I started in Perth, and drove 400 KM (sorry going to stick to KM as I have been here for almost a month MATE!) down to Margaret River. All I could do was stare at the blue skies, amazing powder blue with white puffs of cotton candy clouds that just went on for ever. I stared so much at the skies that I was not paying attention to my speed, and that cost me $100AUD for going 12 miles over the speed limit; in the middle of nowhere. Oh Well, my first speeding ticket in almost 15 years!!!
Margaret River is a small town in SW Australia that is home to some amazing wineries, killer surf breaks, and a laid back population. Another one of those pesky cyclones blew up and knocked all the waves down, so I had to spend my time inland which meant driving long distances, but it was worth it. See the pictures of the caves! Very cool, the giant cave goes 83 meters (300 Ft) underground and continues on for over a mile! It takes an hour to walk it at a brisk pace in PITCH darkness if you turn off the light. Tight quarters, steps, crawl holes, bats, Mozzies; you name it, giant cave has it all.
The afternoons were spent tasting wines! Only one winery a day in order to stay sober, but I always took two bottles back to the B&B to open and drink on the terrace, then head into town with a BYO bottle in tow, which is a very nice set up in OZ. I ended up buying 3 cases of wine!!! All will be delivered back to Tokyo next week so get ready for tasting!
The last day in Margaret River was clear and hot, and the cyclone had blown in some HUGE waves. Some of the local surfers were using jet skiis to get pulled into/onto the larger waves. Very cool to watch, but there was NO WAY I was heading into that swell.
I headed inland in search of some smaller towns, and less tourists as Margaret River swelled with people on Saturday for a three day weekend. I drove due East for about 300 KM and found a small town called Williams where they were having a festival that included a RODEO!!! This city boy went to horse camp as a kid, so LOOK OUT!
Turns out Rodeo is NOT the term to use there, and I was clearly educated on what CAMPDRAFTING is. The locals at the soda cart took my lack of knowledge with humor and let me know I was easily the first American to come and watch their annual event! Must be how Clooney feels when he walks up to get that piece of gold? Well not really.
So I get the skinny on camp drafting, which is a local sport where a rider on a horse that must be under 4 chooses one BEAST (calf) from the MOB (group of calves) in a small pen and separates it, then the gates into the larger stadium/pen are opened and the rider must use his horse to drive the beast through a course of 4 turns in under 40 seconds. He is judged on time, style and control of the beast. WOW.
See the pictures, nothing more to say. I was on the outside of the pen's (flimsy) fence, between hay bails snapping action shots, when the beast that had been separated from the mob decided NOT to take the third turn, and headed straight for me!!! I jumped out of the way, but the (400 pound) cow slammed through the fence and in to the hay bail I was leaning on taking the picture. 5 riders came galloping up to corral the beast and I was there in the middle snapping shots the whole way. Got some good shots!
One rodeo (sorry CAMP DRAFTING) official came up to me and asked what magazine I represent! When I told her I was just traveling, she told me that OHHHH, her boss had been to America, 15 years ago..... I heard the whole (20 minute) story of how he just loved the Yanks....
This seemed to be the theme during my trip to Western Australia, and to a certain extent during my entire trip down under. The Aussies just love travelers! They travel extensively themselves, but they just love Americans, especially ones with good manners!!
On the flight from Perth to Sydney to catch the connection back to Tokyo, I met the absolute final finale of the trip. Rosemary McBeath. How often do you sit next to an amazing woman when you fly??? Rosemary is 84 years old, has 5 boys, 8 grandchildren, and was on her way to see her boy Chris, who lives on a mountain on near the gold coast, trying to contain a local vine that is killing the Eucalyptus trees in the area.
Her greatest story was of hanging out as an 8 year old in the early 30's getting rides with the local surfer girls!! They drove Model Ts and surfed on BALSA TREE BOARDS! They cruised over the sand dune roads and stopped at the general store for Ice Cream and ginger beer.
She wrote down her address for me, and told me that I have a place to stay the next time I am in Perth! A COMPLETE STRANGER!
Something about Western Australia has completely fulfilled my expectations of the wild west I was looking for. The skies are big, but the hearts of the locals are bigger.
Thank you Australia, and for now, G'day Mates! I will be back, no worries!