554 Eagle Vale Winery to Conto’s Campground | WRVC Margaret River Safari WA

G’day Everyone

Day 2 of the Winnebago RV Club Safari started with wine-tasting at the Eagle Vale Winery, where we had just spent the night. The wines were nice and the explanations by the French owner were very interesting. We learned a lot about grapes that we hadn’t heard from other wineries. Afterwards, we drove straight to Conto’s Campground (where we had stayed a couple of nights last week). We unloaded the FC wagon and headed off for a free day in Margaret River. We found a place called Millers Icecream and had ice-cream and pancakes for lunch. We also found some cool signs that we’re too big to bring home. When we got back to the wagon, an FC Holden sedan was parked across the road. I met the owner Janine, who was using it as a daily driver for her two girls.

Cheers, Tim

553 Busselton to Eagle Vale Winery | WRVC Margaret River Safari WA

G’day Everyone

Today we finally started the much anticipated WRVC Margaret River Safari. Before the official lunch, we dropped our FC wagon off at a local auto electrician to get a new alternator. Not only did we have a flat battery last night, but we had to drive with no headlights all the way home (thankfully, Busselton had plenty of street lighting). The lunch was a very yummy fish’n'chips and an enjoyable time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. We even met up with Lynn and Colin who we met at the WRVC WA Xmas Party in 2009! Our first activity was a ride on the Busselton Jetty train which was a lot of fun. We couldn’t do the enclosed underwater viewing platform due to poor visibility, so we headed straight to our first night camping spot at Eagle Vale Winery south of Margaret River (via the auto electrician to pick up our FC wagon).

The winery was a set in a pretty area which didn’t cope too badly being inundated with 18 Winnebagos. Unfortunately, as one of the last to arrive, we got caught out trying to find a parking spot near the others down by a pretty bridge over a dam. Unfortunately, one of the other vans had parked right in the middle of the road, so we were sent the long way around a loop road. When we got bumper to bumper with this same van, they couldn’t reverse as they had a tow-car on an “A-Frame” (which can’t be reversed without un-hitching the car). We ended up having to reverse our motorhome and trailer over 200 metres back up a wet-muddy track to park next to the winery stockroom. I don’t mind saying it was a pretty awesome effort that completely vindicated our decision to buy a car trailer and not an “A-Frame” for the FC wagon. Imagine not being able to reverse something as big as a 31 foot Longreach & 20 foot car/hitch (total 50 feet) at a dead-end!

Cheers, Tim

552 Explore Dunsborough & Busselton Drive-In WA

G’day Everyone

Today we went to the Country Life Farm & Busselton Drive-In. Before we left our home in Canberra, my sister, the boys Auntie Lyndel, had given us a family pass to the Country Life Farm in Dunsborough. We drove out there today and the boys had a great time feeding all the animals. There were rabbits and guinea pigs, goats and sheep, llamas and ponies, which we’re all hand-fed carrots by the kids. There were also two jumping castles (one shaped like a monster truck) and a massive indoor play area (and a dried up canoeing lake). We spent most of the day there before returning to Busselton to meet up with all of the arrivals from the WRVC Nullabor Safari that are joining us on the WRVC Margaret River Safari. As well as our friends, we met new WRVC members Dennis & Jan in a big purple Longreach and Kim & Jess from the WRVC forum. The rest we’ll meet tomorrow at the official start of the Safari. Tonight we headed out to the Busselton Drive-In. I was really excited as I had never, ever been to one before. I was especially stoked to be taking my 1959 FC Holden Station Wagon. Embarrassingly, at the ticket booth, the engine wouldn’t start, so I had to push-start it, just to park it for the movie. I met the old guy running the place, whose father had built the Drive-In in 1960. They owned four others in the region, at a time when there were 90 operating in WA. The one in Busselton is now the only one remaining. He was selling old 1950s Drive-In speakers, so I bought one as a souvenir. The two movies we saw were “One for the Money” (don’t bother) and “The Hunger Games” which was great and kinda like Lord of the Flies. After the movie, the old guy jump started our wagon so we could drive back to the van park.

Cheers, Tim

551 Conto’s Campground to Busselton WA

G’day Everyone

Today we drove from Conto’s Campground to Busselton. We’ve checked in a couple of days early for the Winnebago RV Club Margaret River Safari. Seven Winnebagos will arrive tomorrow, (among the original thirty) that have just completed the three week WRVC Nullabor Safari. We’ll know a few couples on this Margaret River Safari including Janine & Kevin from Melbourne, Craig & Cheryl from Cairns and Warwick & Isobel from Mandurah. We can’t wait to catch up with them and spend a few days together. We will have some special news for them (see image below).

Cheers, Tim

550 Explore Margaret River | Conto’s Campground WA

G’day Everyone

Today we took our FC wagon for a drive around some wineries in the Margaret River region of south-west WA. We started with our favourite winery Graylan which is well-known for it’s port. We particularly like going to wineries that are set on beautiful properties with views and an atmospheric cellar door. We also only buy our wine from those smaller operations that only sell via the cellar door. We had a great day and came back to the van with seven cases of wine and port (way more than we intended). The best part was the most of the wineries had a play area for the kids (or some empty barrels).

Cheers, Tim

549 August to Conto’s Campground WA

G’day Everyone

This morning we said goodbye to Chris & Corrie and left Augusta and headed up Caves Road to Conto’s Campground. It is a beautiful forested area halfway to Margaret River. It was also extremely tight and twisty. We had to reverse and change angles quite a few times to get through one section without hitting the trailer wheels on trees. We got through with the help of a few other campers and reversed into a great spot. We soon met Lennie & Trish who are camped in a bus and towing a (wait for it) 1934 Chevrolet on a 4WD chassis! It was really cool. Years ago, absolutely nobody (besides Stevo) liked my idea of putting our FC wagon on his old Toyota Landcruiser Troop-Carrier chassis. We also found a magazine about Sam Worthington’s new movie “Drift” which features an FC Holden wagon. (Incidentally, Chris had his Valiant Charger in the same movie).

Cheers, Tim

548 Canoe Trip Augusta WA

G’day Everyone

Today we took the boys on their first canoe trip. We borrowed a canoe from fellow Winnebago Longreach owners, Chris & Corrie, managers of the West Beach Caravan Park in Augusta. We had a great time paddling around the outer edge of the inlet. The first 20 minutes was spent doing about 6-7 circles until we worked out which of us had to paddle how hard. We even managed to T-Bone the only other boat out on the lake, which was a particularly special effort.

Cheers, Tim