Day 128 29/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste NP - Exploring the Margaret River Region

Day 128 29/07/2011 Leeuwin Naturaliste NP - Exploring the Margaret River Region

Today we went on a gastronomical tour of the Margaret River region. Whilst Pete and I would have loved to book into a winery tour the kids objected, so instead we headed to the Margaret River Tourist Information Centre and obtained heaps of information about the gourmet trails, the kids were very excited.



Not sure how to describe the flavour sheep in wine but
it must be important as they were in all the paddocks



Our first stop was the Candy Cow and Fudge Factory. Here we all got to try some delicious fudge in an assortment of flavours!! And to the kids delight gob stoppers!! The kids were so excited that they could pick their own flavours to taste.  The stimulus package for Margaret River had commenced!!  We left the Candy Cow a little poorer.

Second stop was The Old Cheddar Cheese Company. To Callum’s delight there was over 8 cheeses on offer for him to try as well as 2 yoghurts!!   Callum loves cheese and this stop was the highlight of the day for him.  It was so hard deciding which cheese and yoghurt to buy so we settled on a lovely Romano and two yummy yoghurts.



The water came up ...



Third stop was Margaret River Nuts and Cereals, yum, here we tried an assortment of nuts with different flavours, and the kids stayed right away form the wasabi peanuts!! and focussed more on the chocolate and yoghurt coated nuts.  Lots of yummy nuts were tasted but unbelievably we managed to leave with our wallets intact.

Fourth stop Margaret River Chocolate Factory…..not much to say here except when we left we were all full of chocolate and our wallets were much lighter!!  Yum, the chocolate was unbelievably smooth and tasty. The kids had all brought their own money so Callum and Claudia treated themselves to a bubblegum ice cream!

Fifth stop Margaret River Providore – here we tasted lots of jams and pickles, sauces and olive oils.  It was funny watching the children taste each one, they were becoming very adventurous in their tasting and at times their facial expressions were priceless.  Here we also got to try a couple of wines, our first for the day.  Yep we left with wallets lighter but with some yummy wine and our first Christmas present purchases!! Yeah Christmas shopping has commenced.



and then over!!



Sixth stop, Margaret River Nougat Factory, this stop was not such a success with the children but Pete and I enjoyed the nougat.

Seventh stop, Laurence Wines, and oh my we were getting full, so much that the packed picnic lunch was still in the picnic bag!! Laurence Wines is one of the few wineries that charges for tasting so we had a good look around and left.  The wines started at $40 per bottle so we were pretty confident that we wouldn’t be buying any.

Eighth stop, Saracen Estate, this would have to be the most amazing boutique winery I have been to, the grounds were perfectly manicured, even in the rain the island in the middle of the dam looked inviting and the tasting area was tastefully set out with bar chairs, lounge chairs and a glorious fire.  If we wanted we could have kicked back all afternoon, unfortunately the children’s attention span in a winery was short so we started our tasting.  Saracen is a very small winery but oh my gosh the wines were divine.  We enjoyed the reds and whites and settled on purchasing a few.  In reflection, I realised that I paid more for a bottle of red at this winery than I do for a case of Peter’s beer!!

After the eighth stop we headed back to the van, full and happy we had had a great day exploring the region. 

As we tucked ourselves up in bed the rain still fell down and the wind howled around us, occasionally there were claps of thunder and bolts of lightning, the caravan of peace, love and happiness though was well protected and so far we have been sheltered from the worst of the weather that the south west of WA is experiencing at the moment.