Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia occupying the western third of the land area of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east. Leggi altro

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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Black Diamond Lake- Collie
8 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Black Diamond Lake is located 5km west of Collie in Allanson.
Black Diamond is an artificial lake created from a disused open cut mine) the water has a low pH level.
Black Diamond has become one of the most Instagrammed spots in Collie, as the vibrant blue waters create for stunning backdrops for photos. The blue waters are best viewed with clear skies and sunny conditions, letting the light reflect off the water.
Rain had become quite a novelty, during our visit a cooling drizzle broke. The Indian ice cream man arrived with his child catcher van , gluttony got the better of us and we weaken for a Mr Whippy , shortly after I remembered why I wasn’t that keen on ice creams!?
Walking around the Lake the colour changes depending on which way you looked at it, blue/green tinge surrounded by a beautiful forest!Leggi altro
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Wellington Dam Mural - Wellington NP
9 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Painted across a vast surface of the Wellington Dam in Collie WA, is the biggest dam mural in the world.
Abseiling equipment, suspended platforms and serious grit all played a part – but there’s far more to the story.
You may not expect a world-renowned artist to camp in the bush for four months while he’s creating the biggest dam mural on the planet. Nor might you think he’d dangle from ropes wearing a headlight, painting at 4am.
But Australian paintsmith Guido Van Helten isn’t your typical artist, and nor is the statement piece he coated 8000 square metres of the Wellington Dam wall with.
Reflections, as he’s titled the work, completed in February 2021, isn’t his first mega-mural. The 35-year-old has painted huge, lifelike human images inside a nuclear cooling tower in Chernobyl, coated apartment towers in India’s biggest slum and wore a bullet proof vest while painting a multi-storey building in the Ukraine.

. The 34m-high, 367m-wide wall finished construction in 1960 and forms the second largest dam in Western Australia, after Lake Argyle. It’s fed by the Collie River, which also happens be the source of Van Helten’s inspiration.

Van Helten sorted through countless photographs, stories and pieces of memorabilia before selecting six images to paint in dizzying scale. Looking at the dam wall, on the far left are two of the migrant workers who built the dam, posing as it overflows in the background. Beside them are a couple of local kids playing in the sand; they’re now in their 20s.
The wide, central image is of a handful of Aboriginal children on a picnic day out from Roelands mission; they play in the water with a little girl with blonde pigtails. To the right, a boy handles a fish; he’s now a 20-year-old apprentice at one of the local power stations.
Beside him, a picture of a dad with two kids; the girl to his left, Ashlinn Cain, is now grown up and helped Van Helten on the project. She, and the artist’s friend and fellow artist, Ian McCallum assisted with installing the mural.
The final image on the far right-hand side is of an Aboriginal couple; the original photograph is believed to be from the 1890s.

The first major drama was the lack of stable footings for a scissor lift or cherry picker to raise the artist up. Ideas for using a 250-tonne crane were also shot down. The next hurdle was the shape of the dam wall, which curves both vertically and horizontally.
“Luckily, I found a company in Perth who said they could custom build something,” says Robinson. “If you get the right people, resources and attitude, you can do just about anything.”
The company came up with a pair of 9.5m-wide floating platforms that could rise up and down the concrete surface. They were connected by wires to the top of the dam and could be rolled sideways once vertical sections of the work were completed. It meant Van Helten’s first draft also had to be his final one.

Guido and another painter standing on a custom-built floating platform
“Usually, mural artists mark out the entire image with chalk first. For this project, that couldn’t be done,” says Robinson. Instead, Van Helten mapped the image on a grid, and used coordinates stored in his phone as a guide.
As the work neared completion, Van Helten clipped into abseiling ropes to move more fluidly for final touch ups. “He spent a week on the abseil using an airless sprayer, which was fed by a hose going into big bucket of paint,” says Robinson.
Complementing the area’s natural beauty was key, so sympathetic colours were specifically mixed on site, for the job – a departure for the artist’s usual black and white palette.
“They blend in with the local granite and the environment. The blue-green jumper worn by one of the girls is the same colour as the moss on front of the wall,” says Robinson.
Not only did the paint need to be durable enough to withstand the dam periodically overflowing, it also had to have a neutral environmental effect so that the river, flowing below, remains unharmed.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Gnomesville - Ferguson Valley
9 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
A group of garden gnomes gathered in the bush of rural Western Australia...

Current counts are apparently over 10,000, who have migrated here from all over Australia and around the world. it’s something very unique, a bit trippy, and quirky too.
It is one of those things that have to be seen to be believed., it’s one of those sites that you cant stop laughing when you see it! It’s one of those places that your imagination could run away with you and see yourself on a horror movie set!

The exact location of the “gnome’s home” is off the roundabout that joins Wellington Mill Road and Ferguson Road in the Ferguson Valley, Western Australia. On the way back to the campsite we took the opportunity to check this place out!

Totally sober and no signs of contraband , all that I do know is that when you arrive and you will know you are arriving by the appearance of a few Gnomes on the side of the road), you are overwhelmed by the number of Gnomes all around you. Thankfully therapy was available after in the form of the local pub!

The True Beginning of Gnomesville
Over the years there have been differing versions as to how this wonderful village started. May this now set the record straight.
The roundabout was constructed in the early 90's as a result of community concerns about the school bus stopping at the original Y junction that was here.
On the roadside close to the current carpark there stood a large redgum tree with a hollow close to the ground. A local resident Kathleen Rees (now Kelsey), saw the opportunity for this hollow to become a home for a Gnome so she simply placed one there! Another local Tony Crowder thought that this gnome home needed a name and so put up the first sign
"Dun Gnoming" above the hollow.
The base of the tree is still visible even though the tree died and fell some years ago.
From this small beginning, others joined in the fun and "Gnomesville" was born. Gnomes started to appear on the roundabout as the current site was then quite overgrown. An old meter box was the first infrastructure to appear on the roundabout and this became "Gnomesville Garage".
Alongside this, a cricket pitch was set up for summer and converted to a footy ground in winter. These were set up by one of community's tireless workers, Kevin Campbell. The bronze thong and memorial recognizes the work that he did for the community.
It was Kevin who cleared the current site by burning the felled trees left after the roundabout was built. He did this as the gnomes on the roundabout were frequently vandalised and were being found all over the valley, on peoples fence posts etc.
The gnomes then moved over to the current site,
liked their new surroundings and continued to spread and attract new . neighbours.
The community took an interest and helped by maintaining the expanding area by whipper snipping and keeping the site clean and tidy. As most of the gnomes were now well off the road, vandalism ceased to be the issue that it originally was.
The wishing well was constructed by David and Cheryl Rourke of King Tree Lodge and many other locals also had their names inscribed in the surrounding mosaics. The well initially provided a source of funds that helped maintain the site but unfortunately vandalism of the lock and mesh cover soon stopped donations.
•After several years the Shire of Dardanup recognised the value of this growing tourist attraction and installed the picnic setting and carpark., In addition, the Shire now provide care and maintenance of the site.
This
community artwork has now
grown beyond all
expectations despite the risk of flooding and the washing away of some of the "locals". It now gathers gnomes from all over the world as the site has become one of the top 100 places to visit in Australia.
All this grew from one lonely gnome in a gum tree!Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Bunbury- Swimming With Dolphins
11 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Couldn’t pass up the opportunity to swim with dolphins organized by the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre.

During our snorkel we encountered wild and friendly bottlenose dolphins face to face in their natural environment.

You could see, hear and feel the dolphins presence in the water, with a population of over 100 dolphins we watched mother and calves, male dolphin alliances, and playful juvenile dolphins on their own terms.
Obviously trying to keep your distance but thrilled when their curious nature interacted with you from the shallows below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottlenose_dolphinLeggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Vasse - And So It Begins…
13–19 mar 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
And so it begins … 🍷 🍺 cheese & olives 🫒.

Positioning ourselves in Vasse at the hip camp - Coastal Farm Stay abled us to explore the North of Margaret River Region , Metricup, Cape Naturaliste ,Yallingup and Dunsbrough. Billy got to run , hardly anyone on the land , no anal rules of the caravan parks , no human dick heads , just the evening migrtion of the kangaroo’s, we were left to enjoy this wonderful land!

Vasse is a suburb of the city of Busselton in the South West region of WA.
The town is named after the Vasse River and Vasse Estuary, both of which in turn are named after French seaman Thomas Vasse, who disappeared in the area in June 1801 during Nicolas Baudin's expedition.
It was predominantly a farming area until the establishment of a housing estate in 2004.

As you start to explore the area it comes apparent you are entering the North of Margaret River, I had no idea that Margaret River was such a vast area , you start to see acres of vineyards, olive groves, brewery’s, the growing power this region has is incredible.The climate is totally different to any where we have been so far , cool nights , warm days makes the ideal climate for growing and the ideal place to live!?

Beer farm Metricup - 14th March
With a 160-acre backyard of rolling green hills, this unique venue has been converted from an old dairy farm to delicious beer haven, located in Metricup, 20 minutes north of the Margaret River townsite.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse
15 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
We’d never been inside a light house before , they have always been locked ,so it was rather exciting to have a tour up and around and see the view from the very top out to the headland.

Cape Naturaliste is a headland in the south western region of Western Australia at the western edge of the Geographe Bay. It is the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, which was named after the cape. The Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and the Cape to Cape hiking track were also named after this location.

Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse -
Cape Naturaliste, in the south west of Western Australia, is the site of a lighthouse which was activated in 1904. It was automated in 1978, but remained manned by a lighthouse keeper until 1996.

It is a 20-metre-high (66 ft) cylindrical tower built of limestone that still uses its original first order Fresnel lens made by Chance Brothers. The light characteristic is ""Fl. (2) 10 s", a group of two flashes every ten seconds, the focal plane is at 123 metres (404 ft) above sea level. Another precious lens optic is displayed there, the second order Fresnel lens of the Jarman Island Light, as well as the original Great Sandy Islands beacon. Both items were originally used on the Pilbara coast further north.

The lighthouse is constructed of limestone quarried from nearby Bunker Bay, which was also known as the Quarries.This lighthouse is part of a network of aids to navigation around the Australian coastline managed by the
Australian Maritime Safety Authority for the safety of shipping.

This lighthouse was established in 1904.
Range: 25 Nautical Miles
Power Source: Mains Powered
Height ol Structure: 19 Metres
Elevation of light. 123 Metres

If your interested -
How does a Fresnel Lens Work?
The inventor of the Fresnel lens was a French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, 178% - 1827.
The basic concept of the dioptric lens was proposed earlier by Georges-Louis Lecere.
However, it was Fresnel who independently reinvented and significantly improved the design in 1821, specifically for use in lighthouses.
Fresnel lenses focus nearly 98% of the rays produced by a central light source into a bright beam of concentrated light, this light can be visible from more than 20 miles out to sea. A Fresnel lens creates a beam of light using glass prisms set in a metal frame. These prisms change the direction the light travels in, so all light exits the lens in the same direction to a focused point. The prisms do this by refracting (or bending) and reflecting the light.
Refraction is the scientific word used to describe how light is bend as it enters or exits a dense transparent material or medium, such as glass, at an angle other than 90°.
Reflection occurs when light bounces off the surface of smooth, shiny material like metal, glass or water. Reflection can occur on both the interior and exterior surface of the transparent object. The reflection of a mountain range on the surface of a crystal clear alpine lake and the reflection of a fish on the underside of a lakes surface are both great examples of external and internal reflection in action.
Fresnel lenses often use three types of prisms to focus light: dioptric prisms, catadioptric prisms and convex prisms.
- Dioptric prisms are the workhorses of the Fresnel lens. Each prism acts like a tiny lens, bending light rays inward to a focal point. By carefully arranging numerous dioptric prisms of different shapes and sizes, the lens can effectively collect and concentrate light over a wide area.
- Catadioptric prisms combine refraction (bending light) with the reflection (bouncing light). They typically have a mirrored surface on one side that reflects light rays onto the dioptric prisms, further improving the efficiency of light collection and focusing.
- Convex prisms have a rounded surface that acts like a convectional convex lens, further focusing the light rays that have already been bent by the dioptric and catadioptric prisms. They are often used in the final stage of focusing to achieve a pinpoint beam or sharp image.
Many light houses are still equipped with their historic Fresnel lenses; however, some lighthouses have had their original optic removed and new modern day electric beacons have been installed in their place. Although introduced more that 200 years ago during the industrial revolution, Fresnel lens technology is still widely used to this day. Today you can find this technology in the headlights of your car, surgical lasers and even in spacecrafts.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Sugarloaf Rock - Leeuwin-Naturaliste NP
15 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Sugarloaf Rock, also known as Sugar Loaf Rock and Sugarloaf Rocks, is a large, natural granite island in the Indian Ocean just off the coast, situated approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Cape Naturaliste.

Sugarloaf Rock is amazing. The bold crag reaches out of the ocean baring it's spectacular points and crevasses as the ocean pounds against it.
It is separated from the mainland by a thin channel of water. The rock is one of the most photographed attractions and it has appeared on the cover of the Australian Geographic magazine.Leggi altro
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Eagle Bay Olives, Brewing & Wise Wines
15 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Busy Day sampling olives , beers and wines but I suppose someone has to do it!

Eagle Bay Olives, i have to say extremely tasty and fantastic quality, the combinations they have put together marinating the olives with balsamic vinegar , their pickle was to die for and the quality of their oil, excellent.
The young lady in the farm store happened to be traveling two years and was from Tasmania, living out of her car or swag with her dog up to recently she thrives on the simple things in life but is missing her own space.
The Eagle Bay Olives olive grove has been going strong for over 20 years. Over 1,200 trees planted in 1998 by its original owner, and they’re still thriving today.
The Eagle Bay olive region is tucked away in our little corner of the South West, at the northern end of the Margaret River wine region, just on the tip of Cape Naturaliste. And that’s where you’ll find us—just a short walk from the Indian Ocean.

The perfect olive-growing conditions means that they are able to produce exceptional-quality olive oils and olive oil products.

Eagle Bay Brewing
We popped in to try a couple of beers ,

Paul going for a Pale Ale 5.1% bold aromatics of citrus, stone fruit and pine needle from the hops, caramel, malty characters and drink-me more bitterness on the finish. Your go-to everyday pale ale.

Me , I went for Wheatbelt Lager 4.3% made with Munich malt from the WA Wheatbelt, rainwater from Eagle Bay, and Australian Hops, clean & crisp.

Both of us sadly found each drop very bitter and sour to our taste buds and really hard to finish, not for us.

Eagle Bay Brewing Co. is a family-owned, independent craft brewery deep in the heart of Cape Naturaliste, just 10 mins outside of Dunsborough. Founded in 2010 by siblings Nick, Astrid, and Adrian d’Espeissis, the family has been farming the land since 1950. They are independent and committed to crafting high-quality, preservative-free beers brewed with freshly harvested rainwater and locally sourced ingredients, powered by sunshine thanks to solar panels.
The brewery produces a core range of approachable brews like Kolsch, Pale Ale, XPA, and Lager. They are all designed for sharing with friends on a sunny afternoon, or on adventures in the South West. Eagle Bay home crafts, brews and cans every beer on-site with our brew crew and quality control lab tech, always chasing the goal to deliver the ultimate beer experience.

Wise Wines
The location of Wise Wines to Eagle Bay Brewery was virtually next door , not on the list but let's give it a go.
Wine tasting was $15 per person, included: 8 wines from the menu, tailored to your preferences. We choose our 8 from sparkling , rose ,white to red, we walked out with a bottle of red with the intention of saving it for our Birthday’s in June, we didn't get past Jarvis Estate a week later before the bottle was by mistake emptied. Would i order their wine again? No, it was good but not good enough for $45.

Wise winery was established in 1992, when Biochemist Dr Ron Wise and his wife Sandra bought the then Geographe Bay Estate (founded in 1983) and combined it with their nearby Eagle Bay Estate property.Leggi altro
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Castle Rock Bay
16 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Castle Rock Bay used to be a bit of a locals only secret, but in recent years has become a popular alternative to Meelup Beach around the corner. Located on the east side of Cape Naturaliste, this calm, turquoise bay is protected from the westerly winds and ocean swell.
We took a slow walk east on the coastal track towards Castle Rock and the whale lookout.

A calm, tranquil bay located on the eastern side of Cape Naturaliste, Castle Rock Bay is bound by a couple of impressive rock formations to the east (Castle Rock) and west (Sail Rock).Leggi altro
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Ngilgi Cave
16 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Ngilgi Cave
The pathway winds through native bushland which leads you to the entrance of Ngilgi Cave, you descend and explore its majestic stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, and beautifully coloured shawls.
The humidity at 95% makes the climb/walk more challenging unground ,the steps are steep up and down , thinking we’d gone the wrong way round, as we climbed to the top of a steep set of stairs , in the shadows stood one of the guides waiting for us ,a desk lit up with a lamp , a couple of benches and a few books ,a most surreal site lite by warm lighting and accent surroundings, you felt a real calm welcoming feeling, like someone was covering you in a warm blanket “had we been chosen to cross over?” or maybe it was a. case of being hot and sweaty and wanting to sit down!?
Months later strange enough we were to discovered that the local Wardandi people have long known of the existence of the Ngilgi cave..The Wardandi believe the caves to be their passage to the afterlife!

Edward Dawson was the first European to enter the cave when he went searching for stray horses in 1899. He acted as a guide to the cave from December 1900 to November 1937.

“We were tracking the cattle up the hill when we saw a hole in the ground. After examining the aperture I lowered myself down with a stirrup, bridle and reins, and saw cave formations.”
Edward Dawson

The most bazaar thing I read was Dorothy Williams (1928 – ?) held the "world's endurance record for time spent alone beneath the earth's surface", after living in Ngilgi Cave for 90 days in 1963. She was the first woman to set a "lone cave sitting" record. While in the cave she discovered several fossils that had not previously been found in Western Australia.Leggi altro
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Canal Rocks & Injidup Nat Spa -Yallingup
16 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Canal Rocks - Leeuwin-Naturaliste NP
A series of rocks jut into the ocean creating a natural canal hollowed out by the force of the sea. For the best veiws, there's a bridge built across the smallest canal.

Injidup Natural Spa - Leeuwin-Naturaliste NP
Injidup Natural Spa is a hidden rock pool right on the edge of the often-turbulent Indian Ocean. Waves crash over the rocks to form a mini natural waterfall and “spa”, with some other tidal pools close by.Leggi altro
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Wild Hop Brewing- Yallingup
16 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Wild Hop is a small brewery, built on the family's property in the Yallingup hills.
the family brews on a 10 hec (1200L), three vessel, direct fire kit from Premier Stainless, and you can see the kit and fermenting vessels from the bar area. They don't package their beers into cans or bottles - they are only available at the brewpub, or in kegs at awesome venues or growler fill bottle-shops in Western Australia.

Since they decided not to package their beers, they figured they didn't need a "core range" of beers. They figured it would be more fun to batch brew, which means that each batch is different, and the tap list changes on a regular basis.

The only exception to this rule is their Short Shorts Czech Pilsner, which is lagered (cold conditioned) in tank for a minimum of 6 weeks - an investment in time and brewery real-estate. Plus, it's a ripper of a Pilsner, and consistently a top seller over the bar.
They have 11 taps for their beers (and one tap for a locally made Apple cider) which looks really cool and you could stumble across anything from a Plum kettle sour, to a Kentucky bourbon barrel-aged Barley Wine.

I tried the cider , not brewed inhouse sadly but good enough to take a growler home. Paul had a Pale Ale sadly too bitter for taste buds.we also order a platter which was most disapointing , no good quility cured meats, cheeses were average, great venue with great decor and ground sadly not for us, to busy and to prtensouis.Leggi altro
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Busselton Jetty
18 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
We were in two minds wether to do this tourist attraction but the under water observatory was the attraction for us.

Warning Rant Below...
You hop onto a solar powered train sponsored by Rio Tinto ( a complete contiodrtiction!) but i suppose in their words they supported the 2015 adoption of the Paris Agreement ( our worse future nightmare )and its long-term goal to limit global average temperature rise to well below 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C. Government policy that creates the right framework for change is critical, coupled with real business action and societal shifts which is complete political BS.
But let's ignore the size of that companies infiltration of removing Australian resources overseas and non of the profits are felt by the average Australian!? Not to say the amount of valuable rescores being taken out of the earth by this company! One of the biggest tourist attractions in WA and Rio Tinto have their name splatted over a solar train in the name of climate change!

Rant Over!

The train ride is awful ,,kids narrating a safety briefing , all a bit programable for us.
Once you get there the actual underwater observatory is amazing, especially for people who can't dive , snorkel or swim. A wonderful insight to the under seaworld of creatures and colours. The underwater observatory is located 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) from shore – almost at the end of the Busselton Jetty – and can accommodate up to 40 people at a time in its 9.5-metre (31 ft) diameter observation chamber. Descending 8 metres (26 ft) below sea level, because your only 8m deep the colours of the underworld are vibrate and visually very clear, especial in March, the sun shines though the water bouncing off the pillers and glass windows creating the perfect view.

Busselton Jetty is a jetty located in Busselton, Western Australia. It is the longest timber-piled jetty (pier) in the Southern Hemisphere at 1,841 metres (6,040 ft) long.The jetty is managed by a not-for-profit community organization, Busselton Jetty Inc.

The jetty's construction commenced in 1864 and the first section was opened in 1865. The jetty was extended numerous times until the 1960s, ultimately reaching a length of 1,841 metres (6,040 ft). The last commercial vessel called at the jetty in 1971 and the jetty was closed the following year. It passed into the control of Busselton Shire and has been gradually restored and improved since. The jetty has survived Cyclone Alby in 1978, borers, weathered, several fires, and threat of demolition, to have become a major regional tourist attraction.

The jetty features a rail line along its length, a relic of the railway line into Busselton from Bunbury. The line now carries tourists along the jetty to an underwater observatory, one of only six natural aquariums in the world.Leggi altro
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Margaret River - Wine Paradise
19–23 mar 2025, Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Margaret River Wine Region stretches 100 kilometres from north to south, 26km east to west and is surrounded by ocean on three sides. Remnant forest covers 46% of the region, 3% is viticultural land.
The Leeuwin-Naturaliste ridge connects Cape Naturaliste (north) and Cape Leeuwin (south).
The granite gneiss rocks are 1,130-1,600 million years old, likely the oldest viticultural lands on earth. Two-thirds of Margaret River's vineyards are located here.
The soils are primarily well-drained, ironstone gravel loams over clay, locally named 'Forest Grove'. These ancient soils are low in nutrients, resulting in low vigour in the vineyard, ideal for growing the finest quality elegant and powerful grapes.
Unique to Margaret River is a system of natural sea breezes and currents that it receives from the Indian and Southern Oceans. These help moderate the variance between seasonal temperatures, reducing extreme cold and heat within the vineyards.
Nurturing our environment and the close-knit community in which we live is fundamental to achieving the long term aspirations we have for Vasse Felix to be thriving, in one of the world's great wine regions, 100 years from now, and beyond.Leggi altro
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Jarvis Estate Winery - Bramley
19–23 mar 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Situated approx. 10mins from Margaret River Town we arrived at the
only winery in the Margaret River region that offers this unique hip camping experience.
We set up camp amongst the beautiful grape vines , with an excellent bottle of wine and good food, the sun setting over the stunning Margaret River land does'nt get any better, this is the first sign of winter, socks out!

We booked in for the wine tasting the following day.
After a busy morning visiting more winery’’s within walking distance to the estate, the wine tasting took us though a variety of different wines, one wine that stood out was WTF ( wine that’s fortified ) not because of it’s name but the richness and sweetness of how long it had been in the barrel, a fortified wine for dessert or over ice cream or pancakes or a tipple at the end of the night.
Paul purchased a red to keep for 5 years (good luck with that one!))

In 1997 Matt and Jackie Jarvis in a moment of madness purchased a vacant block of land in Margaret River to grow wine grapes. With a large mortgage, a new baby and a single income, there was no money for staff so they worked evenings and weekends to plant an initial 4Ha of grapes in 1998. In 1999 when their second daughter was born they decided to plant more vines, with the final planting completed in 2004, the same year their third daughter was born. In 2017 the Jarvis Estate Cellar Door was completed.Leggi altro
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Stormflower- Wilyabrup
20 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
Hands Down the best Winery we visited.
Organic, small boutique type of winery set in a cottage like garden with the warm inviting tasting room tastefully done.
Needless to say we walked out with an array of wines , never have we enjoyed every single variety during a tasting usually for me the reds can be over powered by the tannings or the whites to bitter and with the option of European cheeses and meats available with your tastings, well you may of just left me there! Fabulous!

The vineyard was planted in the mid-1990s, and when it was taken over by Stormflower in June 2007 there was over 14 Hectares of vines, including around 1.8 Ha of Cabernet Franc, 0.6 Ha of Merlot and 0.5 Ha of Petit Verdot. The vineyard needed attention and there were virtually no records of clones, yields, fertiliser history or other useful information.

In 2009 they decided to pull out the Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot vines as they were very low yielding and not the focus varietals of Stormflower. Later adjustments included pulling out around 1.5 Ha of weak Cabernet Sauvignon behind the dam, 5 rows (0.5 Ha) of Shiraz that contained some rogue varieties, and 200 of the best Cabernet Sauvignon vines (10% of the South block) to make the new entry road.

The resulting vineyard sits at around 9.2 hectares and the current varieties are:

Cabernet Sauvignon 1.77 Ha
Shiraz 2.20 Ha
Chardonnay 1.71 Ha
Sauvignon Blanc 1.75 Ha
Semillon 0.82 Ha
Chenin Blanc 0.91 Ha

Their lowest yielding variety is generally the Chardonnay, with the toughest position on the property and a sensitive varietal at the best of times. In 2021 they planted another 0.5 Ha of Chardonnay, and as these young vines start to contribute to the yields they hope to share there Chardonnay more widely, as its current production means it is reserved only for the Usual Suspects. They have also planted a small amount of Alvarinho and are looking forward to seeing what that varietal will produce in their area.

They ensure that our viticultural and winemaking practices are as gentle on the environment as they can be, and they focus on regenerating and working with their natural ecosystems. Maintaining organic certification is a way of providing independent assurance to their customers and supporters that they practice what we preach. It is important to them that we are transparent about our activities in the vineyard and in the winery, because what they do affects more than just our immediate surroundings.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Vasse Felix Winey - Wilyabrup
21 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
So there’s a bit of story about why we wanted to visit Vasse Felix? It must of been 15 odd years ago when i was working for Waitrose ( UK supermarket ). Paul was in Australia trying to get us a sponsorship , so after a shift I grabbed myself a treat , salmon , oysters ,prawns and a good bottle of wine and a good movie, it was then I became aware of Vasse Felix from Margaret River because of how good that bottle of wine was, I new that Margaret River wasn’t in the Hunter valley NSW as we’d been there during our 2007 backpacking trip but didn’t think much more about it. So here we are 2025 , remembering I had a photo of that evening , standing in Vasse Felix showing the chap who worked there hunting a location down because that bottle of wine was exceptional was quite surreal and very special. Funny how moments and memories create new paths!

We decided to take a private tour around Vasse. The cellar was incredible , one of those wow moments and thinking how good it would look in your home if you had a home and a small fortune to stock it! On show was a bottle from every single vintage including the very first bottle from 1972, apparently there’s only two in existence, one here and the another is with a private collector and no one knows the value of either bottle.
The chap taking us round was from California and a surfer, so he was having a blast working at Vasse, combining the love of wine and some of the best surf in Australia.Walking round Vasse we got to see the oldest vines in Margaret River and tasting the grapes straight from the vine, they are so sweet.

I have to say we were really impressed with Vasse, it didn’t disappoint, having the opportunity of trying an array of their wines during the tastings was a great insight to the different wines they produce, then when our host opened a bottle of the original blend that id discovered all those years ago just so i could taste it again , what a lovely chap! Oh and it was really good!

Vasse Felix owns specialty vineyards on exceptional sites throughout the region, including Margaret River's oldest - their Home Vineyard in the Wilyabrup area, planted in1967. They believe that great wines are made in healthy environments, must be authentic expressions of their place, and are the work of a great team of passionate people.
The viticulture and winemaking principles consider the unique requirements of Margaret River's pristine environment, and the’ve modeled a specialized approach that is sensitive to nourishing soil health, vine longevity and natural biodiversity within their ecosystem. This draws upon over 50 years of balancing organic principles and careful, targeted and tactical inputs to maximize quality and long-term sustainability.
Most of the year is dedicated to the 'soil season', where nutrition, replenishment and microbiology of our ancient soils is priority. During the 'growing season’, they work intuitively and intensively with each vine's structure and canopy to maximize the quality and natural resilience of their grapes.
Environmental expression is at the core of their approach, and to achieve this, every plot of fruit is cared for individually from harvest, through to fermentation and maturation.
Traceability to each individual vineyard plot enables the viticulturists and winemakers to improve quality of land and vine, beginning from the earth.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co - Wilyabrup
21 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Billy’s first pub!
After being blow away by Vasse Felix, we popped into Cheeky Monkey to sample their wares. The paddle was was a sample of four of their brews, none really floated the boat and i was having trouble getting them down so we popped into their beer garden , we had the option of bring Billy into the beer garden, for his first time at the pub, what a good boy he was.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
The Margaret River Chocolate - Metricup
22 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
When in Margret River….
Not big fans of Chocolate but that might be the quality of the Choc on the supermarket shelves?
I was secretly quite excited, i expected something like Charlie & the chocolate factory or tours round the factory like Cadbury’s in the UK!

No, a big warehouse , no atmosphere , cafe that dose everything that Choc could be poured over and mountains of chocolate , stacks of chocolate bars.
There was Chocolate honeycomb, truffles, solid bars , chocolate coated everything , chilli chocolate ( had to be done! Paul liked it , i didn’t ), chocolate bunnies, eggs , chocolate map of Australia , you want chocolate , it's here! i’m more of a dark coco ,truffle type of gal! and yes theirs was very good , just the gin truffles was out for debate!?

There was a window that you could view some chocolate being made but that was it. A Brief visit but we did purchase some chocolate and it was very good, mostly dark high coco level but overall yes I would buy it again ,sadly the factory was just a giant warehouse nothing that dreams can be made of!Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Cullen Winery- Wilyabrup
22 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Cullen Wines had been recommend by the chap at Vasse Felix because of our interest in Organic Wines.

Cullen wines is a premier biodynamic and organic winery in Margaret River.
An award-winning wines crafted with sustainability and passion, from vineyard to bottle.
Put simply, biodynamic viticulture is a philosophy combining the maintenance of sustainable soil fertility and the recognition of the link between plant growth and the rhythms of the cosmos. It is a method of farming that treats the vineyard as a living system, which interacts with the environment to build a healthy living soil that helps to nourish the vines and general environment.

Cullen Wines has five separate biodynamic kitchen gardens specifically for use in their Biodynamic Carbon Neutral Wine Room, These gardens house the produce used in their 4-course set menu.

When you first see the wine labels there extremely striking , each one different and very earthy, the names also well done eg dancing in the moonlight, ephrin, apparently it’s a family friend who designs the labels.

Counter tasting was a great introduction to Cullen with a selection of up to five of their certified biodynamic wines, at $15 per guest, redeemable with purchase.

We made our way through the menu to come away with a bottle of 2023 Ephraim with the intention to cellar it for many years.

Ephraim Mayo Clarke, Kevin John Cullen’s grandfather, property owner and Member of Parliament, who established the first winery in the southwest in Bunbury in 1896. Hand harvested grapes of the best blocks of biodynamically certified Mangan Vineyard Malbec and Petit Verdot were naturally fermented and basket pressed and then matured in 35% new oak for 8 months.

The resultant blend is 70% Malbec and 30% Petit Verdot. A naturally fermented wine with no additions other than minimal sulphur dioxide to catch the terroir of Mangan vineyard in Wilyabrup. The 2023 vintage was excellent especially for red and colour and this wine is no exception. No fining.

VINEYARD - 100% MANGAN VINEYARD
VARIETIES - 70% MALBEC, 30% PETIT VERDOT
HARVEST - 23RD MARCH – NEW MOON SUPER MOON FLOWER DAY, AND 30TH MARCH – FLOWER DAY OAK
13.5% ALCOHOL

Vintage Notes
Vintage 2023 was a low yielding vintage which resulted in some stunning grapes and hence quality wine. In particular Cabernet Sauvignon exhibited the best typically of varietal manifestation. The 52 year old vines consistently yield well year on year out.

The growing conditions until December were cold and wet and due to the negative Indian dipole and La Niña effects finishing in December 2022 we had an unprecedented dry spell from December until the end of harvest.

Small berry size particularly in white grape varieties produced beautifully balanced wines; Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Chardonnay, Cabernet and Malbec all outstanding.
8 MONTHS IN 35% NEW OAK

Tasting Notes
COLOUR - Vibrant ruby, Garnet purple.. dense and concentrated
CELLAR - Enjoy now or for up to 20 years
BOUQUET - Dense flavours of berry, cherry, salty plum, violets
FOOD - Lamb, venison, chicken
PALATE - Cherry, mulberry, salty plum, sage, thyme… This wine has rich fruit concentration. Delicious on the first encounter, finishing with a vibrant chocolate berry lift.

About Cullen Wines -
Cullen Wines sits upon the ancient soils of Wilyabrup, the place of red ochre, the “sweet spot” of the Margaret River wine growing region.

Dr Kevin John Cullen and Diana Madeline Cullen were ready to plant lupins in 1965 when a good friend Dr John Gladstones advised against it. He’d just completed a study on wine growing and knew the Cullens had the land to make the best quality wines.

Dr Gladstones described Wilyabrup as being the sweet spot of the Margaret River region, most favorable for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. It benefits from cold winds from the south and warm winds from the north. Gladstones’ now-famous 1966 report compared our climate to that of Bordeaux, and many regard him as the founder of Margaret River’s wine region.

Kevin John Cullen called the first grape growers meeting in Busselton and initiated trials with the Minchins, Sue and Geoff Juniper and other families involved.

Cullen planted vines in 1971, and our two Wilyabrup vineyards are certified biodynamic and carbon negative.

Wilybrup is a region in its own right, with distinct flavours and climate, and in 1999 Cullen and Moss Wood held the first sub regional tasting to celebrate the history and future of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grown here.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
CBCO Brewing - Bramley
22 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Location right next to where we were staying, would be rude not to pop in!
Opted for a tasting paddle and once again strudded with the beers, the Bertie Apple Cider was ok , but the beers were sooooo bitter!
The venue was pumping, hen do’s , party’s and the option to hit a few golf balls into and over the dam on the property from the Short Iron Range.

Fiercely independent, family-owned Australian brewer with over 20 years of brewing heritage.
Born in Margaret River in 2004, they were one of the first breweries to establish themselves in the heart of WA’s iconic wine region.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Mountford Wines & Tangletoe Ciders
23 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Hip camp, the real reason we booked this place was because of the cider tastings , i’d been searching for a really good cider and boy did I find a couple.

We had the field to ourselves most of the time so Billy got to run whenever he wanted. Surround by towering Karri trees.
We arranged for the wine/cider tastings towards the end of our stay.
Paul went for an afternoon jog to express the sense of freedom after too many wine tastings and to wear off the cheese tastings.

Mountford Wines is one of the oldest wineries in Pemberton and Tangletoe was the first cidery in Western Australia. In 1987, husband and wife duo Andrew and Sue Mountford established the six-hectare piece of land with one mission - to handcraft deliciously complex organic products that combine wine science with sustainable living.

After three years of extensive research to analyse the soil, rainfall and grapes, the cellar door was lovingly crafted by hand using the raw materials found onsite. Mountford Wines is one of the few wineries in the region that use natural techniques with carbon-positive, sustainable production and certified organic wines and cider.

The Mountford Wines and Tangletoe Cidery difference:

Low yields enhance the flavours of the grapes by allowing them to fully develop
Dry grown grapes vs irrigation, which produce smaller crops and high-intensity fruit flavours recognisable in our products
Natural pest/weed control and fertiliser from our vineyard chickens who are free to roamLeggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
One Tree Bridge - Glenoran
24 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Historic old bridge constructed from one single log
Until 1904, the only way across the Donnelly River in this area was a hazardous natural rocky ford about 500 metres upstream of the present bridge. The opening of the nearby graphite mining venture demanded a safer crossing.
Local settlers, Herbert and Walter Giblett, located an enormous karri tree and, using their skill as axemen, felled it so it dropped across the 25m wide river to form the basis of a bridge.
The superstructure was hewn from nearby jarrah trees – crosspieces were cut and set into the karri log, then slabs of jarrah were laid across each end of the bolsters.
Finally, hand hewn jarrah decking was laid, naturally resting on the slabs to provide a non-slip surface for horses and bullocks.
Eventually, this bridge disintegrated and fell into the river. Part of it was salvaged and is now on display at this shady recreation site.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Chestnut Brae Farm - Carlotta
24 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C
Picking your own Chestnuts
Autumn is the time when chestnuts come into season ,we met John the owner who guided us up to the orchard of chestnut trees, walking though the forrest with the sunlight breaking though ,broke up the heat for us to pick our chestnuts. It’s rather exciting picking the chestnuts off the ground,
Within 30 mins we had managed to collect 4.5kg there’s a sense of achievement when your basket fills full of these sweet chestnuts, I thought John ( who happened to be from Great Barr ) , eye’s were going to pop out when he saw our stash! Bless him , never put two floorers in an orchard of food, it’s like putting two hoovers in there! Apparently we broke the record most people only pick 2kg! Boom

The processing of the chestnuts is another level, over the next few days I had access to an oven at Poppy’s place so the processing began. To roast , peel 4.5kg of these little suckers was intense, it must of took me a good 10hrs to get through them all and then where to store them!? You just don’t think about that when the excitement of collecting these little gems takes over. Thankfully at the time we had freezer space!
We purchased honey, flour made from chestnuts and smoked ham from John’s pigs that had been reared on the property, we’ve crushed some of the chestnuts over pasta dishes, Thai curry’s all been delicious just another 3.5kg to go!

Chestnut Brae Farm is a 70-acre idyllic farm that is farmed sustainably using regenerative agriculture and holistic management. The farm is covered by mature organic sweet chestnut forests, mushroom crops, heirloom vegetables and heritage animals. The sweet chestnut trees produce 12 tonnes of chestnuts each autumn, which is used to feed the grazing animals and make sweet flavored meat.

The chestnuts are also processed to make organic gluten-free chestnut flour, chestnuts in syrup, peeled frozen chestnuts, and other chestnut-based products. The farm also produces chestnut honey and chestnut orchard honey from the European-looking orchards. John and Linda have a passion for healthy living, healthy food and a healthy planet. They purchased the farm in 2013 with the goal of creating a sustainable, organic, self-sufficient farm producing a range of unique chestnut-based products.Leggi altro
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Western Australia The Ungovernables Winging It...
Cambray Cheese - Cundinup
25 marzo 2025, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Best tasting cheese ever!
Cute place , lovely gardens and the cheese , well omg! Amazing! Pure, award-winning farmhouse cheese of exceptionally high quality.

You get to taste a great selection , cows and sheep’s cheeses and see though the window the cheese been currently made.
Outside is where the cows are milked and out back is the old milk shed and in there is a collection of the grand father's pictures when he travelled round Australia back in 1930’s.

History
Cambray Sheep Cheese is a small family-operated business run by the Wilde Family which has achieved remarkable success since opening in 2005. The unique range, all awarded gold medals, includes soft white-mould cheeses, a traditional Greek style feta, and a variety of matured cheese including the famous Farmhouse Gold.
Cambray’s vision was borne from Jane’s passion for dairy, which stemmed from her childhood of helping her mother milk their house cow and churn butter in Karragullen, paired with Bruce’s experience in sheep, growing up on a sheep farm in Pingelly. This led them to purchase a farm on the outskirts of Nannup in 1995.
The former policeman and nurse begun the journey by importing 3 East Friesian milking sheep into Western Australia in 1997, they then started the lengthy process of breeding a suitable milking flock. By 2003 they commenced building the factory. At this time, youngest son Tom was leaving school and started to help out, Bruce and Tom built the factory by themselves and it was ready to start cheese making by 2005.
With guidance from a Dutch cheesemaker friend (Eddie Bestbier, who has now joined Cambray as head Cheesemaker), Jane and Tom developed their own unique style of sheep and later on, cow’s milk cheeses. Originally selling the cheese through local farmers markets and their own farm shop, the business has expanded somewhat since the beginning and now supplies many of WA’s top restaurants and specialty cheese stores. Cambray prides itself on its high quality and traditional methods for a true paddock to plate product.

The Cheese
Cambray Cheese specialises in both sheep and cow’s milk cheeses, with the sheep milk products being seasonal. The sheep milk season runs from approximately September through to March, where up to nearly 150 sheep are milked twice a day on the farm…producing on average 1L per sheep per day. During this time Cambray produces a variety of soft cheeses, as well as hard cheeses which are matured from anywhere from 12 months through to 4 years. All Cambray’s sheep milk cheeses are considered ‘Farmhouse’ status, meaning the sheep are milked on the farm, then processed on the farm by the farmer.
Cambray also do a selection of cow’s milk cheeses throughout the year. The cow’s milk is sourced from ‘Walsall Dairy’ a small family run dairy just out of Busselton in Acton Park. Walsall Dairy have received numerous gold plaque awards in the Dairy Australia Milk Quality Awards. This award acknowledges they produce the best quality milk based on annual average bulk milk cell count, they were in the top 100 in Australia. This high milk quality results in great tasting cheeses
Every stage involved in producing Cambray’s range of handmade cheese happens right here on the family farm using age-old techniques.Leggi altro
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