Friday 21st May - Margaret River

Wine tour time! We had a bigger group today than yesterday on the Bushtucker Tour, but it worked well and everybody had a laugh (and thanks to Silvano for being such a great host). The Palandri estate was first up, one of the biggest produces in the Margaret River area, and we think it had some of the nicest wines.  We liked their sauvignon blanc, unwooded chardonnay, Blanc de Blanc sparkling and rosé, and Anne discovered a taste for expensive shiraz (I blame Rose).  We succumbed to some of the rosé on the basis that it came in plastic bottles, much more suited to outback travel than heavy, breakable glass, and a bottle of their good shiraz.

Back on the bus and off to Knotting Hill for more tasting and lunch, which was a similar spread to yesterday although this time included the most amazing sundried tomatoes (much nicer than bush tomatoes in my opinion), beef, mixed peppers, ciabatta and olives.  Just the one famous witchetty grub was bought out for desert, and as we’d indulged the day before we allowed two other volunteers to savour in its delights.

Port, liqueurs and cocktails were served up the Grove Winary, where the proprietor had us in stitches with his inappropriate sense of humour,

and then it was onto more wine at the Woody Nook Vineyard followed by a taster tray of beers from the Bootleg Brewery.

A visit to the Margaret River Chocolate Company followed by cheese and yoghurt from the Margaret River Diary Company rounded off the tour.

Most of our fellow tour participants were off to the Settlers pub in town, so after dropping off our wine and a having a quick bite to eat we joined them to sample a little more of the local culture.  Rose educated us about bogans (a bit like an English chav, characterised by tight shorts or tracksuit bottoms, flip-flops/thongs, check shirt, mullet haircut and a V8 that’s given more love and attention than the children) and cougars (middle aged women trying to keep their youth by courting boys half their age), with plenty of examples of both within sight.