That turned out to be a glorious forest of karri and marri trees, both eucalyptus varieties. The former are the third tallest trees in the world and the latter have the largest nuts of any eucalypt. We walked a short way along the Margaret River on the Ten Mile Brook trail just north of town. Donna, of The Noble Grape, said that people came to the region expecting the Mississippi (does everyone sing-song spell that word in their head while typing?), but the Margaret River was nothing to write home about. With the cacophony of birds above and the explosion of wildflowers below, we found it peaceful and enchanting, despite the sad weather.
Next we drove a short ways to the Indian Ocean. Visiting this region in the early Spring, during the week, is a recipe for isolation. Everywhere we went, the amount of fellow tourists was slim to none. But there were a few children running along the beach and swimming near the shore. That water was cold, but the kids didn't seem to mind. This is the second time I've been to the Indian Ocean, but my first on this side of the pond. Were we to continue heading west, the next stop would be South Africa. We explored the tide pools and did a little beach combing, then headed off to lunch.
Susan had done a little bit of research and discovered that the best food in the region can usually be found at the wineries. This was a welcome discovery after the rather disappointing selection in Margaret River proper. The region is wonderful but the town is 'meh.' So, following a recommendation we'd read, we lunched at Knee Deep.
Knee Deep's cellar door is modern, with a metal exterior and a large enclosed deck area with good views of the surrounding vineyard. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, not only about their particular wines but about the entire region. The tasting menu was presented on a laminated placard which gave a recommended order and short descriptions of each wine. Susan and I are novices at wine tasting, but the staff made us feel comfortable and we enjoyed trying all of the varieties, of which there were several. I particularly enjoyed the 2007 Chardonnay, and I don't usually go for white wine.
After the tasting, we settled down for lunch. For Susan and I, food can be an adventure in and of itself, much like a hike to a scenic destination or visit to a museum. The food at Knee Deep was fantastic. We started with a plate of local bay scallops, perfectly seared and served with a brush of aioli and a hot cup of artichoke velouté (sort of a creamy soup). Susan's main was a cauliflower risotto with taleggio cheese topped with a poached egg and I had a ribeye, medium rare, with a mushroom tartine. Susan's risotto was the best I'd ever tasted and my steak was divine. "Two thumbs up," said Susan.
Our bougy demands having been met, we longed for a return to nature and decided to escape wine country via a two lane road west to Blackwood River National Park. We drove through a forest of gray-green eucalyptus – unlike any forest either of us had ever seen. Occasionally, there were small signs warning us that poisoned meat had been placed as a trap for feral cats in the area, which are an ecological nuisance. Eventually we arrived at Sue's Bridge, a little picnic and camping area. It was very quiet and picturesque next to the river.
That evening, we purchased some local sausage, cheese, fruit, and wine from the market and had a nice little dinner in our room. We both agreed that, though the desert was fantastic, we were really enjoying this part of Australia as well. [Susan: Skip the Chocolate Factory--actually I think any food business with the word 'Factory' in the name should be skipped, but I'm biased. The chocolate is good enough but the store is big and cavernous and their praline chocolate just taste like good milk chocolate, no praline taste at all. We bought the local chicken chorizo (helpfully labelled gluten-free) at the IGA in Margaret River. 10 AUD buys you one link and it's so good. They carry great olives and some local cheeses. It's a good place to stock up on picnic food, and if you're too lazy to do much wine tasting (me!), there's an attached liquor store that carries a bunch of local wines.]
We had lunch at another winery, this time Cullen. I wasn't as impressed with the tasting menu at Cullen as I had been at Knee Deep. They didn't have as many varieties and the wines I did taste weren't really my style. But oh my god was the menu fantastic. Susan and I wanted to order everything. But reason prevailed and we started with a garden salad, gluten-free bread, and a trio of dips: sun-dried tomato cashew, herbed ricotta, and hummus. Susan thinks the bread was paratha – unhealthy but oh-so tasty. The salad greens were from their garden and were "biodynamic." Apparently, biodynamic is the astrology of agriculture. I wasn't impressed with the explanation, but it still tasted good. Susan had a main of paneer, channa dal, dosa, and an avocado and lentil salad. I had seared Whiting (a flaky fish) over quinoa with a lemon beurre blanc. So good.
[Susan: Both Cullen and Knee Deep catered really well to gluten-free people. Their menus were clearly marked as to what was gluten-free, and, not surprisingly, since both feature local, organic produce, nearly everything was gluten-free or could be made that way. Both had gluten-free bread options. And nearly every dessert at Cullen was gluten-free, including the almond-chocolate torte we shared. They are only open for lunch and are a bit pricey, but well worth the cost, and frankly, not much more expensive than the strictly so-so meals we've had elsewhere. I was in heaven.]
After lunch, we drove up the cape to the lighthouse and took a trail around. If you do much hiking or driving around the Margaret River region of Western Australia, one thing you'll notice quickly is that so many trees are scorched. They are all apparently the survivors of one or more forest fires. We took a walk around the lighthouse and discovered that it is a sandy wasteland of charred branches because a wildfire had burned away all of the scrubby coastal vegetation. It was eery, but we soon came to appreciate the lack of leaves because it allowed us to fully see the ocean. We enjoyed a good fifteen minutes of serendipitous whale watching as we glimpsed over a dozen humpback whales surfacing among the waves. Even the sun came out to play for a little while.
Now we are winding down with a good glass of local red wine and a little bit of the cheese and sausage from last night. Tomorrow we head back up to Perth for the last few days of our vacation together. It has gone by so fast, but it has been such a great trip and we're looking forward to some city exploring after a week and a half of desert and wine country.
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