What could be more appealing, then only 5k's from some of the best surfing in the world, some of the best wineries, and coastline dotted with olive, cheese and chocolate tasting? Margaret River rocks! I can't think of a more ideal place for a vacation, or a vacation home to spend with a bunch of friends. The town itself is pretty small, a main street, great wine visitor center with tastings right on the main drag, and some nice cafes and restaurants. It felt a bit like Del Mar and La Jolla, without the attitude. We spent time in the crystal clear waters of the surrounding beaches - beautifully kept, and surrounded by natural bush, protected forest, and marine land. The waves were not big, but just being in the water was enough for us. And when we had enough sun, we ventured to some of the fine wineries, listed here are the ones we really enjoyed the Sauv Blanc/Semillion, Shiraz and Cabs: Cullen, Juniper, Vasse Felix, Cape Mentelle, Howard Park, Pierro.. There were so many, we could have spent weeks just tasting. The cheese factories were definitely something to write home about- we spent a morning tasting some of the most delectable cheddars with sweet chile, garlic, etc, fine bries, and marinated feta. Guess what we had for dinner the past couple of nights? And to top it off, the chocolate factory is an indulgence. You can try any that you wish, and we certainly did. They have these big chip bowls with dark, milk and white, and spoons to scoop handfuls at a time. Full on samples, we did buy a few treats to save for later.
We did the local Sunday Sundowner in the Park- in Cowaranup. Similar to music in the park in Del Mar, all the locals come out with chairs, picnic baskets, and bottles of wine to take in the late afternoon sunsets, music performed by local bands, and feast on sausage sizzle and ice-cream, and drink up the wines from sponsor Cape Mary Vineyards. There was also an organic veggie stand there that wasn't getting much attention. The local music teacher was up on stage rocking out, then came on the town's local band, which wasn't so bad for rock band out of the country.
