We were sad to leave Margaret River. It's just so serene and lovely, especially in a great place like Willy Bay Resort. But at least the holidays weren't over!
The drive to Bunners was short but pretty stormy, which wasn't the most fun for Dave. But before we knew it we were there with a nice cup of tea and a movie. Maureen made delicious soup and we ate it with garlic bread and afterwards she put a tasty cheese plate together with strawberries and cherries. We watched "Bottle Shock", a better movie than I thought it would be, and appropriate with our Margaret River wine! We had some Cointreau as well. When Maureen and Allen turned in Caroline, Dave and I sat around and chatted and Caroline took a whole bunch of notes about wedding plannning!
The next day looked a little rainy but we braved the outdoors and went for a walk along the beach and up Bunbury's lookout tower. After our walk we decided to head to Mash Brewery to have some cider and beer, then back to Haig Crescent for steak, potatoes, salad and wine. We also played some Movie-title themes charades, yay! Weirdly though, while watching "40-Year-Old Virgin", I started to feel really hot, and when Dave and Caroline looked concerned (and maybe a bit weirded out!) when they looked at me, I ran for the mirror and discovered that I was covered in a weird, blotchy, scarlet rash. It started on my chest and spread across my entire body! Thankfully, it was gone within a couple of hours, but I still don't know what caused it. Maureen said it was probably something I ate, and that seems likely because I was pretty sick that night.
Because of my stomach I was up a lot at night so I slept in a lot. Dave, Caroline and Maureen had a big breakfast, I sipped on some soup and felt a bit better. We chatted and soon enough it was time to drive back to Perth. Dave said he'd drive (again!) and I was thankful for that. It was a relaxing time in Bunbury - I didn't want to leave!
Even though being back in Perth meant the holidays were coming to an end, it was still nice to arrive home. I told Dave I'd run to the front of the house and unlock the back door from the inside, but I was in for an unpleasant surprise...I tried my key, but found that the lock we didn't have keys to had been bolted. We couldn't get in. Because we'd been away, our phones were dead. It was Friday evening, after 6 PM. Such bad timing. Luckily, our next door neighbor Claudia was home and she let us use her computer and phone. We reached our real estate agent, who reluctantly met us and gave us the keys. Finally, at almost 8:00 we were in.
That night we went out to Lido and then out for a couple of drinks and Clarences and Defectors. Ran into Marc Nesbitt and hung out with him a bit. Good night!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Margaret River: Sights, Food and Wine
Margaret River is one of my favourite places. Only a few hours from Perth city, it's a lovely place to relax and get away. As usual, the three of us, Caroline, Dave and I, were running a little late leaving, but we made good time on the drive, stopping in Bunbury to get DVDs and at a litte place on the road to get Caroline an Emu pie (not really wanting to eat an Emu myself, I opted for a Harvey orange).
At last we pulled up to Willy Bay Resort, where we were staying in a Lakeside View self-contained chalet. Dave and I stayed there for our 2-year anniversary and it was nice to be back, and as lovely as we remembered: 2 bedrooms with big comfy beds, a bathroom with a spa bath, a full kitchen, dining room and a lounge room with a flat screen TV and a fire. The first night we went to the market and cheese factory and got a variety of Margaret River cheeses and foods. We went for a drink at the Settlers Tavern, a cozy lodge that reminded us of Canadian pubs, before returning to our chalet and settling in for the night. I had a luxurious shower and then we all sat down to enjoy a feast of Margaret River food and wine. When we were ready to burst we sat in the lounge room and enjoyed "The Cutting Edge" and "Cadillac Records". "The Cutting Edge" was one of my childhood favourites and I was happy to find that I still really enjoyed it. I thought "Cadillac Records" was really good as well, but Beyonce playing Etta James was a real stretch. Great music and fashion, it captured a time.
Our first full day down south we woke up to see the most astoundingly beautiful weather. The sun shone, the day was calm and warm. We saw Yallingup, Meelup Beach, took some walks and soaked up some sun and great views. We went to Wise Winery to have some tastings and then to the brewery to grab some beer and a bite. In Margaret River town we topped up our food and then headed back to Willy Bay for some more food, wine and as always great company! We watched a very silly, action packed movie called "Crank", it was fun, had lots of great chats and watched some fluffy TV before getting into our fluffy beds.
Day 2 = Wineries! Dave was the best ever because he said he would be our designated driver. We visited 5 wineries: Sandalford, Evans & Tate, Pierrot, Cullen and Vasse Felix. Great times! We also went to the chocolate factory, yummmmm. After our adventures we went to the Settlers again and ran into Taryn, Dave's old fried from Perth and her friend who was from Quebec! We had a drink with them and then, again, visited the supermarket to top up our supplies for our last night in Margs.
At last we pulled up to Willy Bay Resort, where we were staying in a Lakeside View self-contained chalet. Dave and I stayed there for our 2-year anniversary and it was nice to be back, and as lovely as we remembered: 2 bedrooms with big comfy beds, a bathroom with a spa bath, a full kitchen, dining room and a lounge room with a flat screen TV and a fire. The first night we went to the market and cheese factory and got a variety of Margaret River cheeses and foods. We went for a drink at the Settlers Tavern, a cozy lodge that reminded us of Canadian pubs, before returning to our chalet and settling in for the night. I had a luxurious shower and then we all sat down to enjoy a feast of Margaret River food and wine. When we were ready to burst we sat in the lounge room and enjoyed "The Cutting Edge" and "Cadillac Records". "The Cutting Edge" was one of my childhood favourites and I was happy to find that I still really enjoyed it. I thought "Cadillac Records" was really good as well, but Beyonce playing Etta James was a real stretch. Great music and fashion, it captured a time.
Our first full day down south we woke up to see the most astoundingly beautiful weather. The sun shone, the day was calm and warm. We saw Yallingup, Meelup Beach, took some walks and soaked up some sun and great views. We went to Wise Winery to have some tastings and then to the brewery to grab some beer and a bite. In Margaret River town we topped up our food and then headed back to Willy Bay for some more food, wine and as always great company! We watched a very silly, action packed movie called "Crank", it was fun, had lots of great chats and watched some fluffy TV before getting into our fluffy beds.
Day 2 = Wineries! Dave was the best ever because he said he would be our designated driver. We visited 5 wineries: Sandalford, Evans & Tate, Pierrot, Cullen and Vasse Felix. Great times! We also went to the chocolate factory, yummmmm. After our adventures we went to the Settlers again and ran into Taryn, Dave's old fried from Perth and her friend who was from Quebec! We had a drink with them and then, again, visited the supermarket to top up our supplies for our last night in Margs.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Caroline's in Perth!
When Caroline booked her flights to Perth over four months ago I was so glad, but wow, it seemed like a long time to wait for her visit. Time always passes more quickly than expected though and before I knew it Dave and I were at the airport, guessing when she'd come out, making up little games about how many people would be out before her.
Even though you wait and wait at the airport it is still always such a surprise to see your friend in person. There are always a few seconds of awkwardness when you haven't seen someone in so long, but it's amazing how quickly that evaporates. It was so great catching up on the drive back to our place in Mount Lawley.
Let me just say that Caroline is an absolute champ - after travelling over 35 hours she stayed up and even went out for a couple of drinks with us for Cutter's birthday at Clarences! After her 2nd warm cider the fatigue started to hit her - she and I went home where we had noodles from Goreng and a little girl talk before she went to sleep.
Dave and I had spent a very lovely but quiet weekend together before Caroline's arrival and the next morning was the first day I officially felt like we were really and truly on holidays. After a sleep in we started the day with birthday cake and bubbles, then it was off to the Swan Valley for a brewery lunch with Josh and Amy; Caroline tried kangaroo! We went for a lovely walk through the woods and bush over the rapids, then out for a drink at the Rose & Crown. A great day! On the next day we took a drive through Fremantle and stopped at Cottesloe beach, where Caroline dipped her toes in the Indian Ocean at sunset. Dave went home and then Caroline and I did a bit of late night shopping in Mount Lawley. She got the cutest dress and shoes at Elroy! We celebrated with a drink at the Queens and some nibbles at Bliss Nooodle Bar before coming home and watching "The Blind Side" with Dave.
Friday was a day to rock out! The three of us went to the AC/DC exhibit at the gallery, it was really fun! Afterwards it was time to get ready for a night out - dinner with Lou, Kok, Dan, Mel, Busta, Liz and Sian at Utopia, then off to Devilles Pad! They had a Beach Boys tribute band playing in addition to the usual fun, kitch vibe, cool cocktails and great music! Dave, Caroline and I met up with Cutter and Mark and had a blast. To continue the great time we were off to Amplifier for more music and dancing! Turns out Caroline was quite popular with the Aussie boys, who lined up to dance with her and tell her that they loved her.
Saturday was a beautiful, warm sunny day, a perfect day to enjoy Caversham Wildlife Park. We saw lots of cool birds and marsupials, fed kangaroos and met koalas, lizards and a wombat, although the emus didn't seem to want to cooperate and come close to us - I think they suspected that Caroline intended to eat them; her goal is to try as many Aussie animals as she can! I loved visiting the bunnies at Molly's Farm. The sun was setting as we drove home and for dinner we got Stones pizza. Next stop tomorrow: Margaret River!
Even though you wait and wait at the airport it is still always such a surprise to see your friend in person. There are always a few seconds of awkwardness when you haven't seen someone in so long, but it's amazing how quickly that evaporates. It was so great catching up on the drive back to our place in Mount Lawley.
Let me just say that Caroline is an absolute champ - after travelling over 35 hours she stayed up and even went out for a couple of drinks with us for Cutter's birthday at Clarences! After her 2nd warm cider the fatigue started to hit her - she and I went home where we had noodles from Goreng and a little girl talk before she went to sleep.
Dave and I had spent a very lovely but quiet weekend together before Caroline's arrival and the next morning was the first day I officially felt like we were really and truly on holidays. After a sleep in we started the day with birthday cake and bubbles, then it was off to the Swan Valley for a brewery lunch with Josh and Amy; Caroline tried kangaroo! We went for a lovely walk through the woods and bush over the rapids, then out for a drink at the Rose & Crown. A great day! On the next day we took a drive through Fremantle and stopped at Cottesloe beach, where Caroline dipped her toes in the Indian Ocean at sunset. Dave went home and then Caroline and I did a bit of late night shopping in Mount Lawley. She got the cutest dress and shoes at Elroy! We celebrated with a drink at the Queens and some nibbles at Bliss Nooodle Bar before coming home and watching "The Blind Side" with Dave.
Friday was a day to rock out! The three of us went to the AC/DC exhibit at the gallery, it was really fun! Afterwards it was time to get ready for a night out - dinner with Lou, Kok, Dan, Mel, Busta, Liz and Sian at Utopia, then off to Devilles Pad! They had a Beach Boys tribute band playing in addition to the usual fun, kitch vibe, cool cocktails and great music! Dave, Caroline and I met up with Cutter and Mark and had a blast. To continue the great time we were off to Amplifier for more music and dancing! Turns out Caroline was quite popular with the Aussie boys, who lined up to dance with her and tell her that they loved her.
Saturday was a beautiful, warm sunny day, a perfect day to enjoy Caversham Wildlife Park. We saw lots of cool birds and marsupials, fed kangaroos and met koalas, lizards and a wombat, although the emus didn't seem to want to cooperate and come close to us - I think they suspected that Caroline intended to eat them; her goal is to try as many Aussie animals as she can! I loved visiting the bunnies at Molly's Farm. The sun was setting as we drove home and for dinner we got Stones pizza. Next stop tomorrow: Margaret River!
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