Day 1: Busselton Jetty, Lunch at Brookwood Estate & Tea at Cape Lavender
It was a slightly overcast Summer's day but that meant that the weather was cool enough for a road trip without the need for air conditioning. We enjoyed fresh air - the light and crisp kind of air when you are away from the city - throughout the journey to Dunsborough where we stayed. On the way, we stopped by the Busselton Jetty which amazingly stretches almost 2 kilometres out to sea. We missed the tram that takes visitors to end where they is an underwater aquarium but a little walk never hurt nobody. On the way back we even saw some mermaids!
We finally arrived at Margaret River a few hours later and the first place we went to for lunch is Brookwood Estate which has really rave reviews. The view was wonderful and we sat outdoors. The food consisted of many Asian flavours and elements and everything looked so beautiful. Then we went to our first winery, Vasse Felix, where we tasted some wines. I'm not really a wine person so I'm there to appreciate the vast vineyards and take photos LOL
For afternoon tea, we went by Cape Lavender for their Devonshire Tea set which includes a pot of tea (your choice), a scone and jam. As we are still pretty full from lunch, we decided to share a set between two. I just had to order their Lavender Ice Cream - made by Millers - because I've never had one and it seems like such a hit in Japan! Everything is so photogenic...
I'm still not convinced by lavender-y food but I guess I can see why some people love it. I mostly "taste" it using my nose but without sugar or milk, it probably doesn't taste like anything in my mouth. Inside, they sell everything that is lavender from lavender sugar, jam, oil etc. to soaps and creams. Hehehe ~ I had a lot of fun here but not so much for B (whom I forced to share my cone) and my in laws.
After that, we checked in at Pullman Bunker Bay and called an early night after having dinner at the hotel's restaurant. Such a pity I forgot to take any pictures of our two-room villa as its such a nice place!
Day 2: Wine Pairing at Cape Mentelle & Lunch at The Berry Farm
After having breakfast in the hotel, we went straight to Cape Mentelle where we had a vineyard behind-the-scenes tour at the winery and wine pairing after that. I thought that it would be a great opportunity for me to learn more about wines and to see if I might like some of them. The tour guide took us to the vineyard where we learn about vintage vines and then to the cellar to see how wines are processed and fermented. It was a beautiful day and the pictures turned out nice.
The tour was really eye opening because I've always thought wine was made by stepping on grapes?! There is really a much larger process going on and even the grapes have to be carefully selected to ensure only the best are used in the better wines and the ones with higher sugar content for dessert wines. Now we are off to a wine pairing session! In total, we paired 3 reds, 2 whites and one dessert wine with some finger food comprised of smoked trout, goat's curd and roast duck. As a rule of thumb, reds go with meat and whites go with seafood. And dessert wine is for anytime of the day ;)
B and I found a white wine that we really like from 2012 and that's the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. I can't pronounce it well but it sure is easy to drink. It was beautiful with the smoked trout so B and I got two bottles for us to share when I cook seafood at home. Of course, I had to get the dessert wine because its like eating cake with alcohol in it but way better.
After our wine pairing session, we went to The Berry Farm for lunch. I heard that its normally crowded and a favourite among visitors to Margaret River. We ordered a steak sandwich and mushroom and leek pasta to share and had some scones after. The scones were definitely more delicious than the ones at Cape Lavender. We also went to their store to buy some salad sauces and marinades stored in cute jars!
After lunch, we stumbled upon a lookout point to a beautiful beach. It's not often that we see beaches made of stones rather than sand and it was beautiful. The broken tree branches also gives it such nice character. Unfortunately I have no idea what its called but its probably in the Cape Naturaliste area. We ended our day with home cooked food from our villa's kitchenette.
Day 3: Yahaya KoffeeWorks, Jewel Cave, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse & Lunch at Watershed Premium Wines
B and I are huge fans of Yahava KoffeeWorks' coffee and we would always get a cup at the Manning Road Markets. This Margaret River branch is actually the original so we were very excited to come here for a cuppa. It definitely did not disappoint! My personal favourite is their Iced Coffee because its not too sweet and it doesn't have ice cream or ice in it which tends to dilute the taste of the coffee.
Our next activity for the second day was to visit a cave because I've never been to one. They have all gone before but I was keen to see what a cave looks like on the inside. So off we went to Jewel Cave and it was such an eye opening experience! The formations are really cool and its really easy to walk on the bridges that were built for visitors. There were more steps than I expected so its probably not suitable for younger kids or elderly people. To be honest, it's a little intimidating to have to many sharp things pointing at you from above that could potentially stab you LOL
We also visited the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and took the tour that allowed us to climb to the top of the lighthouse for helicopter-ish views. The wind atop is super strong and it can easily blow someone's hat, glasses or a whole bag away. Cape Leeuwin is the most south western point of Australia, which means we were literally standing on the edge of the continent. It is also where the Indian Ocean and Southern Ocean meet which explain the extreme wind. The waves were crashing onto each other in opposite directions and we could hear loud claps by the water. I've also never seen a sky any bluer :)
For our last lunch of the trip, we ate at the beautiful and renowned restaurant at Watershed Premium Wines. Not only was glass ceiling window setting extra beautiful, the food was also amazing. The menu was limited but thats what ensured its quality throughout the entrees, mains and desserts.
How amazing do these dishes look?! We ordered the fish of the day: barramundi, gnocchi for B and harvey steak for my dad-in-law. For dessert, we shared the peanut butter parfait with parsnip ice cream and dark chocolate. It. Was. Heavenly. I was thoroughly impressed with this place also because it is truly value for money as well.
After lunch, we went on more wine tasting journeys! The next place we went to was Voyager Estate which is a grand looking vineyard that had a rose garden. Anyone looking for a photo opportunity with roses should come here. We also went to Leeuwin Estate but that was pretty average in our opinion. Some say that they have great wine though.
(These are wallpapers!!!) We concluded the trip beautifully by watching the sunset at the beach behind our resort. It was a view that could rival Cottesloe's sunset, which I still think is the best. There is nothing quite like being next to an open sea - no boats or ships. The sound of the waves is so loud some even managed to make me jump. It's such a beautiful feeling.
Till next time!
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