Australia 2019, part VII

Everybody knows I love birds, especially parrots. So Pemberton especially was quite the paradise for me. Plus cute roos and emus for the Reisebegleitung, what more could you wish for? Well, maybe an obligatory trip to a lighthouse, cuz that's her other fetish. So we drove down to Pt. D'Entrecasteaux, which no Aussie can pronounce of course. Wonderful scenery, rugged coastline, beautiful beaches. And nearly empty of people as well. We spent the third night in Pemberton in the Mudstone Suites, right in Warren forest. Also a very nice accommodation, but not quite as good as the Rainbow Trail Chalets. Why did we end up staying at two different places? Well, the Mudstone was already booked (non refundable) when we decided to flee Crystal Meth earlier than planned...
For my taste, they put a lot of effort into the decor and everything but missed little things like flyscreens for the windows. But that's really nitpicking on a very high level.

Next stop Busselton to explore the Margaret River region. The region itself is wonderful, but since I hate wine and all the artificial excitement that people generate around it, I wanted to stay a bit removed (and closer to the beach). This time we picked B&B, Baudins of Busselton, full jackpot again. Super clean, super comfortable, lovely breakfast with fresh fruit and cooked options, friendly hosts, and good location. Only a short walk to the calm beach of Geographe Bay, where sunsets are spectacular, especially from the 1,8km long jetty. Which is really impressive.

I finally managed to make the Reisebegleitung's birthday present happen: a climbing and abseiling guided tour with just the two of us led by Mick from the Margaret River Climbing Co. Fantastic! We did three routes up Wilyabrup Cliff, with the sea crashing below us. Wonderful location, good sport, lots of techniques to work on. 😁 Afterwards, Simmos ice cream, which was quite nice, except for the fruit sorbets, which are too artificial and too sweet. But roasted mac nut is a winner for sure. We also stopped at the Margaret River Dairy company on the Busselton highway but unfortunately I cannot recommend it. Mostly cheddar, nothing special. The Yallingup Cheese Company, on the other hand, much, much better and worth the little detour! In MR itself, the Drift Café and Teddis Big Spoon were great spots for lunch, especially the latter surprised us with really nice Korean food. To top it all off, surprisingly good hot chocolate (for non European standards) at Amato Vino.
We also did a guided canoe (Canadian) tour on the river itself that included bushtucker tastings, I especially enjoyed the native lime variants, very yummy. The canoe trip itself was very nice, calm waters, no wind, bit of a drizzle, but was also a bit too slow for my taste because it was a big group and not all participants were really up to the task. 😁 Also, I really prefer kayaking to canoeing I must say. Canoeing only makes sense if both paddlers are on the same level, and since the Reisebegleitung is much shorter, it's much more difficult to make good speed. 🚤 😁 Kurze Arme, keine Kekse. 🤣

Back to Busselton. We tried the Thai on Queen street, which was Ok. Next evening, we tried Thai Lemongrass on Bussell highway, which was way better, great food! And on the morning of departure, The Urban Coffeehouse on the same street pleasantly surprised us again. Good stuff, great concept. Keep going! After loading up on fruit and veggies (and French made almond croissants), we were on our way North to Rockingham.

BTW, the Cape Naturaliste was beautiful, unfortunately the lighthouse is being renovated and therefore covered up completely. Big disappointment for the Reisebegleitung, have to source other lighthouses to lighten the mood for the rest of the trip. 😁