RAYS FOR RAE
Well, it's a good heading for this paragraph. Rae is our tennis friend who is currently doing sterling work researching the history of our tennis club and who might be reading this blog in between all her other chores and medical visits. These are for you.
The rays in question being the wonderful rays that float around the shallows of Hamelin Bay down near Augusta and the southern tip of the Western Cape before it turns left (or is it right) eastwards for several thousand miles along the South Coast of Australia.
We came here last year and thought the rays were so special that we would visit again on our transfer trip from Dunsborough to Pemberton. They were still there just floating around and totally unbothered by the people watching, photographing and paddling alongside them. They may have thought it a bit much when the Chinese party tried to take photos with their selfie sticks under water! Hopefully, they turned around and let their stinging tails do their thing.
LAKESIDE RETREAT AND A ROMANTIC TALE
We picked this Airbnb out of the list of places in Pemberton (where we wanted to visit again after last year) as the gardens sounded wonderful - the reviews didn't lie - it is amazing. See all the photos below of various aspects of the 6 acre garden and bush surrounds - Sally and Charles have been creating this paradise for the last 11 years out of lawn and bush. A lake, winding pathways sculptures, bridges, seats of all descriptions scattered around and birds galore.
See these great photos of the Splendid and Red winged Fairy Wrens - they eat out of your hand and flit around the deck as we sit and admire the gardens - an exceptional place and no wonder they open it to the public in Open Garden fund raising.
Also great 2 bed apartment attached to their house - apparently you can't build a separate house on the same plot, but can extend your current one - so they added this so that her 90 year old mother in Perth could come and live there - but she doesn't want to - Crazy Lady!
Sally and Charles have a love story to go with this romantic hideway - they were 15 and 16 year old sweethearts in South Africa, then both married other people in England and SA. After 36 years, they were both now divorced and each made contact and traced the other over a few years. Then met up in Perth 12 years ago, got married and bought this place and have made it a labour of love ever since. Aaaaaah! Sweet. And lovely people - after the electric went off on our first night (wish we were here for more than just 2 nights) they brought round a bottle of bubbly.
Niki - if you are reading this - bubbles in Albany or back at Perth!
FOOD OBSESSIONS
We know some of you think our eating habits are out of control, but bet there aren't too many who could resist all of these places that we have eaten at during the 2 weeks in Dunsborough. Niki recommended a few but we discovered a few of our own.
This was a cafe that specialised in red poppies (or is that Poppie Reds in Hawkshead) - only kidding - it is called Cape Lavendar and all the goodies on the table are lavendar based - scone, jam, ice cream (with piece of lavendar stuck in the top) - but Graham drew a line at the tea - English Breakfast only for this guy. They had the usual shop full of smellies, jams, relishes, t-shirts, etc. - all with the "L" word entwined on the labels.
This was our favourite takeway - Indian food delivered to your door (almost). The van parks 2 minutes away from the house right by the beach and dispenses a short, but magnificent, menu - you can ring to order beforehand or come down and choose whilst watching the waves. (Nephew Ben and Witherslack/Mediterranean Boat friends Carole and Dave, got advance notice of the curry van - as some of our curry eating associates)
There are other vans that were supposed to be there on other nights, but the Mexican, Burger and Fish vans all seemed to have stopped after the summer hols. Shame really - great idea.
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