We decided to wrap up our time in Australia by exploring the Margaret River Valley. Located in Western Australia it is one of Australia’s premier wine regions. We couldn’t think of a better way to spend our last few days.
Although the area is known for Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, we soon realized that this area has more to offer than just wines! On a nearly perfect day in the valley, we enjoyed some good wine, great food and a couple of leisurely strolls along the beach.
A Morning Walk
Our local accommodation was a short walk from the Gnarabup Beach in Prevelly. A stay in a beach town is not complete until you have at least visited the beach, right? After climbing the small embankment to the beach, we were immediately awestruck by the size of the waves breaking off shore, and even more impressed by the surfers attempting to ride these massive waves. We walked the length of the beach, pausing to take pictures, observe the local dogs playing on the beach and watch the surf.
Wine
We heeded the advice of some new friends in Perth and made our way to a handful of suggested wineries. We enjoyed the beautiful weather, wonderful scenery and, of course, the large selection of wines. We even resisted the urge to purchase a bottle or two to take with us. But we did enjoy a glass over an upscale lunch at the oldest winery in area (Voyager Estate).
Ice Cream
We couldn’t resist the opportunity to diversify our activities for the day and thus found ourselves jumping at the opportunity to enjoy a sweet (or two) on this warm fall afternoon. As we browsed the offerings at Millers Ice Cream Farm, we could hardly resist the temptation to try a scoop of every flavor. After much deliberation, we narrowed our selections down to just four flavors, and made our way to the patio to enjoy our afternoon treat. On the way out of the parking lot I was already contemplating a second visit.
Chocolate
As if ice cream was not enough, we decided to add to our daily sugar intake with a visit to the Margaret River Chocolate Factory. Our friends educated us how to taste any of the bagged candy behind the counter. The key is to just ask if you can taste! Armed with this knowledge, we tasted our way through a handful (each) of their delectable chocolates. Our favorites were the milk chocolate caramels and the the red gum honey crunch. They were so good that we could not resist buying a bag for the road!
Sunset over the Indian Ocean
After our sugar-high wore off, we decided that the best way to cap off our final night in Australia would be with a beautiful sunset over the Indian Ocean. With a bottle of wine, sweatshirts and our camera we made the short walk from our beach house to the Surfer’s Point to bid a final farewell to the sun and fun that Australia has shown us over the past ten weeks.
We enjoyed our time in the Margaret River Valley. We only wish that we would have carved out a couple more days to enjoy the beautiful setting, excellent establishments and relaxed pace.
