Day 82 - 28th September - Margaret River! NHD -

What can a wine lover say about Margaret River?

I'm in heaven! Why oh why didn't we get here sooner?

So much to see, do, drink and eat and so little time! After spending precious time exploring Dunsborough, the lighthouse at Cape Naturaliste, meandering our way down the coast line through Eagle Bay we came across the wine region! Stretching between the two capes of the Leeuwin- Naturaliste National Park. 130kms long 26kms wide and packed full of vineyards. 95 cellar doors. 250 wineries and brewery's and So Many restaurants and cafes, literally 100's.

How did I not know what to expect? First stop was Windows a small vineyard, 11.30 seemed a bit early to be drinking wine alone but somebody had to do it!

Margaret River is known mostly for their Chardonnay and Cab Savs. Those of you who know me know that I'm a wine snob and am very fussy usually only choosing a fine quality, young Sauvignon Blanc. Margaret River tends to blend Sav Blanc with Semillon, which I usually avoid like the plague, creating their region rebound SBS. Well surprisingly Or probably not, the wines were beautiful so of course we bought a couple of bottles. She recommended lunch just down the road. Arimia, a small vineyard right out of the way, at the end of a not to bumpy gravel road. Not a sav blanc or SBS in sight so I tried the Chardy! I heard that gasp! It was actually lovely, not so much that I'd buy a bottle but it accompanied my rather extraordinary lunch beautifully. The lunch menu was an amazingly different culinary delight, all produced from their organic pig farm! JD had pork something and I had broad beans! The children, after being warned off petting the not so friendly grazing pigs and piglets, entertained a young man dining alone, who didn't seem to be at all bothered their enthusiastic banter exchanging life and travel stories as was the case often, particularly for Matilda who liked to share all the ins and outs with any strangers willing to listen. He owned the White Elephant beach cafe in Prevelly so we thought we'd check it out for our coffees tomorrow.

GHD -

We woke up and headed to Margaret River. We stopped at a light house and walk to a pretty light house with a red door we saw 3 whales. Then we went to a brewery for Dad to try beer it was called Eagle rock, but he didn't want to stop so we kept going. We then went to Simmo's ice cream parlour. We all get an ice cream for after lunch! We get some sushi for the kids so that the parents could have lunch at a winery! We finish our sushi in the car so we can get our ice creams, mine is mango! We go to a winery called Arimia for lunch Olivia, Matilda and I look at the piglets, play with grass and the electrician fence and I do the girls henna (which is actually harder then it looks!) we stop at cape Manatelle and look at all the wine holders! We head to Grace town next yay a town named after me! We get there and we go play mini golf and basketball. Then we go home I cook chips at the camp kitchen and then we go to bed!!