Southwest Whirlwind Tour 15/03/05 - 17/03/05

Early start as Mark dropped me off at the tourist bus station for me to join my tour of the southwest! Loads of driving in the morning until we reached our first destination of Porongurup, where we stopped at the Jingalla winery to do some tasting and some buying! Hic! Then off to climb up a big mountain! Obvioulsy the most sensible thing to do after a wine tasting! Climbed to the top and visited balancing rock - I still don't know how it stands up! Headed off to Middleton beach - via a strawberry farm - so we could munch of them on the beach! It was cold and windy on the beach but there was still some crazy guy trying to catch some waves! Headed to Albany for our first nights accommodation and our free beer at the local pub!

Up at some ridiculous time the next morning as we had so much to cram in! First stop Frenchman's Bay - apparently where some Frenchman landed! Stopped for a BBQ'd toasted sandwich in Denmark and visited some "blowholes" - quite entertaining as when you sat above them they blew your hair straight on end! Drove to Green Pools - a stunning natural lagoon - went for a swim - bloody freezing! Headed onwards to the Valley of The Giants - a Karri Forrest with it's own "Tree Top Walk" suspended 42m up in the air. Visited a honey winery and bought some honey wine - as you do! Last stop for the day was the bicentennial tree which at 52m high had metal spikes sticking out the side so you could climb up it - which I did all the way to the top! Arrived in Pemberton at a log cabin in the woods for our second nights accommodation! Had a BBQ dinner where I tried kangaroo, and we all played didgerido - I was crap but it was entertaining. Did some star gazing on the way back to the cabin, saw the southern cross, orions belt but even better saw Jupiter and Saturn, the sky at night here is amazing!

Up again in the middle of the night (5am) and drove through the Karri Forrest on the way to Mammoth Cave - where we did a tour of the underground cave! Drove to Margaret River and Cravalee Beach where they were having the Solomon World Surfing Championship - although we couldn't see anything as they had closed it all off to traffic! More wineries today but also a cheese factory where I discovered Pickled Onion cheese! Also a chocolate factory where I discovered onion and thyme marmalade - admittedly not what you would expect to find at a chocolate factory but still bloody lovely! Visited Canal Rocks - just looked like rocks to me and then on to Bunbury and on to a boat go and find some dolphins. Drove back to Perth and caught the bus back to Lesley and Marks; where I collapsed after my whirlwind adventure!!