My adventure in Western Australia continued to the south. Margaret
River, 120 miles or so from Perth along the coast, is a major center
for wine production, although there are wineries in the state's other
temperate regions. It is also a major tourist and surfing mecca. And
perhaps a bit of a counterculture hangout, if the shop at left is any
indication. Finding a store that specializes in hemp products is a
useful reminder that I'm
not in Kansas any
more. (That and the Habana
cigars on sale everwhere. I guess Fidel doesn't frighten Aussies
the way he does Americans.)
But enough about politics; we came to Margaret River to enjoy the
scenery and the wine. I guess I was expecting something like
Napa, with
big open spaces, carefully cultivated fields and wineries with tasting
rooms that are welcoming and intimidating at the same time. And there
are some wineries that would look right at home north of the Golden
Gate. Like Voyager
Estate, with its gigantic flagpole and its rose gardens and its oh
so perfectly decorated restaurant. (And, it must be said, a Chenin
Blanc that was like biting into a perfect apple.) Or
Howard Park, whose
tasting room was so feng shui but
at the same time so stark and warehouselike.
Fortunately, there are plenty of wineries that don't follow that
"bigger is better" model, places at the end of a paved road that seem
like they evolved naturally from the woods around them. At left is a
bit of Amberley Estates. Which always makes me think of
Pemberley. Or maybe
Manderley.
At least I think this is Amberley; for some reason my memory
got fuzzier as the day wore on. (And no, I wasn't driving.) At right
is the view from
Brookland
Valley Winery's Flutes
cafe, where we relaxed and sampled great coffee. Sadly, I
didn't have a chance to sample the wines there. One can only do so
much in a day.
A couple of days enjoying the delights of Margaret River and it was
time to move on. Our next destination was Denmark, over two hundred
miles south and east on the southern coast. The southbound highway
turns east at Augusta. We didn't. Instead, we continued south until
we reached the coast and then turned west to end of the world.
Cape
Leeuwin lighthouse sits at Australia's southwesternmost point,
where the Indian and Southern Oceans come together. To the south
there's nothing until you reach Antarctica; to the west you might just
scrape the southern tip of Africa before eventually touching down near
Montevideo, Uruguay. The cape is a windswept and starkly beautiful
place that perfectly symbolizes Western Australia's isolation.
The road from Augusta to Denmark is long and lonely, with only the
occasional vehicle, the even more occasional town and the road itself
to remind you that there's civilization around. Not that this is a
bad thing; that peace and isolation is part of the reason we'd come
this far. Denmark itself is a sleepy little place where, if our
innkeeper is to be believed, the major industry is single mothers on
the dole. But never mind; we had breathtaking views from our window,
pastoral scenes from the center of town and easy access to the natural
delights of the region. Also a wonderful restaurant with excellent
local wines. Suddenly dropping out didn't seem like such a bad thing.
Driving back toward the town of Walpole to visit the Valley of The
Giants, we saw a signpost for Conspicuous Cliffs. What, we wondered,
made them so conspicuous? The sign neglected to mention the long
expanse of dirt road between the highway and the cliffs, which might
have led us to question the level of our curiosity. But in our
ignorance we drove on, parked the car and then hiked up the path. All
the while keeping an eye out for the deadly snakes that inhabit this
part of the country. We didn't encounter any snakes, for which I am
eternally grateful. And the cliffs and the beach were attractive
enough. But I still have to ask: just what is it makes these
particular cliffs so conspicuous?
With the theme to
Jurassic Park
on the stereo, we made our way to the
Valley
of The Giants. The area around Walpole is home to the red tingle
trees, some of which are fifty feet around at the base. And although
the trees of the tingle forest don't have the uniform bulk of
California redwoods, they do have
a grandeur all their own. Of course, we had to experience the Tree
Top Walk, a sort of suspension bridge structure that takes you more
than 120 feet above the valley floor to get a bird's eye view of the
forest. You know, for somebody who hates heights, I seem to spend
an awful lot of time looking down...
We followed up our time in the trees with a visit to civilization.
Albany is Western Australia's oldest city, its principal port for most
of the nineteenth century and a major whaling center until the
moratorium of 1979. It's also the biggest city for hundreds of miles,
assuming of course you care about that kind of thing. Thanks to its
age and its historic importance, Albany has some classic pieces of
architecture. The town hall at left and the former post office, soon
to be part of the
University, are particularly photogenic examples.
At left we have an example of Albany as the full service town: the
tourist information centre, complete with taxi service, details on
local places of interest and even showers for the perennially grungy
who'd rather not be. And for the rest of us, there are a surprising
number and range of places to part with your cash. Or just wander
around admiring the architecture. In Albany that could be a full time
job.
As always, Anzac Memorials are great vantage points for pictures. The
local memorial is on Mount Clarence, a few miles east of the town
centre. In addition to its panoramic view (and the heart-pumping hike
up the hill to get to those views), the memorial is interesting for
its own history as well as for the history it commemorates. Originally
constructed at Port Said, Egypt to honor the Australian Light Horse,
the monument was destroyed during the 1956 Suez conflict. After peace
was restored, the memorial was sent to Australia, reconstructed and,
in 1964, placed with its original base on this hill in Albany to mark
the departure point of those original troops.
Our journey south began on Melbourne Cup Day, which despite outward appearances is not a public holiday in Western Australia. (It is in Victoria. Really.) Yes, I placed a bet. And no, I didn't win. In fact, I think my horse is still looking for the finish line.
I mention this because our return trip north coincided with Election
Day. Which meant, Australia having compulsory ballot laws, finding a
polling place for my friend to cast her vote. Which explains our stop
in Mt. Barker, a quaint little place north of Denmark on the most
direct route back to Perth. Our hotel in Denmark had a brochure that
talked about all the wonders of the Greater Mt. Barker area, written
in prose even more breathless than mine own. Everything was covered,
from the former police station turned museum to the combo restaurant
(Australian cafe by day, Chinese restaurant by night) to the one hour
photo place. Which sort of gave me a hint that I shouldn't expect too
much. And that made me appreciate it even more, from the
unprepossessing main street where the organic grocery sold really
great wind chimes to the sheep shearer's supply store at right, where
you can get one of those really useful slings to keep your back from
going out while you're labouring over a hot sheep. Shear
relief indeed!
That brochure gave particular emphasis to Centenary Park and to the
sign at left, symbolizing as it does the town's twin roles as
agricultural centre (those little wheels and gears) and transport hub
(the track segments that make up its post and crossbar). Although not
grand, the park seemed just right for the town. And as much as I
couldn't imagine growing up in such a place, I found myself envying
just a little those who did. And so we began our drive back to
civilization and, eventually, to the planes that would return me to
what passes for real life. If I sound wistful and a little sad,
there's a good reason. Tony Bennett may have
left his
heart in San Francisco. I
think mine got dropped somewhere in southern Western Australia.
Home /
Country Index /
Back: Fremantle /
Next: Tasmania /
Last: The USA