Margaret River ~ Western Australia

Published 22 November 2013, by Guest Bloggers Jacer Pointier-Broughton & Toby Broughton

Margaret River, we have absolutely fallen in love with this beautiful part of Western Australia. The combination of fresh air, stunning sceneries, mysterious forests, pristine beaches, fresh produce and local wine and beer will make it your perfect getaway. We guarantee if you visit, you too, will fall in love with everything Margaret River has to offer.

Location

Margaret River is located in the south west of WA, approximately a three hour drive from Perth city. If you choose to drive (as opposed to catching a bus), don’t just stick to the main highways, venture through the back roads to take in the scenery and the hidden delights of the vineyards, pastures and farms.

Places to Stay

You won’t be short of a place to stay in Margaret River. You can choose to stay in the town centre or you may wish to stay at a neighbouring hamlet such as Prevelly or Gracetown, just to name a few. Margaret River attracts more than 500 000 tourists annually so it would be wise to book your accommodation well ahead as these places book up quickly throughout the year. 

Things to Do & Places to See

One week may not be enough time to see everything but it is enough time to fall in love with the place and make you want to visit again and again. Here are just a few ideas on things to do and places to see.

Wineries

You can choose to drive yourself to all the different wineries (with a designated driver of course) or you can jump online and pre-book to join in on a Margaret River Wine tour. There are many available on-line with different price options and running times.

There are more than 150 wineries to visit in the Margaret river region.

Vasse Felix, House of Cards, Windows, Gralyn Estate, Woodlands, and Pierro are just a few that we visited in one day. At most of these wineries you can join in on free wine tastings. If you are not a wine fan, many of these places sell quirky pieces of art, jewellery, handmade chocolate and condiments, the majority of these items are locally made.

Take this opportunity to also visit the smaller wineries where you will be able to speak to the wine makers and owners themselves.

Breweries

The Colonial (hand crafted ales), Cheeky monkey (provide craft beers and ciders) and Eagle Bay Brewery are just a few breweries in Margaret River. These breweries often have live entertainment, plenty of food and drink options to suit the family. Many of these breweries are family friendly with options to sit inside or outside. Some of the breweries have playgrounds and sandpits to keep the little ones occupied whilst you tuck into a long relaxing lunch.

Places of Interest

Gracetown Beach

You can’t go past Gracetown beach, roughly 15-20 minutes away from town. This idyllic beach is suitable for adults and families with an accessible swimming beach. There are also well known surfing spots such a north and south point.

Canebrake

A hidden gem called Canebrake pool is a great spot for camping. Here you can set up camp for a short period, enjoy walks through the forests, canoe in the afternoon or take a dip in the fresh canebrake pool. You can sit here in peace and hear the trees move in the wind and the birds singing, bliss!

Chocolate Factory

You can’t go without visiting Margaret river chocolate factory. Free samples of chocolate, need I say more! Here you can taste the beautiful handmade chocolates, dark, milk, white, fruit and nut, truffle, coffee infused- everybody will find something they love. You will be able to purchase their chocolates, sauces and hampers. There is a variety of price ranges to suit your budget, so you will be able to purchase some gifts for yourself and friends back home.

Miller’s Ice Cream

Miller’s is located in Cowaramup is a 10-15 minute drive from Margaret River town centre.

One word to describe their fresh ice cream- YUM!  

This family owned business is on the owner’s farm and you can often see the cows in the neighbouring paddocks.  This ice-cream is so popular that they make fresh tubs daily. There is a cafe for the parents if you need a little rest and a playground to keep the kids entertained.

Our tips when visiting Margaret River

We could honestly go on and on with places to go see and things you must experience but we would be forever writing, so, here are our top tips when visiting Margaret River.

1. Clothing- For the summer and spring seasons, pack a light sweater as the early mornings and evenings can be cool. The sun can be very strong during these seasons, so don’t forget your sunglasses, sunscreen and hat.

Wet gear is a good idea if you plan to trek through the forests in the winter season.

Lots of warm clothing is needed for the winter, a beanie and warm jacket on top of your winter attire will suffice.

Pack you walking shoes- you will find the most beautiful places by exploring on foot, so pack some comfortable shoes.

2. Take your time- You must take your time to soak everything in; there is no need to rush whist in Margaret River. It is very easy to lose track of time whilst there, so take this opportunity to explore at your own pace.

 3. Swim- You must swim at the beach or a natural pool, the water is so fresh you won’t want to get out!

 4. Camera- Don’t forget your camera; you will be able to take some great scenic shots.

 5. Shop- You must visit some of the boutiques and speciality stores in the town centre. You will find some Australian fashion labels, quirky gifts, handmade jewellery, home wares and much more!

 6. Eat and drink- You will be able to have a nice casual breakfast or lunch in the town centre but you must visit at least, one-two wineries as well as breweries.

Try the local produce and local wine, beers and ciders; they are truly like nothing else in the world

We hope you enjoy this unforgettable part of Western Australia as much as we did.

 Jacer & Toby

The Pinnacles ~ Western Australia

Published 10 October 2013, by Jess

The Pinnacles are a popular tourist destination for those visiting the Australian city of Perth, Western Australia with approximately 250,000 visitors each year.  The limestone formations are located within the NambungNational Park, a 250 kilometre drive by road from Perth CBD or a 17 kilometre drive by road from the town of Cervantes.

 

The Pinnacles desert covers 190 hectares, is 60 metres above sea level and contains thousands of limestone Pinnacles all differing sizes.

Getting There

The drive from the city of Perth takes approximately 3 hours heading North along the Indian Ocean Drive, a scenic route with beautiful ocean views.

For tours, visit the below website.

http://www.visitpinnaclescountry.com.au/tours.asp

Cost

The PinnaclesDesert is accessible by car and costs $11 AUD per car to enter.

You can choose to drive your vehicle through the desert and then park in the car park and walk through to get some spectacular photos.

The Pinnacles driving track.

How The Pinnacles Were Formed

For information on how these amazing formations were created, see the below website;

http://www.visitpinnaclescountry.com.au/pages/the-pinnacles/

In order to see the Pinnacles properly, you are looking at a half day or full day trip, depending on the pace you want to go.  The Pinnacles are stretched over a huge area and there are some great photo opportunities to be had. 

We made the most out of our time, got up early and left the house by 8am arriving at The Pinnacles around 11am.  We then drive to Lancelin, approximately 1.5 hours South of The Pinnacles, a coastal town, for lunch and explored Lancelin beach.  We set off home around 3:00pm.

Lancelin Beach

Whether you are a Perth local who hasn’t experience The Pinnacles before, or a traveller trying to make the most out of your holiday, The Pinnacles are a great way to see a combination of Ocean (on your drive) and Desert.  After all, that is what Australia is well known for, our beaches and desert.

Perth, Western Australia – Part Two

Updated on 14 March 2014, by Jess

In 2013, Perth ranked in the top 10 most liveable cities in the World by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), coming in at 9th position.

Perth is beautiful, clean and friendly – all three factors I believe to contribute to a great city particularly for travellers/tourists.

Perth CBD & Waterfront

The Perth CBD has something for all ages offering art museums, retail, cafes, entertainment, small bars, fitness options and big open spaces.  The CBD is undergoing many changes, adding an even more inviting and tourist friendly atmosphere to what is already a very beautiful and friendly city, in my opinion. While many of the heritage buildings were pulled down decades ago to make room for more modern buildings, some of the heritage buildings still remain and are simply stunning.

Kangaroo statues outside of Council House and the Supreme Court Gardens

St George’s Cathedral

Retail

The CBD offers a wide variety of retail options with a great mix of department stores and unique designer brands.  The city is made up of many arcades lined with shops including the older Carillon City, Piccadilly Plaza and Trinity Arcade and the newer enex100 and Wesley Quarter.  Hay Street and Murray Street offer a large selection of jewellers, fashion retail and souvenir shops where as King Street is for the more sophisticated and well lets be honest…those that have money to burn.  King Street offers the high end brand names including Fendi and Tiffany and Co.

London Court also offers a variety of shopping in a European setting.  This arcade is beautifully designed with ornate clocks and European style facades.  London Court is popular among tourists and locals alike and a chance to see some of our older architecture.

London Court at Christmas time

Monday to Thursday	9am – 5.30pm (some retailers open later)
Friday	9am – 9pm
Saturday	9am – 5pm
Sunday	11am – 5pm
Public Holidays	11am – 5pm

*Extended shopping hours apply during the Christmas period.

Coming Soon

The construction of Elizabeth Quay is underway and is intended to merge Perth’s waterfront with the city and bring our focus back to the beautiful Swan River.  Construction is due for completion in mid 2015 and will see newly built inner city residential options, hotels and significant commercial space. For more information visit the link below;

http://www.mra.wa.gov.au/Projects/Elizabeth-Quay/About-the-Project/

Waterfront

The SwanRiver divides the city of Perth into two areas.  Perth locals will often make reference to this when asked what suburb they live in by responding either “North of the River” or “South of the River”.

The city waterfront presently has made very little use of actually building on the waterfront, only opting for views of the river (however this will change significantly with the construction of Elizabeth Quay).  The area known as the Barrack Street Jetty is however located on the waterfront and is where you will find the BellTower.

The Bell Tower is uniquely designed as a result of a major architectural competition and boasts some historic content – the Swan Bells, given to Perth as part of the National Bicentennial celebrations in 1988.

The Bell Tower

Fountains in front of the Bell Tower

Barrack Street Jetty is also home to ‘The Lucky Shag’, a pub on the SwanRiver that is very popular during the summertime (December – February) for “Sunday Sessions” (Sunday afternoon drinks).  Bookings and reservations are not accepted, and if you have attended a private function on a boat that departs the Barrack Street Jetty, it is highly likely you will be refused entry.  The pub in my opinion is very Perth – laid back, traditional pub food and a relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful setting.

East Perth Waterfront

Has become very popular in recent years with the construction and renovation of bars and cafes along the waterfront. A definite must for a relaxing drink with lovely views.  Sunday sessions at The Royal are also popular among the younger generations.

View from The Royal

St Mary’s Cathedral

Located in the centre of Victoria Square, opposite the Royal Perth Hospital, St Mary’s Cathedral is a Catholic church.  It is officially the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

The church was constructed in 3 phases;

Phase 1 – Completed in 1865

Phase 2 – Repairs originally to commence in the 1920’s but these were halted due to the Great Depression and instead completed in the late 1990’s early 2000’s.

Phase 3 – New design added and completed in late 2009.

Even if you aren’t religious, the cathedral is a beautiful piece of architecture worth seeing.

The Perth Mint

The Perth Mint offers guided tours for;

$10AUD – Adult

$4AUD – Child

$26AUD – FamilyPass

The Perth Mint is Australia’s oldest currently operating Mint and played a central role in the development of WA’s gold industry.

Perth Mint created in October 2011 the world’s largest, heaviest and most valuable gold coin at approximately 80 centimetres in diameter and 12 centimetres thick, 99.99% pure gold. It features a red kangaroo on the front of the coin and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the reverse. It is legal tender in Australia with face value $1 million AUD, at the time of minting it was valued at $53.5 million AUD.

Fremantle

Fremantle is a suburb in the Perth metropolitan area and was the first area settled by the SwanRiver colonists in 1829.  The Fremantle port serves as the port of Perth

Places of Interest

The Harbour

Where you’ll find many restaurants including the award winning Ciccerello’s, famous for their amazing Fish & Chips.  The Harbour is also home to the Bon Scott statue, a tribute to the late Bon Scott of ACDC fame. The Harbour provides a great relaxed atmosphere and is particularly beautiful on a summers day.

Bon Scott Statue

Round House

The Round House is the oldest public building in Western Australia, it was completed in 1831 and originally used to house colonial and indigenous prisoners until 1886 where they were moved to the Fremantle Prison.

Fremantle Prison

The Fremantle Prison was built in the 1850’s by convict labour, used from 1886 as a gaol for locally sentenced prisoners, it was closed as a prison in 1991 and then reopened as a historic site.

The gallows in the prison was the only legal place of execution in Western Australia between 1888 and 1965, the last prisoner to be hanged was Eric Edgar Cooke.

Tours through the prison are available and are really quite interesting.  You will visit the gallows in the tour, if you think this may be distressing to children, talk to your tour guide who I am sure would be happy for them to continue on through to the solitary confinement yard.

Day tours, night tours and tunnel tours are available. See link below for details;

http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/Visit_Us/tours/Pages/default.aspx

The Gallows

Little Creatures

Little Creatures is a local brewing company originally established in 2000.  It has won a number of Australian International Beer Awards and other awards.  The brewing site is open to the public with a restaurant/café offering great meals and outdoor dining.  Next door to the Little Creatures brewery is The Loft – also a part of Little Creatures and offers a great alternative in the winter months (June-August), play Pictionary, Scategories or Connect Four board games with your friends while you drink.

Fremantle Markets

A public market on the corner of South Terrace and Henderson Street and was built in 1897.  The markets offer some great food options, I suggest you try the chocolate coated strawberry skewers – they are amazing!

Places to Eat

The Fremantle cafe strip can be found on South Terrace and is an entire street lined with cafes,restaurants, pubs and bars.  My recommendations on the strip would be Cafe Bella Rosa for their amazing pizza.  Other places of interest include Cicerello’s for the best fish n chips in Perth and Little Creatures.

Nightspots

Crowne Casino – Formerly Burswood Casino, has recently had a makeover in 2012 and is now the Crowne Casino. There are many and various bars to choose from;

Groove Bar: Offers 80’s & 90’s music from the live band

The Merrywell: Relaxed chill and chat bar or to have a really good meal

The Carbon Sports Bar:  For all sport lovers

Minq Bar:  The cocktails are amazing but they have the price tag to match – A Peach Bellini will set you back $19 AUD.

There are also some amazing restaurants including Nobu, The Merrywell, Yu Chinese Restaurant and 88 Noodle Bar.

Northbridge – The main nightclub and bar precinct in Perth.  Northbridge offers a variety of entertainment spots for all ages and all tastes.  I’m not sure if it is the whole “Older and Wiser” scenario but the older I get, the less appealing Northbridge has become.  Police patrol the streets but that doesn’t seem to stop the pointless fights and brawls and girls seem to be joining in on the action these days too.  In my opinion, do not go to Northbridge by yourself, if you do go, pick a club in Northbridge and stay there all night, when you leave, walk to the taxi rank and be aware of your surroundings.

Recommendations: Mint (Top 40, 80’s & 90’s music), The Shed (For a very stereotypical Aussie vibe).

Subiaco – Frequented by the more “sophisticated” and some would say “pretentious” crowd, Subiaco offers a variety of bars, nightclubs and pubs.  The dress code is quite strict so make sure you do your research first.  Clubs have long lines so expect to wait.  Subiaco is also frequented by the local Australia Football League (AFL) team, The West Coast Eagles as their home playing ground is in the Subiaco suburb.

Recommendations: The Subiaco Hotel, Llama Bar and Gold Bar.

Subiaco Oval – AFL ground

West Coast Eagles vs Fremantle Dockers AFL Match

The City Nightspots

The Perth CBD has come a long way in terms of nightstops. It has a Melbourne vibe to it now offering laneway bars and small wine bars and eateries.

With the construction of Brookfield Place on St Georges Terrace came the influx of small but trendy bars.  These are generally very busy on a Friday night for after work drinks and frequented by the “suits” crowd.  The bars are somewhat expensive however they are the norm for Perth these days, finding a cocktail for under $15 is a struggle all over the city.

Wolfe Lane located just off Murray Street offers some small bars along a small hidden laneway and is also a great spot on a Friday and Saturday night.

Recommendations: The Stables Bar, Ginger Nightclub, The Aviary, The Belgian Beer Café, The Trustee Bar, Tiger Lils, Print Hall and Halcyon.

Perth, Western Australia – Part One

Updated 14 March 2014, by Jess

Perth is located on the West Coast of Australia and is the Capital city of Australia’s largest state – Western Australia.  It is approximately a 4.5 hour plane flight from Sydney and Melbourne on the East Coast of Australia and is the most isolated city in the world.  The cities population is approximately two (2) million people.

Perth is popular for its laid back atmosphere and outdoor lifestyle including some of the world’s best beaches.

Kings Park

KingsPark is one of the largest inner city parks in the world at 4.06 square km’s (1,003 acres) and is larger than the very famous Central Park of New York City at only 3.41km.

KingsPark provides the greatest view of Perth on a whole. Behind the State War Memorial is the SwanRiver, to the left of the SwanRiver is the Perth CBD and to the right is South Perth.  From Kings Park you will also get views of Crowne Casino (Formerly Burswood Casino), The Old Swan Brewery and Nedlands/Matilda Bay.

KingsPark is the most visited tourist attraction in Perth and for good reason.  The grounds are kept immaculate, the views are stunning and there is something so very peaceful and serene about KingsPark.  Pack a picnic and head to one of the many family friendly picnic areas, ride along bike tracks or go for a walk, the activities are endless.

Trees lining the entry to Kings Park heading towards the State War Memorial

The State War Memorial resides on Mount Eliza in Kings Park and overlooks the CBD.  The Kings Park War Memorial comprises of Cenotaph, Court of Contemplation, Flame of Remembrance and Pool of Reflection.

The war memorial is a backdrop to the ANZAC (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) Day dawn service held every year on the 25^th April at 5:30am.

2013 saw KingsPark hold the largest dawn service in the Nation, with 50,000 people in attendance.

The Bali Memorial is dedicated to the 16 Western Australian victims, the injured and those who helped the survivors of the Indonesian terrorist bombings in Bali on the 12^th October 2002.

The Botanic Garden consists of 2000 species of West Australian flora and is a great location for some beautiful photo opportunities.  The Botanic Garden consists of the Lotterywest Federation tree top walk, Pioneer Women’s Memorial fountain and water garden and the Boab Tree.

Lotterywest Tree Top Walk

Pioneer Women’s Memorial Fountain

The Kings Park Festival is held in September every year to promote the beauty of Western Australia’s native wildflowers. The festival attracts over 500,000 people each year.

The Kokoda Track is a tribute to the Australian soldiers who fought in Papua New Guinea from 1942 – 1943 and comprises of 150 steps that ascends a height of 62 metres.  The track is also used by many Perth residents for fitness.

Jacob’s Ladder is a set of 242 steps from Mounts Bay Road up to Cliff Street and is also used by many Perth residents for fitness purposes.

Queens Gardens

The Queens Gardens is a beautiful garden located in East Perth and named after Queen Victoria in honour of her Diamond Jubilee in 1899. Surreal to find such a peaceful and beautiful resting spot amongst city life, however Perth manages to offer a number of these “great escapes” throughout the city.

The garden is surrounded by Hay Street, Plain Street, Hale Street and Nelson Crescent, East Perth and sits opposite the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground.

The garden covers 3.3 hectares and includes the park bench made famous in the movie ‘Notting Hill’ starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant.  The bench was anonymously donated after a man used it to propose to his girlfriend, she declined.  The bench reads “To June who loved this garden from Joseph who always sat beside her”.

Government House/Gardens

Government House is the official residence of the Governor of Western Australia and is located on St Georges Terrace in the Perth CBD. Government House makes a beautiful backdrop to the well kept gardens that surround it, another peaceful resting spot amongst the city.

Supreme Court Gardens and Stirling Gardens

Located along Barrack Street in the Perth CBD these gardens are a city workers dream to escape the office and the lunch time hustle and bustle.  The Stirling Gardens is regularly frequented by office workers for a lunch time picnic and to read a book.

Stirling Gardens

The Supreme Court Gardens is frequented more by the fitness enthusiasts for lunch time soccer matches, personal training workouts and exercise classes.

The Bell Tower is a beautiful backdrop to the Supreme Court Gardens

Beaches (Cottesloe/Scarborough/Trigg)

 Perth and the state of Western Australia have arguably some of the best beaches in Australia and the World.  The popular beaches in Perth line 12,000km of the Indian Ocean including the three most popular among locals and tourists;

 Cottesloe Beach –   Cottesloe Beach is affectionately known to locals as ‘Cott’ and is a 15 minute drive by car from the Perth CBD or you can catch the Fremantle train line (the blue line) to the Cottesloe train station and walk 600 metres to the beach.  Cott is popular among swimmers, snorkellers and the occasional surfers.  Cott also has a lively atmosphere on the weekends, with the street directly opposite the beach lined with cafes and pubs.  Popular among the younger crowd are the Cottesloe Beach Hotel (The Cott) and the Ocean Beach Hotel (The OBH).

Scarborough Beach – Is a 20 minute drive by car North-West of the Perth CBD or you can catch the Joondalup train line (The green line) to Glendalough train station and then catch the bus to the beach.  Scarborough is popular among teenagers, surfers, bodyboards, kite surfers, wind surfers and swimmers.  There is a larger amphitheatre which holds many events in summer including ‘Sets on the Beach’ (Beach parties with live music) and beach cricket events.

You can also take surf lessons at ScarboroughBeach, see the link below.

http://www.learntosurf.net.au/

Trigg Beach – Is a 20 minute drive by car North-West of the Perth CBD along the sunset coast.  Due to the reef break just offshore, Trigg is popular among surfers and bodyboarders.  Trigg also offers some good beach fishing and hosts the surf lifesaving carnivals.

Other Beaches

Metham’s Pool, CityBeach, FloreatBeach, CoogeeBeach and RockinghamBeach

Hillarys Boat Harbour

Approximately a 20 minute drive from the Perth CBD by car North-West.  Hillary’s BoatHarbour comprises of the harbour, a man-made beach, restaurants, bars and retail shops.  The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) is also located at Hillary’s and offers an amazing insight into the creatures of the sea.  www.aqwa.com.au

Opposite the man-made beach is The Great Escape, a waterpark with great fun for the whole family.

Swan Valley

The SwanValley is a 25 minute drive by car East from the Perth CBD and is Western Australia’s oldest wine region.  The SwanValley is buzzing with over 70 restaurants and cafes, amazing picnic spots, gourmet local delights from olives, cheeses and preserves to chocolate, nougat and ice creams plus some award-winning boutique breweries and various wineries. During the summer time the SwanValley also puts on many summer outdoor concerts like ‘A Day on the Green’ which has hosted Michael Buble, Ronan Keating, Lionel Richie, Alicia Keys and many more.

My recommendations – Elmars in the Valley (German brewery offering amazing Pork Knuckle), Houghtons Winery (pack a picnic) and the Margaret River Chocolate Company.