la bicyclette bleue: Cycling Down Under: Enjoying the Delights of Margaret River

Thursday 3 March 2016

The early start allowed us to make good progress. We found some very pleasant backroads which took us through the Margaret River vineyards. Stopped for a coffee, sandwich and chocolate tasting at the Margaret River Chocolate Company. After that, we visited the splendid Vasse Felix property owned by the Holmes à Court family. One of the wines, the Heytesbury, was named after an ancestor, Lord Heytesbury in Wiltshire. We had time to see the collection of Aboriginal art at the gallery. Retracing our steps, we next tasted the wines of Howard Park belonging to the Burch family. Both of these vineyards belong to a grouping of Australian wine growing families, of which Jim Barry Wines is a member.

We noticed nets draped over rows of vines. This was to protect the grapes from small birds, now that harvest was imminent. Generally, there is a need to protect only vines growing near the tree line as the small birds do not venture far from their habitat for fear of their predators. Such is the abundance of birdlife here in Australia.

We cycled into Cowaramup for a quick lunch. Cowaramup means the place of the cowara bird, a purple-crowned lorikeet. Judging from the number of imitation cows there are in this little town, one would think that it is a 'Cowtown'. It is a clever gimmick by the farmers of the region.

Locating the Wadani Rails to Trail, we had a lovely cycle through the wood to the town of Margaret River. We had an introduction to stay with Mark's friends, Bronwyn and Richard, at their home. They prepared us a delicious dinner and we had a really comfortable bed that night.

The wines of Margaret River are varied and generally of top quality. There is a difference between north and south of the area and there is evidence of a mix of cepages. Richard who is a winemaker, and who has made wine in South Africa and Europe, introduced us to an excellent pinot noir made by the Harewood Estate, in the Denmark region.