Gosh, wasn’t it a rotten summer earlier this year?
With the Kiwi summer a write off, it was fortuitous that we had booked a trip to Perth, WA. We eagerly watched the weather forecast in the weeks leading up to our trip. As we kept our eye on the weather, it appeared that we were going to be in for a lot of much needed vitamin D! So in April, hubby and I went in search of sunshine.

What We Got Up To in Perth…

We spent the weekend with some friends who live in Gooseberry Hill, Perth. The
temperatures were in the 30s (degrees Celsius), we had found sunshine at last!
Now if you know me, the weekend wouldn’t be complete without some exercise or checking out a market or two. And the weekend involved both. Here is what we managed to squeeze into two days…
● Tackled a couple of walks around the Kalamunda area

● Visited Kings Park and the Botanic Gardens

Kings Park, War Memorial & Eternal Flame

● Took a squizz at the Rotary Kalamunda Village Markets and the Fremantle Markets

Kalamunda Market

● Enjoyed amazing fish and chips at  Cicerellos
● Indulged in ice cream at Hillarys City of Joodalup
I think it’s safe to say that we made the most of our time!
On the Monday we headed down the coast to Margaret River to see what the region had to offer. We were pleasantly surprised that there were so many things to choose from.

Margaret River Exposed

Accommodation:

We stayed at the Edge of the Edge of the Forest Motel & Cottage. It was such a lovely place to stay with idyllic views and an upmarket rustic charm. We had a delicious breakfast and a bottle of wine included with our room. Our lovely hosts were very knowledgeable about the area and provided us with lots of suggestions of things to see and do.

Places to Eat:

We dined at the Brewhouse Margaret River , a local family run brewery that was just a short stroll from our accommodation. The food was amazing and the atmosphere was just as good. The only thing is that you might want to check the hours before heading there or you might be rushed with your meal!

Things to do:

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

There are so many amazing things to do in Margaret River and we are a little bit sad that we didn’t get to do more of them during our stay. But here is what I can recommend…
● Hire a Mountain Bike from  The Hairy Marron (yes, that is really what the business is called!) and take on some of the trails around the river. Seeing it up close and personal means you can appreciate its true beauty.
● Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse where the Indian and Southern oceans meet.
● Cowaramup  – aka Cow Town. Yes, it really is a cow themed town with plenty of cute shops and cow statues. They also have a classic cafe and a to-die- for sweet shop
● The Caves – we visited Jewel Cave  but there are so many more in the area.
● The Beaches – Take your pick as there are so many beautiful ones. We visited
Gracetown, Gnarabup, Hamlinn Bay where you are meant to be able to spot
stingrays, and Flinders Bay for whale watching . Unfortunately we weren’t lucky
enough to see any stingrays or whales. Margaret River, River Mouth where the river meats the Indian Ocean ideal for surfers just north of Surfers point.

Margaret River, River Mouth

● The Canal Rocks offer spectacular views of the remote and rock Indian Ocean
coastline.

Canal Rocks, Yallingup WA

● Margaret River Chocolate Company makes mouth-watering chocolate treats that will make you need to go mountain biking, caving and pacing the shores of the beaches!
● Yullingup  Cheese Company  makes locally produced artisan cheeses that are out of this world
● Howard Park Vineyard   as we had very much enjoyed a glass or two of
Mad Fish wine with our friends.

Back To Perth

On our way back to Perth, we stayed at the picturesque Gale Street Motel & Villas
in Busselton, a short walk to Busselton Jetty.  A sight not to be missed, the jetty is 1.8km long! It is so long that they even run a mini train ride back and forth.

Busselton Jetty

Our conclusions were that there was a phenomenal amount of things to do and a week
wasn’t long enough to do it all! Maybe we should be planning a trip back at some point?
Who knows what the future will hold. Check back for the next adventure

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