It was a little ambitious booking a family road trip four months ago. Who knows what demon I may have spawned.
What I did know is the first two months with Mini Me would be exhausting and Hubby and I would need some quality time.
I also know our travel bug can not be cured with the shock therapy called parenthood. She'll need to learn early.
So Friday morning we found ourselves on the road with a milk drunk baby and full boot, battling a torrential rainstorm with visibility at 10m in front of the car, destined four-hours south of Perth to Pemberton.
'Come for the trees, stay for the experience' is not a tourism tag line that appeals to me. Pemberton is the South West's younger sibling living in the shadows cast by older Margaret River, Dunsborough, even Bridgetown. They're older, more well know and have more national parks, wineries, galleries, festivals.
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| 1: The downpour as we left Perth. 2: Wine, expressed milk and chocolate - what more could you want? 3: A cuppa with a view 4: Mini Me excited to finally be in Pemberton 5: Our wood stash |
What did entice me was wine and wood-fires, good prices, enough attractions to interest us and no crowds.
Day one: the road
I was nervous on how Mini Me would behave on the road. But she did me proud and is way too young to play the annoying 'are we there yet' game.
We lasted to Australind before she needed to feed and stopped at Henks Café for lunch. This ticked all the boxes... Bruce the pram had room, Hubby had a chicken burger heavy on the filling and not the bread (a welcome change), Mini Me was milk drunk again and I could tick off one fifth of number 29 in my 101 in 1001 goal - visit five new WA towns. This definitely counts. We drove around the estuary, partook in an economic transaction and even drove through the residential area, just to have a look.
Then back on the road and no more stops until we reached the Lavender & Berry Farm where we were booked into one of the rammed-earth chalets. With pyro-Hubby getting a crackling fire going, Mini Me and I settled into one of the cosy couches and watched the storm roll over the farm. More to come this week on our accommodation.
No coverage means no technology. A welcome change and exactly what we needed. Too often Hubby and I are slaves to iSociety... Facebook, Instagram, Candy Crush, AFL dream team. We tap, tap, tap away. Not that night. We talked. Actually listened. No distractions. It was refreshing.
Day two: exploring
Mini Me, I love you and please don't change. We had our standard six hour sleep, feed, three hour sleep, feed. Then we were ready to hit the road.
Since we've been to Pemberton we had three things in mind today: walk the Beedelup Falls (Hubby's choice), eat somewhere nice (me) and visit Windy Harbour (Hubby again).
Beedelup Falls is a waterfall that feeds into the dam at Karri Valley Resort. With miss underfoot and mist above we took the short walk to the suspension bridge above the falls. I don't get misty eyed over nature, but you have to admit it's a gorgeous little spot and easy to get around.
We tried to visit the Pemberton Wine Centre, but it's closed on weekends. Go figure that one out! But that seemed to be the case for most places. The drawback of Pemberton being small is that places to eat and drink are restricted. Thankfully Silkwood Wines was open and did not disappoint (a special entry from Bruce the Pram will be coming on this).
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| Exploring Beedelup Falls |
Bellies full and one milk drunk baby we drove to see what Windy Harbour had to offer. Answer: not a lot. It's made up of a handful of fishing shacks, bait shop, playground, boat launch and a caravan park. Full stop. One place, clearly a resident, had sculpted this bush to look like a fish. Ahhh... And the beaches look lovely, but the day was too stormy and, windy. Another town ticked off for number 29 though.
We did try to find a lighthouse for me to climb, but there is plenty of time for that still.
And with no radio reception and the iPod dead, we had lots of long talks about future holidays, plans, us as parents, us as a couple and nothing else in particular.
We did try to find a lighthouse for me to climb, but there is plenty of time for that still.
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| 1: Wine tasting and parenting mix right? 2: Salmon Beach lookout 3: I love this fish tree at Windy Harbour |
Back to our fire and a grizzly Mini Me did dampen the day, especially after we were saying how brilliant she had been.
Day three: homeward bound
Bright-eyed we enjoyed our misty view for the last time as two ducks, I'm calling them Daffy and Donald, made a beeline for us looking for food.
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| 1: Lavender & Berry Farm 2: Mini Me and I enjoying the view 3: Hubby trying to teach Daffy & Donald some manners |
We were bundled in the car and sadly decided to skip berry pancakes (next time) and head to my must do for this trip, the Wine & Truffle Company just out of Manjimup. We walked into the truffle hunt group's scrambled egg breakfast and made a mental note to do this next time. A wine tasting, olive oil tasting and a couple of truffle infused purchases later we headed home.
I'm writing this as we drive past Mandurah and are almost home. For once I'm not heading home from a weekend away under a haze of grogginess and more exhausted than relaxed. Pre-baby this type of trip was about indulgence and alcohol.
Our first family trip was what I hope the others to come will be like. Without technology, relaxing, not too jam-packed, a chance for Hubby and I to really talk and enjoy one another again. It was the quality time we needed, our tentative step to travelling with Mini Me and it was also date number one from Hubby's birthday present. And you thought I forgot.
Our first family trip was what I hope the others to come will be like. Without technology, relaxing, not too jam-packed, a chance for Hubby and I to really talk and enjoy one another again. It was the quality time we needed, our tentative step to travelling with Mini Me and it was also date number one from Hubby's birthday present. And you thought I forgot.
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