Having travelled west from Albany along the southern coast of West Australia for about three-and-a-half hours, we decided (or, to be more specific, I requested fervently and Roy capitulated) to turn left and south to Augusta*, rather than right to Margaret River. Our destination? Cape Leeuwin, a spectacular spot with a lofty and photogenic lighthouse that dates from 1895.

* You can stop in Augusta for a coffee at the Deckchair (or Café Deckchair Gourmet), as we did, but be warned that if you order only one it might cost you $6 instead of the listed $5 price. That’s what happened to Roy. I needed to check my email, you see, but I was already jittery-full of coffee, and the minimum order for Wi-Fi access was $6. I suppose they’re sick of tapwater-sipping backpackers occupying prime chair-space…

The English explorer Matthew Flinders named Cape Leeuwin in 1801, after the Dutch ship Leeuwin, which visited these waters in 1622. It’s here that the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean. Weirdly, the two sides of ocean even looked different as I gazed out from the viewing platform – a trick of the light, I suppose.

Having paid the $8 entry fee to the fenced-off peninsula (and in our case, politely turned down the guided lighthouse tour, an additional $12 each), you’re given an audio-tour headset that’s crammed with all you could ever hope or wish to know about the history and geography of the spot – plus earnest injunctions to keep to the paths and away from the long grass, lest you be untimely slain by serpents.

Review: The Grange on Farrelly

When we visited Margaret River about ten years ago, during the winter months, we stayed at the five-star Cape Lodge. (I was reviewing the place as part of researching an article for the magazine I still work for. Yes, it’s true that my career with Expat Living has been an onerous one.)

Cape Lodge was lovely, of course: all sweeping lawns with water features, stylish accommodation, crackling log-fires and four-course gourmet meals. So, how would Roy and I fare this time, with our $130 per night booking.com reservation at The Grange on Farrelly?

Not too badly, as it turned out. Though the décor is tired, the rooms are big and generally comfortable, with a fridge where you can keep the wine you buy at Liquortown, a short stroll away. (Thoughtfully, they put it into a brown paper bag for you.)

Just one quibble: the advertised free Wi-Fi wasn’t working on our first night, except in the office, and we found ourselves in a group of variously depressed/disappointed/ratty guests (mainly British, from the accents) milling around the discomfited lady on reception duty.

All was fixed during the following morning, fortunately, and the receptionist more than redeemed herself, and the establishment, by recommending two restaurants in town – both of which proved genuinely outstanding.

Review: Miki’s Open Kitchen

You really should book at Miki’s Open Kitchen (131 Bussell Highway) – TripAdvisor rates it #1 – but we, luckily, snagged a table after a half-hour wait in a bar up the street (Morries, see below). Located in a modest shopping arcade, behind a very ordinary door, Miki presides over a completely open kitchen surrounded by a counter, and is assisted by a couple of other Japanese chefs. There are a few tables, too, but the counter is where you want to be.

There’s an à la carte menu, but just about everyone goes for “Trust Miki”, the omakase-style menu on the chalkboard. At $60, it was exceptional value, especially for such exquisite Japanese fare; it seems to feature only local produce – none of that “seafood flown in twice a week from Tsukiji Market” that you see in Singapore, with prices to match.

Observing the food preparation was like watching poetry in motion, and every morsel was divine.

 

Review: Morries

We’d been so impressed by the barman at Morries (2/149 Bussell Highway) where we’d had a drink while waiting for our counter-space at Miki’s, that we reserved a table for the very next night.

My Goblin Co. at Morries was the best cocktail I can remember – made with “chilli infused with nitrogen oxide cazadores blanco tequila with a dash of lime juice, coriander and agave nectar shaken with cracked ice”, according to the menu. (I’d have recommended one or two commas here, myself.)

After sharing the grilled sardine starter ($12), we had the beef rib for two ($69) with roast potatoes, truffle butter, kale, carrots and red wine jus. It’s marked gluten-free, but I reckon it’s not free of anything else; and it’s braised for 72 hours for a wonderful stickiness.