With the late arrival of the warmer days down here in the south west the orchids are now in full bloom.
Frieds suggested a couple of places to visit to take photos of the beautiful orchids and here is a look at just some of the ones we photographed. Thank you for showing me your secret orchid spot. Cowslips, Purple Enamel Orchids, Rattle Beaks, Reaching Spider Orchids, Fringed Lily, Trigger plants and others, I aren’t sure of the names of, were all out today.
Today we become tourists in our own town and joined a wine tour to see what visitors get to enjoy when they come to Margaret River.
Our first stop was McHenry Hohnen Winery, a bio-dynamic vineyard established in 2004 by David Hohnen, who originally established Cape Mentelle in Margaret River and Cloudy Bay in New Zealand, which both became world renowned wineries and Murray McHenry a prominent WA wine merchant and hotelier.  Their winery uses ‘old world’ techniques and biological practices.  The vines are hand-picked and wild fermented giving their wines a unique flavour.  The also produce small goods in their butchers smokehouse on the farm.
It was then on to Olio Bello, a certified organic food producer and sustainable olive grove producing extra virgin olive oils.  They also produce a range of flavoured and infused oils and condiments, as well as beauty products.
The wine tasting at Hay Shed Hill, like most wineries in the region, was predominantly  Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, followed by a pizza and salad lunch at Rustico.
The next stop was well timed at Gabriel Chocolate where we tasted their hand produced chocolate and just had to test their icecream as well. Â I can report both very very good.
House of Cards Winery is a single vineyard producer, with the young owners being very hands-on in all aspects of the vintage. Â Making a good range of red and white wines it was another enjoyable visit.
Last winery of the day was Brygon Reserve Wines who opened in 2009 and are highly rated by James Halliday and Ray Jordan – leading Australian and Western Australian wine critics, respectively.
A refreshing ‘cleansing ale’ at Colonial Brewery finished the day off nicely.
Thanks John, we really enjoyed your Wines for Dudes tour.
Finally the weather has started to improve in the south west of WA and we are getting some warmer dry weather. It has been cold and wet for what seems like an eternity.
The wildflowers have been out for months but because it has been so miserable I think the orchids have been too afraid to pop out of the ground, but I finally got to see one, only one, this weekend. Â Quite a few varieties grow in the area so hopefully next year I will get to see some more.
Many of the other flowers are nearing the end of the season, but still worth a stroll through the forest to enjoy what is in bloom.
All these delicate little flowers were within a few hundred metres. The variety of colours and shapes are part of natures beauty.
The annual Margaret River Agricultural Show was held this weekend.
In the main pavilion the displays were out ready for everyone to admire.
I was fortunate enough to win ‘Best of Show’ in the patchwork and quilting section. Â This quilt was made quite a while ago but this year’s theme was circles and curves so it fitted well into the theme.
I also entered this quilt and collected another ribbon ‘the Patron’s Trophy’. Â I must say I was ‘tickled pink’ with the awards.
And take a look at some of the other quilts entered. Â The second photo here won ‘Viewers Choice’.
Here is a sample of just some of the cakes, garden produce, flowers, photography, arts, crafts, textiles and the kids Lego creations.
Outside the displays and activities drew in the crowds.
As the clouds threatened and the wind picked-up the quilts were hung along the shops and vantage points for the 20th annual Airing of the Quilts in Northampton. Â The great hope from everyone involved that the rain would stay away for a while unfortunately didn’t eventuate, and the rain started shortly after.
This event usually brings thousands of visitors to Northampton to see the wonderful quilts by local quilt makers who proudly ‘air their quilts’ for visitors to admire.
We managed to take a few photos before the rain arrived.
Local artist Helen Reynolds was this year’s featured artist.  Helen’s georgous quilts and very colourful textile artworks were on display…well out of the rain.  Helen recently won the 2016 Bunbury International Quilt Challenge with her piece titled There’s a Fairy in My Garden.  Unfortunately my photo of the winning piece didn’t work through the glass window.
With any luck the rain will ease off for a while and the quilts will be out for everyone to enjoy.
Many other activities and events are part of the festival but as the weather closed in I decided to take cover. Â I will have to come back next year to enjoy all the days offerings.
Today was a glorious spring day here in Margaret River and thanks to the hospitality of keen gardener Paula Cristoffanini we had somewhere to enjoy the afternoon.
Paula opened her garden “Tadpole Creek Garden” to the public today as a means to raise some funds for local cancer charity River Angels.
What was once a paddock is now a wonderful garden…and in such a short time. Paula has chosen plants that flower with vibrant colours in the yellow, orange and red palate with highlights of purple. Her Mediterranean style garden features plants that are water-wise and natives that need little care but are also happy to the trimmed and shaped. Â Although not a lot of blooms were on display today you could feel spring was in the air and it showed how a well designed garden still has so much to offer in any season.
Another feature of the garden was Paula’s artistic flare in producing works of garden art that bring joy and creativity to the landscape.
Take a look at what we saw today! Â Paula was there to give us all the information on her garden and share as much of her knowledge as possible.
Entry to the garden is down a lovely driveway, weaving its way to where the garden opens up into view.
Then it was time to explore. The birds were out enjoying the day as well.
Thank you to Paula for making her beautiful garden available for the public to view and we look forward to visiting again.
This is an interesting blog on the stats of WA. Thanks for the info “Itching for Hitching”.
It’s not until you decide to drive Western Australia from top to bottom that you realise how really large it is. It takes days to drive across the Pilbara region. From the coast at Exmouth to the town of Tom Price took us two days and we didn’t sight a town only the gates of cattle stations.
According to Wikipedia statistics, if the state of Western Australia was a country it would be the tenth largest in the world.The road distance from Augusta in the south to Kununurra in the north is 3512kms. Which is a lot further than Los Angeles to New York 2789kms or Paris to Moscow 2834kms.
Western Australia has a population of 2.6 million, 11% of the national population*. *Wikipedia
Mainland Australia is 7,659,861 square kilometres
WA 2,526,786 (33%) (includes Pilbara 502,000 (6.53%), Kimberley 423,517 (5.51%))
Queensland, QLD 1,723,936 (22.5%)
Northern Territory, NT 1,335,742 (17.5%)
South…
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It has been years since we spent any time in the city, so on a recent trip we decided to stay in Perth’s centre and have a look around.  We haven’t lived in Perth for five and a half years; the skyline has certainly changed and the new  Elizabeth Quay is progressing into a very impressive development on the Swan River.
The view of the city and river from up at Kings Park is gorgeous on a lovely winters day.
Even though there has been quite a few new skyscrapers built across the city it is lovely to see that many of the original buildings have been preserved.
Around the city there are some interesting sights. Â We were out and about in the early morning before the city started to fill with cars, workers and shoppers.
The trees are changing colour.
On the walls in Prince Lane in the fashion wholesale and manufacturing area of the city, murals reflect the history of the fashion district.
Elizabeth Quay is Perth’s newest development and is planned with tourist, residential, office and commercial facilities taking in views up and down the Swan River.
Although it has been a brief visit we have been surprised by how many changes there have been in Perth….nice to see the city continuing to develop and feel so alive.  The reputation of the city being a quiet and dull little place has certainly gone as far as we are concerned.
We originally decided to come to Margaret River and rent for a while just to make sure we were happy with the area and all it had to offer us in retirement. Â Well, I am pleased to say that we have settled in very nicely down here and so begins the next phase of our journey.
We have purchased a block in the nearby small town of Cowaramup – only 10 km from Margaret River – and are getting ready to start the building process. Â Hopefully they will be starting the earthworks in the next couple of weeks and we hope to be in our new home by Easter next year, if all goes well.
The block is 2,000 sqm so it will have plenty of room for the caravan shed, vege patch, fruit trees and maybe some chickens.
This is the entrance to the block.
And here is the view from the back of the block looking north.
We have a lovely little winter creek over the road which is a haven for birds and frogs.
This morning we planted our first lot of native shrubs just before the rain came through to give them a water.
Looking forward to getting started on the house and hope the weather doesn’t hold us up at the start of this new venture.
This gallery contains 16 photos.
Originally posted on Bagni di Lucca and Beyond:
Last year at Casa Debbio we decided to plant a new garden on the terrace below the house. We had some pine trees removed, which has allowed a walnut tree and a…
Not that we intend to buy a small farm down here, but we are always interested in farming and what you can do with a small parcel of land.
Leaving Margaret River early this morning the sun glistened on the grape vines and paddocks, and the animals were enjoying the cool early morning.
On our way over to Balingup we passed this free range egg business that has made very good use of old caravans…..unique chook houses for their chickens to roost in at night.
Arriving at the field day it was already busy. Â The car parks were filling fast and everyone was out enjoying the beautiful weather.
The livestock were obviously used to having people around.
The machinery, garden suppliers and craftspeople all seemed to be having a great day selling their wares.
And the kids had plenty of activities to keep them occupied.
On our way home we visited a quilt exhibition, stopped to enjoy the beautiful Blackwood River and Jim was pretty excited to see the rally cars in Nannup. Â They were competing in an annual RallyWA event today.
It was certainly a glorious autumn day in the south west.
Margaret River Region Open Studios (MRROS)
With so much talent on display in the Margaret River region during Open Studios it is easy to see why the event attracts so many visitors. This year is certainly no exception.
Throughout the 16 day event visitors are invited into artists private studios to meet the artist and view their works. This year, the 107 artists have works on display that include painting, sculptors, textiles, printmakers, ceramicists, jewellers, photographers and up-cycling. Some even manage to find time to hold workshops.
One such artists is Jane Flower from Folios and Fibre, a textile artists who uses eco dyeing to create beautiful one of a kind scarves, handmade garments and other mixed media pieces. Jane generously shared her knowledge with us during an informal workshop, allowing us to create these beautiful pieces of eco dyed silk.
Using the Shibori resist dyeing technique our pieces where prepared using various resists.
The silk is then added to the bubbling eco dyepot. Eucalyptus and various other leaves are boiled to extract the natural dyes and tannins before adding the silk. This process means that no two dye lots will ever be the same; it can yield some lovely and unexpected surprises.
After a time brewing in the dyepot we removed our pieces and allowed them to cool before we could handle them.
And now time for the great reveal. Â Here are just a few of our creations.
After drying to allow the dye to set my pieces are now washed and ready for me to find a creative way to use them…..I will let you know the outcome.
You can see Jane’s beautiful work by clicking here.
It’s back again for another season…..and it was a lovely balmy evening in Perth for the start of the footy.
The West Coast Eagles had a good win and Jamie kicked 3 goals. Looking forward to another good year!
What beautiful weather we have had here in Margaret River for the long weekend. Â We could not resist going over to the beach to watch the surfers enjoying the waves. Â The views up and down the coast made the water look very inviting.
Although the waves were crowded, the surfers are clever at staying balanced and avoiding other surfers on their wave.
With the world class Margaret River Surf Pro coming up in April, let’s hope the perfect conditions continue.
We are currently staying up at Horrocks Beach at Gaylene & Marks house, with friends Graham and Heather from Sydney, who were keen to see some of WA during their stay here.
On a lovely calm morning Jim and Graham went out pulling pots with our nephew Cameron and his mate. Not sure about the salute – Benny Hill’ish!
This sea eagle was keen to see what they caught.
The resulting catch was most enjoyed by all.
Thanks Cam.
More than 50 international and local culinary stars gathered in Margaret River for this year’s Gourmet Escape held at the iconic event location, Leeuwin Estate. Chefs Rick Stein, Marco Pierre White, Matt Moran, Antonio Carluccio, Matt Preston, George Calombaris, Guillaume Brahimi, just to name a few, were here taking part in cooking demonstrations and sharing their tips and experiences. They also hosted fine dining events throughout the Margaret River region showcasing Western Australian seafood and a wide range of WA produce.
For food lovers it was ‘foodies heaven’.
At the gourmet village food and wine tastings from a range of stall holders, particularly local restaurants, food producers, wineries and breweries, were all offering tempting delights to tantalise the taste buds.
Over the weekend the large crowds also enjoyed live music from a variety of artists.
Unfortunately the photos don’t do justice to the event as my camera battery went flat pretty early into the day…..next year’s Gourmet Escape is already on the calendar.
Shanghai is the third largest city in China; 24 million people live in this busy metropolis. Considered the most modern city in China it has had western influences for centuries. The Bund area along the river was the area for foreign merchants and bankers, particularly the British. It is still a prominent financial district however over the past 20 years the other side of the river has seen all the new high rise developments.
The view from the river at night is absolutely amazing; lights highlight the skyscrapers with many of them constantly changing colour and themes.
Our only day of rain was our last day in Shanghai so unfortunately photo opportunities were limited.
We had the opportunity to ride the Maglev, Shanghai’s magnetic levitation train that travels at top speed of 431 km/hr which it reaches in only a couple of minutes. I think it is the fastest in the world.
During our time in China we visited several museums and cultural history venues. Here are just some of the photos we took.
If you are thinking of a tour to China we would recommend you go ahead. We were greatly impressed by the ‘clean and green’ effort that China is adopting. The city streets are lined with trees to help with pollution, motorbikes and scooters are electric in all of the larger cities, the streets are clean and tidy and smoking is being discouraged.
We definitely had a tourists view of China but even so it was impressive.
Suzhou – known as the ‘Venice of the East’ – is built on a series of man made canals that link to the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal is also a man made river that flows from Beijing in the north to Hangzhou in the south, linking the Yellow River and Yangtze River. The oldest parts of the canal date back to the 5th century and were finally completed during the Sui dynasty (581–618 AD). The length of the Grand Canal is 1,776 km it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After a canal cruise we walked through the local market for a look at the local produce on sale. Not sure about the meat and seafood (no refrigeration) but the fruit and vegetables looked OK. The crowded street, sights and smells were memorable.
We then visited the Master of the Nets Garden which was first constructed in 1140 as a garden around a wealthy home. It has seen several redesigns and additional pavillions added over the centuries. The last owner of the house restord both the garden and house back to it’s original design and he donated it to the government on his death. Now open to the public it attracts many visitors; both local and international.
Our next stop is Hangzhou.
Hangzhou is in southern China and is very popular with wealthy Chinese. Given the mild climate and beautiful scenery in this area many of them have luxury homes and apartments around the West Lake. Hangzhou also attracts about 20 million visitors per year to see its sights – mostly Chinese but it is also on the international tourist trail. With a population of 8 million the city freeway system is just as impressive as the larger cities.
We strolled along the lake side promenades and also took a cruise in a traditional boat to enjoy the views from the lake.
Another highlight of our trip was to attend ‘Impression West Lake’ – a theatrical production staged on the lake. The director produced the opening and closing ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics so the standard was right up there. With the stage set 2 inches below the water level it gave the impression the actors were walking on water. The story ‘A scene in heaven, and a dream on earth’ is about a love story that can never be. It was very impressive.
Not far from the city we visited a tea plantation and enjoyed a presentation and tasting of green tea, China’s most popular tea. Green tea is continually drunk throughout the day as it is considered to have many health benefits.
Our final destination is Shanghai.
We flew into Guilin and travelled north to the mountainous rice fields in the Longji region. The drive up the mountain was remarkably dangerous in a bus travelling around hairpin bends and very narrow roads at high speed – we were amazed it would go so fast uphill.
From the bus drop off point near the top we then had to hike the rest of the way up the mountain to our hotel in Ping An – very puffed by the time we arrived but the views made it all worth while. The little village sits at an elevation of about 800 mtrs. The mountains are covered in rice fields for as far as the eye can see; it has been grown in the region for centuries. At the moment the fields are still green and the rice heads are filling out. Although a little humid up in the mountains the weather has not been too hot.
Back in Guilin we visited the limestone Reed Flute Cave, so called because of the nearby reeds that have been made into flutes for centuries. The 240 mtr cave has been lit by colourful lights to show off the formations and it is certainly the largest cave network we have been in. Stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars and stone curtains all have mystical significance to the very superstitious Chinese. Stone inscriptions from the Tang Dynasty are evident in the caves.
On our travels so far we have enjoyed our meals. Typically at lunch and dinner a variety of dishes are served on lazysusans for the group to share. This was our best coffee – cappuccino is not Chinese.
We have seen some interesting sights….
….. and faces.
