Driving across the Nullarbor - and back again
August 14, 2007
Fremantle
Fuel Stop: Perth
22.32 Litres, $1.269/l (BP Ultimate): $28.32
Distance 169.5km Economy: 13.2l/100km
The driving about town really hurts the fuel consumption - from low nines on the highway to 13.2l/100km in the city. Ouch. A trip down to Fremantle today to see the maritime museum. A highlight there is the HMAS Ovens, an Oberon-class submarine that is alongside the building that is open for tours. We went on the tour ourselves and it really showed how cramped life would have been on these (now replaced) subs. Clambering down a ladder from the upper deck of the boat, trying not to smack your head against all the steel protrusions everywhere, really immersed you in the atmosphere of life on board.
Inside the museum (which on Tuesdays is free to enter, only the sub tour has to be paid for - $8 each) was Australia II, the 1983 America's Cup winning yacht, with the famous winged keel. A load of other boats and exhibits were in there too, which made for some interesting viewing. The building itself is also of note, the design being inspired by the shape of an upturned boat hull. We ended up spending nearly the whole afternoon in there, which meant we didn't get time to see much else in Fremantle before heading back to where we were staying.
August 15, 2007
Perth - Margaret River
A good portion of this drive was through the urban sprawl of Perth's south, following the coast down to Margaret River. We saw the massive industrial complexes of the Kwinana oil refinery, as well as the nickel plant, among others. Eventually we got back to the highway that I realised I was starting to miss, after the few days driving around the metropolis of Perth. Lunch was in Bunbury, a pretty town by the sea, followed by another short drive to Busselton, home of one of the world's longest wooden jetties - all two kilometres of it. It has railway tracks laid on it for a train to carry people to the end, where an underwater observatory is located. Unfortunately, both the train and the observatory were out of action when we visited, so we chose not to pay the $2.50 fee they charge to walk(!) on the jetty. Instead, it was onward to Margaret River.
August 16, 2007
Rest Day - Margaret River
We have had nearly the full Margaret River experience last night and today. Yesterday evening we enjoyed a brilliant wood-fired pizza at Goodfellas restaurant, on the main street of the town. The following morning started with a trip to Lake Cave, then on to Mammoth Cave. Both are spectacular in their own way, but my favourite was Lake Cave. Water running (very) slowly through it creates a sort of subterranean lake inside, which reflects the stalactites hanging down above to amazing effect. Mammoth Cave didn't have the amount of water of Lake Cave (nor did it have a woolly mammoth inside) but the scale of it was what impressed. Photography was difficult inside due to the low light and not having a tripod, so the shots turned out disappointingly blurry. I am not sure if tripods are allowed in there, either.
In what was the most decadent part of the trip (we stayed in a Quest Apartment in Margaret River, rather than the caravan parks and roadhouse motels of the rest of the holiday), lunch was at Leeuwin Estate winery, on a balcony overlooking the gardens which led up to a treed area in the distance. It's a hard life, but someone has to do it. It was also time to stock up on some bottles of wine for family back home, as souvenirs. Here's a tip - for some of their wine tastings they charge for a taste, particularly for the Art Series chardonnay that sells for $85 a bottle. However, since we were eating there, we tasted it for free. And bloody hell, it was good!
After leaving Leeuwin Estate, wallet a couple of hundred dollars lighter, we went on to Voyager Estate and wandered the beautifully manicured formal gardens, taking in the views and the 'Cape Dutch' style architecture of the cellar door building.
We even bought some wine there! After that, we went a little further on to Watershed Winery. We tasted a number of lighter, sweeter wines there and ended up picking up another few bottles. Following the wineries, we headed to the beach to see some great surf, another feature the region is well known for. All in all, we had a great time in this part of the state. Definitely a highlight of the trip.
