Week 7 / 52 - Margaret River wine region - time for grape crushing

Hi everyone, here we are into week 7 of our 52 week tour Downunder Western Australia. Thanks for coming along everyone - I hope you enjoy this weeks tour. I really appreciate you looking and commenting - for what is a tour without friends and fellow travellers?

Over the last few weeks I have been taking you down the coast from Perth through Mandurah, Bunbury, Busselton and Dunsborough. We are still on the coast south of Dunsborough but this week I am taking you slightly away from the coast through the internationally acclaimed Yallingup - Margaret River wine region.

I think I am really lucky as this area is only about one hour from my home in Bunbury so it is a great place to take visitors, go for lunch, or spend the day touring or wine tasting. There is so much choice, you will always find something you like. You can also visit cheese factories, olive groves, chocolate factories, lavender farms, ice-creameries, galleries, handmade furniture outlets, and even a maze, as well as walk trails and lots of other activities for the family. It is a great place for a holiday. Sometimes we travel down after work on Friday and stay the weekend in a lovely place we found that only has 6 guest rooms. Relaxing and beautiful.

This is a shot of new growth....

From Life Images by Jill

I really liked the arrangement of these old vines on the side of this cellar door.

From Life Images by Jill

This is one of the many cellars. As well as wine tasting they offer lunches, dinners, coffees and like the one below, open air concerts. Some cellars also now combine wine tasting with boutique breweries.

From Life Images by Jill

And a view of some of the vineyards in the Yallingup region. It is February and it is time for the grape pick - or as we call it "vintage". A busy time for them as they need to get the grapes off when they are "just right" for the wine vat.

From Life Images by Jill

here is another one of our native orchids - this is a Rattle Beak

From Life Images by Jill

And some lavender from the lavender fields near Yallingup........I love the smell!....

From Life Images by Jill