Before we left Bunbury, we went on a quick tour of its main street – which was decorated in Christmas cheer. The city is a mixture of old and new, but it has not been done in a clever way (in my opinion anyway). Not a patch on Fremantle anyway. However, there were some interesting murals and sculptures on show.
Unfortunately the Bunbury Farmers’ Markets were not what either of us had expected. It was simply a huge supermarket, albiet beautifully set out, but we were able to purchase some meats and cheeses for our platters over the next few days.
Our next stop was Busselton to view the longest timber wharf in the Southern Hemisphere – 1841 metres in length.
We chose the easy way to get to the end – by solar-powered electric train. It took about 20 minutes each way.
Mick was surprised when he realised that this wharf was actually facing north, and if he chose to swim from here, Rottnest Island would be his first stop.
A few kilometres out of Busselton and we were in wine country. So it went without saying that we should find a few to investigate. Goon Tycoons was our first port of call, located on a beautiful lake and offering some interesting blended wines. We bought a wine called Rapunzel – made from a blend of Chardonnay, Merlot, Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir. I know that sounds weird, but it was very refreshing. We will test it out tonight with our dinner.
Our final destination for today was Cowaramup – where we will spend three nights in a quirky guesthouse.
We have noticed that many of the place names in Western Australia end in “UP”. Today we found out what that means. It means ‘water’ in Aboriginal language/s – so all these place names with that ending must indicate where there is or was a water source.
Jane and Mick's Holiday Adventures 