Christmas in Oz

Two weeks off for Christmas, and where to go? On a tip from a fellow bule over beers some time ago, we heard tell of a magical kingdom in the land down under where beaches, surf, kangaroos, and wine come together in perfect harmony. Following a bit of internet research to confirm that, yes indeed, there is such a place – and with 4-hr direct flights from Jakarta – we set our sights on Margaret River, Western Australia. And a magical kingdom it is! Here’s the story.

Arriving in Perth International was a bit surreal for us. Could have been Vancouver or Toronto. Usually if we’re flying with bikes and gear, it means we’re going to some godforsaken place where chaos and humidity hit you in the face as you step off the plane. Not this time. No chaos, no humidity, just smiles and “Gidday, welcome to Australia”. Everything is in English, everything is crisp and clean, and wow, we can actually get information from people instantly and easily. Like, we need a taxi that is big enough for 2 bike boxes. “No problem mate, I reckon we’ll have that for you in a jiffy”. Too easy! We got used it real fast J

However, the taxi ride to our Airbnb illustrated the first rule of civilization: you get what you pay for. The 10-mins taxi ride cost the same as a 2-hr Uber ride through Jakarta. Paying for the comforts of western civilization comes at a cost, a big cost, and, to be honest, a cost I never did get used to in our short time. What?! 12 bucks for a beer…Oz is expensive! But hey, it’s a real pint, it’s ice cold, and it has all the flavour a craft wheat beer should have. But really...5 bucks for a coffee? Oh, I see, it’s a “flat white” (for some odd reason, Oz has their own distinctive coffee lingo: flat white, long black…never did figure it out…er, can I just have a normal coffee?). Oh well, that’s what jobs and credit cards are for J

OK, so, the mission was: box up the bikes, fly to Perth (the capital of Western Australia), then head south on the pushies (as they call bicycles down under) towards Margaret River – the small-town hub of SW Australia’s wine region – then slow down and enjoy the good life until we hit Augusta at the Cape. We had an Airbnb suite booked in Margaret River for the 3 days over Christmas, so that was the target. Perth to Margaret River and area is about 350 kms, so it took us a few days to get down there, which was all part of the fun. I’ve always said that the best thing about cycle touring is being in the middle of nowhere, and then having to stop for the night.

So ya, middle of nowhere, small-town, Southwest Australia for the first few days. Crikey! Meat pies, roos, and Blunnies everywhere! A cultural experience for sure. Meat pies, an Aussie speciality, which I already dearly miss, became my go-to cycling energy food. Amy tried one (which I finished), and has now had her lifetime fill of them. To each their own as they say. But, come on, how can you not like a pie made of steak and gravy? What’s not to like? Could be a guy thing.

First night in the caravan park (another iconic Aussie cultural phenomenon) the roos (i.e., kangaroos) popped out of the bush and we got our first up-close-and-personal look them in the setting sun. Amy was like a kid in a candy store. On the plane to Perth she specifically, and repeatedly, proclaimed “I hope we see kangaroos!” And we did! Of course, one must realize that seeing a kangaroo in Australia is like seeing a pigeon at the park. But hey, if you have never seen a pigeon before, it would be a big deal J

Now, the “caravan park” thing. Think Provincial Park campsite blended seamlessly with Trailer Park Boys. It’s definitely a thing there. Being more-or-less budget travellers, caravan parks became our default accom, mostly because it’s the only sub-hundred-dollar option in Australia. For the bargain price of 30 to 50 bucks, we received a very nice 5 x 5 m space to pitch our tent. Shockingly though, no picnic table, which was very strange to us, since, when you think of it, what else is a site in an organized campground, but a piece of ground with a picnic table on it? Could be a Canadian thing. Anyway, I’m over it. The drinking water flowing like water out of a tap (J) and hot showers were, however, much appreciated, as were the ubiquitous outdoor kitchens complete with gas barbies. Gotta have the barbie. The Aussie “put another shrimp on the Barbie” stereotype is absolutely true. Good tradition I reckon (a little Aussie lingo there).

Along with shrimps on the Barbie, roos, and bush, SW Australia is also the land of beaches, surf, and wild ocean. The Indian (west coast) and Southern (south coast) Oceans to be exact. Being a coastal journey for the most part, we were never far from the ocean. That made for interesting days of mostly inland cycling (amazing cycle path system...best we've seen anywhere!), combined with sunset dinners and wine on the beach. Nice combo. The most striking factor was standing in awe of the endless wild beach coastlines stretching out into the horizon as far as we could see. It really hit home, how like Canada, Australia is a wild place virtually empty of people relative to other parts of the world. Since we now live in one of the highest population densities on the planet, it was a near-religious experience to reconnect with wild places.

Arriving in Margaret River was fantastic, mostly because after 5 days or so on the road, we knew we were going to our Airbnb suite where we could spread out and enjoy endless bottles of good wine, good food, and all the comforts western civilization has to offer. Amy may argue that the best thing about the place was the bathtub. Since leaving our bathtub in Nelson, we have been roughing it without (I know, how are we surviving?). So it was indeed a treat to soak our weary bones in a tub of hot water and sip on a smooth bottle of Aussie Shiraz (for the evening bath; the morning bath was coffee; the mid-day bath was a toss-up depending on the way things were progressing).

Margaret River is indeed an area we need to know more about. Our scant 3 days in town was only enough to, as they say, scratch the surface. And, being Christmas, much was shut down for the holidays. But alas, Christmas eve on the patio, followed by a ride to the beach on Christmas day for some shrimp and snags on the Barbie (snags = sausage…why? not sure, ask the Aussies), and then a boxing day ride to enjoy a few wineries…our 3 days was time well spent. We wanted to recon the expanding mountain biking scene, but the ground-zero café where all it all happens was shut down for Chrissie (Chrissie = Christmas). Ah, gotta leave something on the table for next time. Hmmm, a week of mountain biking, wineries, and good food…could be convinced I reckon J