs Winery in Dunsborough.   We last visited here in 1990 and we loved their wine and wanted to return. It was just after 10am and we were first visitors of the day.  Firstly we viewed the amazing ceramics on the shelves. Several rooms filled with shelves littered with pottery from amazing artists.  Then the fun of wine tasting begun.  It must be a well known cliché  when you mention it is early morning and the answer is always, "Somewhere it is 5pm."  It clinches the deal every time.   I ensured Merv was sitting on an available chair and we tasted sweet, dry, white and red, leaving with four bottles.  Our plan had previously been to visit tourist destinations in the region until I heard from my good friend Helen.  She asked us over for lunch and we changed our plans to suit.  We bought produce from yesterday's market, bread rolls from the infamous local bakery and met Helen before making our way to the beach.  The sea breeze was brisk, the ocean streaked in water colour hues of greens and blues.  We chatted as we ate our chicken and salad rolls washed down with a Happs Classic White and bottled water.  We praised Helen for her home baked carrot cake and delighted in the juicy rockmelon from the market.  As the sun sneaked around and stole our shade we retreated back to Helen's house for a cuppa.  I am glad we changed our plans, catching up with friends is the best way to enjoy a holiday.



A Wicked Weekend

It's almost chilly in the morning.  I wake early after a restless night.  I need caffeine!  We are out and about early heading for the local Rotary markets.  We become hopelessly lost but I enjoy the drive and having a look at the local houses and gardens.  We realise the markets and information centre have both moved and keep going finally stumbling across them.  Mel wastes no time in spending money and in minutes she has bought a stunning pair of pink patterned earrings and a fabulous sun hat.  We both buy homemade pickles and I stock up on market fresh fruit and vegetables.  Black clouds threaten and we make a hasty retreat and find ourselves unexpectantly at the Dome Café.  It is small and busy and we order our regular coffee and apple pie.  Merv is in his element and beams with satisfaction!  Just after midday we try to find a café in the main shopping areas and we have walked up Fig Tree Lane and found the cafes closed on Sunday.  Instead we decide to dine at Equinox on the foreshore and enjoy a long, though late lunch followed by a glorious long walk along the foreshore while I push Merv in the wheelchair.  We stop at a beach picnic table and enjoy our afternoon tea.  We are mesmerised by the glistening sun on the calm and inviting ocean.


Mel and Merv on the foreshore

We have decided to take the tourist train on the Busselton Jetty and after enquiring we find there is a lift to the underground observatory.  We are told to book and make a mental note to do so.  Our day is done and we head back to the unit.  We reflect on our most wonderful weekend, so very different from our regular weekends at home!