Hey y'all! Michael and I are back from an AMAZING trip to Western Australia. We took advantage of (another) holiday in Singapore and jetted off 5 hours to the South to cold temperatures, open farm land, wildlife, vineyards, beaches, wood fires and a more peaceful way of life. A recap below:
One of the major wine regions in Australia - Margaret River (MR) - is a very popular destination for Singapore residents and young families. It's an easy flight to Perth and a scenic 3 hour drive to your final destination (much shorter travel as compared with getting to Sydney). Michael and I have been keen to check it out for a long time and were thrilled to dust off our sweaters and boots and visit the area during the Australian winter. The trip was everything we hoped for and then some.
After a bit of research, we discovered that a 'farmstay' was the way to go when in MR. It's pretty much as it sounds - staying on a working farm. We were obsessed with our little bungalow at the Burnside Organic Farm. Cows, pigs, chickens, kangaroos, avocado and olive trees - gangs all here. I highly recommend the location if you ever find yourself in the region.
Our mornings were spent making breakfast with farm eggs, local bacon and bread. Our evenings were spent grilling out and cooking dinner with our farmers market finds. Life goals complete.
I told Michael a million times that I seriously thought I could be a successful farmer and we should move here asap.
One of our main events on the trip was a morning spent whale watching off the small coastal town of Augusta - the very SW tip of Australia. It was a bit blustery (absolutely freezing), but a really neat adventure. It was refreshing to get out on the water and we saw heaps of humpback whales. They weren't doing belly flops like the Pacific Life whale as I had hopped they would, but it was still an amazing, memorable experience.
Doesn't our skipper look exactly like how one would picture an Aussie whale expert?!
Tharrr she blows...! (said for real)
Seals for the sharks :) Sadly no shark sightings though.
Next and last on the agenda was touring the famed local vineyards and breweries. We did a proper guided tour one day and popped in and out of various places on our own the following few days.
Break for sheep.
<3
Vineyards we also visited in case you are interested: Ashbrook, Carpe Diem, House of Cards, Sandalford, Clariault Steicker. We aimed to check out some of the smaller, family run vineyards.
More scenes around town...
Add it to the resume: semi-proficient in driving on the opposite side of the road. The hard part is not the driving on the left side of the road, but the sitting on the right side of the car. It was like a comedy sketch - we were constatnly getting in on the wrong side of the car, or Michael would reach for the gas pedal or steering wheel while I was driving. It's a small miracle we are alive, not going to lie.
Margaret River Farmers Market.
Outside of all the spectular wine, MR is originally a popular beach and surf town. On our last night we drove to the ocean to catch the sunset. It was by far the most powerful and beautiful waves I have ever seen.
Multiple roo spottings in the bush.
I feel so very lucky and blessed to have been able to experience such a physically beautiful and spiritually charming location on this planet.
5 stars for Margaret River. Possibly our favorite destination thus far. I promise we will be back again.
Lots of love.
XO,
CD
***PS some exciting news to share: next month I will be starting an internship writing full-time for one of the top food and travel blogs in Singapore! Follow along and read about the best places to eat in Singapore and places to check out around SE Asia at SethLui.com. Woo!***
PPS my parents arrive in Singapore for a visit in just a week and a half - double woo!
PPS my parents arrive in Singapore for a visit in just a week and a half - double woo!
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