We were lucky to have three nights in Bunbury on the scenic west coast with its beautiful beaches, and had the opportunity to visit and explore Busselton and the Margaret River vineyard area.
The day we left Wave Rock to return to the west coast was a Sunday, so we had difficulty in finding a cafe or restaurant open to have some lunch. Fortunately, driving through the little town of Williams, we found an open cafe and had some very tasty soup and toast. It was such a cute little cafe, and a welcome sight on our drive to Bunbury.
The Hotel Mantra Bunbury is partly situated in a restored silo, that also houses lovely apartments overlooking Koombana Bay. Adjacent to the hotel was a row of restaurants, so we had a good choice of eating places. Our first night we chose Mash, a restaurant right on the water with wonderful views of Koombana Bay, and they brew their own beers. My choice was Garlic Prawn Salad, Pete opted for a Steak Hamburger and Chips – great choices with our beers!
The next day we drove south of Bunbury through the delightful Margaret River area, arriving in the town of Margaret River in time for morning tea at the quirky Margaret River bakery – delicious scones with jam and cream.
After a long day, travelling as far as Cape Leeuwen Lighthouse, the most south westerly point of Australia where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean, we again chose to eat at Mash (must be those tasty beers!). Caesar Salad with Chicken appealed to me while Pete chose Lamb Shanks on Potato Mash – yum!
Our adventure the following day was to Busselton , to have a ride on the train along the famous Busselton Jetty, the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. While waiting for the train to arrive we had coffee and a muffin at The Goose, overlooking Geographe Bay and the Jetty. We skipped lunch to visit the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse (we did have an icecream while waiting for our guide), and on the drive home found a lovely cafe set in some vinyards in the Margaret River area, Gunyulgup Gallery and Little Fish Cafe. Enjoying some delicious chocolate cake and coffee, it was so pleasant overlooking their man-made lake, and I had a roam around the Gallery.
After our late afternoon tea we only felt like a light meal for dinner, and tried the Aristos Fish Cafe overlooking Kamboona Bay. Not bad!
Our last day in Bunbury was exploring that city including visiting the Dophin Discovery Centre. On our last night in Bunbury we ate at the Mantra Bunbury – the dining room had been closed since we arrived, waiting for a replacement chef, and he was worth waiting for! Salmon for me, Steak for Pete, and rich chocolate desserts.
