BEST OF THE WEST
Paul Rush samples the good life in Western Australia’s state of good taste
I’ve arrived at a place that Lonely Planet has named as a world top 10 destination and, after a seven-hour flight from Auckland, I’m naturally curious about what all the fuss is about.
In setting out to discover the appeal of Western Australia’s blessed south-west corner, the first thing that impresses me is the amenable Mediterranean climate. Margaret River enjoys an average of 7.8 hours of sunshine a day, which sets the scene for a perfect holiday experience.
On a prominent corner of the picturesque and lively Margaret River township are the Darby Park serviced residences (darbypark.com.au), where the manager greets me warmly and recommends a good restaurant for my evening meal, the Must Wine Bar & Bistro ( must.com.au). So on my very first evening I’m destined to become intimately acquainted with the region’s premium wines. One glance at the Must wine list tells me that it is as solid and durable as the granite boulders of the south-west coast.
The bistro’s degustation menu is a standout, starting with a chicken liver parfait and a glass of Burgundy followed by a charcuterie plate and Bellarmine dry Riesling. The main course is a succulent dry-aged beef rump and Frankland River Plan B Shiraz.
Dessert is a superb creme brulee with a Juniper Estate Riesling. What I find particularly satisfying is Must’s practice of recording a big thank you to their local producers as a footnote to their menu.
Tourist guide Sean Blocksidge stepped out of the corporate world to launch The Margaret River Discovery Company with a mission to help visitors discover the "real" Margaret River.
We begin with a serene paddle on the river under overhanging paperbark trees. The scene is so tranquil that the marron, brim and mullet are resting on the bottom in a languid state and dragonflies are hovering in the heat haze.
Blocksidge explains that this is just an appetiser as we are going behind the scenes at Cape
Mentelle vineyard for a light degustation lunch, which instantly gets my attention.
Turning to a Brisbane couple in our group he says, “Their SemillonSauvignon Blanc is mostly what you people drink in Queensland.” The reply is music to my ears. “Sorry, we drink New Zealand wines like Cloudy Bay.” The very personable host at Cape Mentelle explains that this winery has put Margaret River on the world map along with four other local vineyards — Cape Leeuwin, Cullen, Mosswood and Vasse Felix. Good terrain and a maritime influence are crucial to their success. “We are at latitude 34° south and have an average temperature of 20.4C — Bordeaux in France is 35° north and 20.3C.”
A dining table has been set up in an atmospheric room lined with French oak barrels of premium cabernet sauvignon. We work our way through the wines while judging the food
match of weight and the strong and subtle flavours.
There are ideal pairings such as the smoked trout and Riesling and the Gorgonzola blue vein cheese and Chardonnay. It is a fascinating experience of aromatic aromas and bitter, sweet, savoury and sour taste sensations.
We come away from Cape Mentelle with an appreciation of the achievements of
Margaret River wineries in producing less than 5 per cent of Australian wine but 25 per cent of its premium wine — the really good stuff.
I’m intrigued by the colourful names wineries pull out of the hat for their products: Frog Choir, Howling Wolves, Knee Deep, Mongrel Creek, Clown Fish Chardonnay, Cow Bombie
(named after a monster surf break) and Fifth Leg Shiraz (depicting a dog up a ladder ready to pounce on a leg of lamb). The canine fixation is perplexing but believe me there’s nothing mongrel about the product quality.
Our tour continues up Caves Rd through Wilyabrup, where the biggest concentration of wineries is found, and out to an isolated section of the Cape to Cape
Track. We walk through coastal heathland dotted with clusters of lateblooming wildflowers and stand atop a craggy limestone outcrop to view the dramatic cliffs, which are being assailed by booming foam-tipped swells.
Here and there I spot tiny black dots bobbing on the ocean. This Wilyabrup section has some of the 75 top surfing breaks along this rugged coast. Visitors come to this region primarily to drink or swim. That means surfing, swimming or diving in crystal-clear, unpolluted water off the country’s longest, widest and cleanest white-sand beaches.
I continue driving north to discover a place of idyllic seclusion in dense woodland called the Forest Rise Eco Retreat ( forestrise.com.
au). The manager shows me around my superbly appointed chalet called The Laughing Kookaburra. It nestles unobtrusively in an unspoilt grove of lakeside red gums and jarrah trees.
Soon I have a visit from my neighbours, an affectionate, toe-biting ringtail possum and a little busybody bilby. They are extremely curious about their Kiwi visitor so I give them a potted history of my life across the Ditch. However, in time I realise that their blank looks suggest that their primary focus is on soliciting food.
In the morning I hear avian music and spot silvereyes and cockatoos flitting about. There is a delightful sign in the summerhouse with images of willy wagtails, shellducks, rosellas and splendid fairy wrens. The sign reads: “These are some of our guests that dropped in this week around the lake.”