Saturday was time to leave Albany. We could have stayed several more days. There is so much to do in the area and our apartment was very comfortable. Next stop Margaret River.

The drive took us through the big southern forests. Huge trees of different varieties of Eucalytus. At times I thought I was in the hills behind Berkeley. The roads are lined with tall trees and the air is very aromatic. There are three major varieties in the region, Marri, Jarrah and Karri. Most of the region has been logged in the early parts of the 1900’s but they have lets lots of the region grow back. You won’t find the huge trees like in the past but they still grow very fast compared with the coniferous forests in the US.

We stopped at the tree top walk in Walpole. It is a 600 meter metal path ramp that raises up to 40 meters above the forest in the tops of the tall tingle trees. These are also eucalyptus but have huge wide bases. The walk is very easy but a bit spooky because it sways in the breeze.

We stopped for lunch in Pemberton, a former mill town that is now becoming a wine region. We visited another microbrewery – Jarrah Jacks. We had a sampler rack along with lunch. The restaurant overlooked the vineyards. The food and beer was good but Tanglehead in Albany was so much better. I miss their Southern White already.

We arrived in Margaret River around 5 as we expected. Our home for the next 3 days is Hilltop Studios. It is located about 6km out of town on a famr. Very secluded and peaceful. Each studio unit is separate. The north side of the studio is filled with windows and light. So relaxing to just sit and gaze over the field. We even saw a group of Kangaroos bounce by this morning. It is also very well equiped and has luxurous spa bathroom. The window lining the wall open up to have an indoor-outdoor spa. We are definitely getting spoilt. We’ll spend the next few days exploring the wineries, beaches and wildflowers.