Living It Up In Freo!

I feel kinda awkward calling Perth's funky suburb of Fremantle 'Freo'. It's like when an international tourist visits Australia for a week and they're already saying "Wanna meet up Mondie arvo for a coldie at your local?" I mean, c'mon. At least give yourself a few weeks before you start throwing around words like 'breakie' and 'chucking a sickie.' These words are sacred Aussie slang!

But after trading in the kombi for a one bedroom apartment right in the heart of Fremantle last Wednesday and exploring the place for a few days, I accidentally said to Mum on the phone the other night, "Yeah, Freo's the best. I love it here." I realise I've only been here for a mere hours and I apologise! But in my defence, Fremantle is the kind of place where it's easy to fit in and feel like a local. Whether you're sipping your morning coffee on the cappuccino strip, wandering around the foreshore or lazing in the park with Sunday's paper, Fremantle has a great vibe about it that's really welcoming.

So here's some piccies of the place we've been staying at for the past few days. Much to his dismay, Luke's been doing some work over here for the software company he used to work for in Sydney and has been struggling with the 9-5 days of sitting at a computer. I, on the other hand, have been surprised at how easily I've adapted to this new lovely little existence of waking up late, doing yoga, going for walks near the beach and checking out the markets and shops around our new temporary home. Did I just say that out loud? All of that in between piles of freelance writing work and organising the next leg of our trip, I assure you. Cough.

The view from our unit - we booked it over the internet so we were stoked to see how close we ended up being to the city and the foreshore!

Look how excited Luke is to go to work... He even forgot to pack his proper work pants and had to wear jeans! Whoops!

I can't tell you how good it feels to have a shower without thongs on.

Yours hanging out in Freo (Darn! I did it again!),

Odette

The Boom

After travelling around Western Australia for a few weeks now, there's one thing that we just can't seem to get away from. No, it's not the infamous self titled 'Grey Nomads' that out number us 30-1 in all the camping grounds. It's not the constant fear of your clean clothes accidentally dropping off the tiny hooks in the caravan park showers, only to land in a pool of water that could have been there for as long as a week. And it's not even the annoying IGA supermarkets that want to charge us a bomb for a few BBQ rissoles that look like they could have been made pre-Christmas '07. Nope, the one thing we really haven't been able to avoid since crossing the border into the West, is talk of the W.A. 'mining boom'.

The local television news runs daily stories on it, all the people at the petrol stations ask us if that's why we've made the trek cross country and the job section in The Western Australian newspaper is twice as thick, filled with jobs because of it!

But while there may be plenty of work for Uni graduates, new opportunities for small towns and a whole heap of money being poured into the hands of Western Australians, I can't help but wonder what impact this economic boom is having on the environment.

From untouched stretches of coastline near Cape Le Grand National Park in the state's far south, the closer you get to the city of Perth, the more obvious the urban sprawl - with its new canal developments and sub-divisions on show. And check the size of the places that are popping up in towns like in Mandurah, some 74km south of Perth.

Hmmm... I'm a little worried all this new money might be helping people make quick decisions without too much thought about sustainability (in both paying off loans when the boom finally subsides and protecting our natural resources for the generations to come).

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

PS Speaking of the job boom, even all the way over here in W.A, over 3000km from home, we managed to bump into one of Luke's old school friends Shawn Simpson and his girlfriend Jenna, who have taken the plunge and set off from Taree, NSW to work in Perth for 12months. I can't tell you how nice it was to camp with some familiar faces! We plan to drive up to Exmouth together before Simo and Jenna return to start work in Bunbury. Yay!

Go Fish!

Our fishing exploits haven't been very rewarding since we crossed into W.A, with no fish for dinner, even after several attempts (and Luke getting more and more frustrated with catching nothing but herring and toad fish). So driving into the beautiful town of Busselton, we decided that the only way to see some serious fish without going to the deli section of Coles, was to visit the Underwater Observatory at the Busselton Jetty.

One of the most popular eco-tourism icons in Western Australia, the Underwater Observatory lets you descend eight metres below sea level to see a huge range of amazing sea creatures. It's like scuba diving without getting wet. There is one catch though. The Observatory is built at the very end of the jetty. And the jetty is 1.7km long. The longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere (haven't I read that somewhere before?). So to see the fish, you get a nice little dose of exercise thrown into your admission fare.

Tours depart on the tour and the guide we had to take us down into the Observatory was so passionate about marine life, I swear she may have had a few scales hidden under her uniform. But this passion, mixed with an amazing facility that clearly lets you see the waterworld below the jetty and an array of fish that call the jetty their home, makes for a pretty special experience.

The Observatory from the outside. The nine metre round room was dropped into the ocean

as a whole and filled with water to sink it into place, then drained to create the facility.

Pretty cool, huh?

We saw so many fish, Luke was salivating but the Observatory has a 50metre fishing exclusion zone around it and is petitioning for more, so you'll find no dinner here. The community is also rallying the local council for a million dollar upgrade because the wharf is pretty old and unstable in parts. Our guide said they rarely see sharks in the calm waters of Geographe Bay but regularly spot manta rays, gropa, tuna, star fish and a huge range of spawning coral. It really is another world down there and definitely worth a look. The most impressive part is that unlike a normal aquarium, the fish and coral in the Busselton Jetty Observatory are all 100% natural - so fingers crossed the fish feel like making an appearance on the day you visit!

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

Dollars In Dunsborough

Anyone that visits the Margaret River region is assured of one thing - there's plenty of money in the West and a lot of it has congregated down South. And about a 25minute drive from the center of Margaret River is the coastal town of Dunsborough and it comes with a golden price tag. It's a must-visit on your drive back up to Perth, with it's white sandy beaches, sheltered Geographe Bay and the beautiful Cape Naturalise National Park just a 10 minute drive away. The walk from the lighthouse is breath-taking.

But if you want to extend your stay in the town of Dunsborough, then you better get your credit card out, because the restaurants, cafes and boutique shops are very fancy... and pricey. We found a lovely little spot for a coffee called Food Farmacy that wouldn't have looked out of place in Surry Hills, Sydney - it oozed style and flare. With a pharmacy theme, even the coffees had a chocolate medical cross on top, while all the extras you may need (sugar cubes, salt, pepper, chili) were displayed in test tubes on each table. The best bit? You don't need a science degree to appreciate the beautiful food here.

Food Farmacy
Shop 9, Dunsborough Park Shopping Centre,
Dunn Bay Rd, Dunsborough
Phone: 9759 1877
Open: 7 days a week

And if you decide you could get used to the designer fare in this little coastal town, you might need to get a second or even third job because the average house looks just like the one below and comes with a price tag of about $1.5 million. If you prefer to build you're own dream home, we had a peak in the local real estates (which were on every corner in town) and found you can nab an acre of land for as little as $700,000. Jeepas! Or like us, stay in the caravan park near the inlet for $28 a night.

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

River Meets The Sea

Maragret River isn't just the place to go to for wine and fresh local produce... you've probably heard there's some pretty good surf there too. Prevally is where all the beach bums tend to hang and it's where they hold the world class surfing events, like the Drug Free Pro which is happening next week. It's a five minute drive from the centre of Margaret River and it's really beautiful.

Although be warned. Along with the pretty serious rips and currents that help create some awesome waves for locals and tourists to enjoy, you'll also have to steel your nerves, as the tales of visits from some pretty scary underwater creatures are many. Our wine tour guide, who was a pretty serious surfer too, said he went out four or five times a week at the Prevally break. Two years back, he told how a mate of his was attacked by a Great White shark about an hour after he'd gone home from catching a few waves together. Andy said his mate was paddling back out after a set and was grabbed. I asked whether he was okay and Andy just looked at me blankly and said "No chance. Dead." Yikes. He said the key is to stay in a pack and try not to be the unlucky surfer on the edge of the group. Bags not! I think I'll just watch the action from the beach.

And if you go for a little wander around the rocks, you'll see where the Margaret River meets the sea - although the inlet was closed when we were there. The white sand and aqua blue water are postcard pretty.

So if you visit the area and get a little over all the sipping and spitting at the wineries, chill out on a picnic rug with those yummo cheeses you've just bought at Prevally (and dream about becoming a millionaire so you can own a house there - starting price $2 mill. Phew!).

Yours in the great outdoors,
Odette

Cheers To Margaret River!

People tend to go to Margaret River to indulge. In food, fashion, art and of course, wine. And what were we to break with tradition? I was excited just thinking about all the delectable wonders to sample!

After driving up the beautiful Caves Road from the windy Augusta, we weren't really sure what to expect when it came to the Margaret River area. It's got a reputation for being the 'Byron Bay' of W.A and once we drove into town, we could see why. A main street filled with designer clothing shops, gourmet food stores, health food and alternative medicine practitioners and tons and tons of restaurants and cafes. So many, in fact, I wondered whether they would be able to stay open through the slower times of the year - like in winter. But I quickly learnt that Margaret River doesn't seem to have any 'slow' times anymore, with tourists flocking to the town for weekend retreats or weeks of relaxation.

The famous wineries that attract most are really spread out across the countryside, so the best way to see all the sights and taste all the flavours of the region is on some kind of tour. We booked into the Cheers wine tour and prepared ourselves for a big day. And we weren't the only ones. We ended up befriending a bunch of American girls, a Perth local and an Irish lass, all up for a day of delights, so teamed with our trim looking part-time surfer, part-time P.E high school teacher and part-time tour guide Andy, we were sure to be in for a bloody good day!

After a gourmet BBQ on the banks of Margaret River itself, with a glass of vino in hand (at 11am mind you, they don't muck around in these parts), I was having flash backs to our messy evening in a Barossa Valley caravan park...

First stop, Watershed Wines, a corporate, multi-million dollar wine producer that's floated on the stock market. The visit is worth it just to see the amazing architecture of the restaurant and cellar door, with a view out onto the vines.




Next stop Redford wines - a middle range winery that's big enough to employ cellar door staff and showcased a wine called Bin3455, which was a Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot mix. I'm no wine expert but this drop tasted more like some kind of rocket fuel that we used to make out of goon at Uni, than an award winning vintage. No sales from us here, but we were quite happy to taste away!

Venison was next, as we visited an award winning farm that sold all sorts of deer products. From handbags and hats to sausages, salami and kebabs - I was feeling for the two vegos on the bus.

Onto a small wine grower/ maker/ seller, a crazy guy called Greg from Bethany Wines who ran his own show and did everything from help pick the grapes to teach his son how to come up with a killer brew. So good a teacher he turned out to be, that in fact his son's Lost The Plot First Blush Rose wine that's infused with chili, outsells his Dad's 18-years in the making Chardonnay, 3:1. We even bought a bottle it was that good!

All that drinking obviously made Luke hungry (that's the excuse he's using anyway) for going back to the sample bowl at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory three times and piling his hand high with choccie buds - white, dark and milk. Okay, I went back three times too, but I'm blaming the frenzied atmosphere created by the bus loads of drunks.

Some marinated feta and soft-as-silk tasty cheddar at the cheese factory helped our thirst return, and what better way to quench it and finish the day, then with a paddle of six different beers at an award winning micro brewery. What time is it? Where am I? Who cares!

So thanks Cheers and our tour guide Andy (who had an uncanny resemblance to the American actor Tim Allen, from Home Improvement, lame jokes included) for that headache and empty wallet. We had so much fun!

Yours in the great outdoors,

Odette

Big, Big Trees

One thing we didn't expect after driving across the treeless plain that was the Nullarbor into Western Australia, was that this state was home to some of the biggest and most beautiful trees we'd seen since Tassie. Seriously massive!

And with the Easter long weekend meaning all holiday accommodation on the coast of WA was booked out some 12 months ago - this from the girl on the phone from one caravan park, "What? A powered site? Honey, is this some kind of joke? We booked out last March. As in 2007." O-kay. No need for the attitude, just trying to get a piece of turf so the Easter Bunny can find us, that's all.


But turning inland away from the beach turned out to be one to the best things we'd done in a while (after cashing in our credit card points for petrol vouchers, that is). The Southern Forests down this way are spectacular and are home to ancient karri, tingle and marri trees that will have you looking at nature in a different way and making you feel very small in the scheme of things.




Highlights of our little forest field trip included:

-Seeing a backpackers in the main street of the town of Walpole (which is surrounded by Tingle trees) with the name Tingle All Over. Nice play on words guys, but people may have taken you a little literally from the look of your empty car park. Ewww...

- Drinking burnt coffee in a diner called De Javu in Manjimup because it was the only place in town open on Good Friday. Warning: This cafe was the only place open on Good Friday in such a small town for a reason.

-Laughing at all the places in a 200km radius that end in 'up'. Nanup, Manjimup, Kojonup, Kendenup, Nornalup, Porongurup, Daranup, Yallingup, Boyup, Quinninnup, Boyanup, Jerramungup, Ongerup, Gnowangerup... and these are but a few. No joke. Someone must have been sick of coming up with names for towns over this way so mixed a few letters around and stuck an 'up' on the end and hey, presto!

-Feeling my legs turn to jelly as Luke and I attempted to make the climb up a 61 metre Karri tree in the Gloucester National Park near Pemberton. There are three climbing trees in the area with dodgy looking metal pikes sticking out of them and a sign that warns people not to attempt the climb if they're unfit or afraid of heights. The trees used to be fire lookouts before the age of the helicopter and are free to climb - actually there's no one around at all except for testosterone infused tourists wanting to conquer the tree, but the brochures say no one has fallen in over 40 years and more than one million visitors have made the climb successfully. I should have been more honest with myself because at half way up, my legs froze and I started to sweat and had to back down to the ground and leave Luke to climb the next 30 metres on his own! But he made it and said the view from the top platform was amazing.



-Feeding the purple-crowned lorikeets and rosellas in the National Parks and at our caravan park as well. These guys were everywhere.



-And finally, being five minutes shy of getting arrested for indecent exposure after deciding to throw caution to the wind and skinny dip at Big Brook Dam. Seemed like a good idea at the time but who knew other travellers would also fancy a swim on a hot autumn afternoon and drive the windy 10km dirt track seemingly into the middle of nowhere to find the perfect spot. Just as we did our nudie dash for the shore, a bunch of people came meandering around the corner. Close. Very Close.

Yours in the great outdoors and wishing you all a very late happy Easter,
Odette

PS The Easter Bunny may have gotten a little confused as to our current address (understandably, of course) but the Easter Bilby decided to jump out of the bush and deliver us more chocolate then we know what to do with! (Okay, we stinged it and went to Coles on Easter Monday and stocked up on the half price stuff. Excellent idea!)