Margaret River, Mammoth Cave, Winery, Eagles and Cape Leewuin

"Margaret River, Mammoth Cave, Winery, Eagles and Cape Leewuin"
That is the name of the coach tour we went on. [Only 14 hours and 710 k's!] Great day and a long day. Up to the coach transfer site at 7.30, and off we go by 8. First stop is for 'morning tea' at a waterside tea-house. Then off to Xanadu Winery for a little break and a quick taste before lunch at a raptor refuge where there was a great talk and show of free-flight etc.




The particular bird shown with Fellette is known as a kite. These are very adept aerial acrobats, snatching food from unwary picnicers. We have seen them in action in the wild, circling over burned fields or ahead of the fire snatching fleeing mice and other rodents.

Next to a 'Mammoth Limestone Cave" carved in the limestone 150,000,000 years ago, and decorated by mother nature and dripping water now seeping from the ground above.


Most southerly stop was at the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. This is the Australian equivalent of Britain's Lands End; the most south westerly spot in Australia. The Indian Ocean and the Great Southern Ocean meet here.



5000 k's south is Antarctica, further still to the west is Capetown, South Africa. Unfortunately Fellette and I chose not to go to the water's edge, we stuck to the pavement. The "Snake Sign" gave new meaning to the word coward.


Upon exiting I asked the attendant what kind of snakes were there. Apparently two, one species was about 7 feet, the other 9. I forget the name of one but one was the 'Taipan" [spelling], he said it was quite aggressive! I wondered why the sign said do not photograph. I once photographed a snake in the wild on my video, I zoomed in on telephoto and almost dropped dead instantly!

Throughout the day we saw and photographed many , many wildflowers that are prolific at this time of the year. This was one of Fellette's objectives when we visited WA. [Western Australia]



We then had our evening meal at a very pleasant little sea-side town called Busselton before heading home in the dark to Perth.

It was a great day, giving us some more insight into this very pleasant place called Australia, [Western Australia to be precise].

FACTOID: Australia is moving away from Antarctica at the rate of 2" per year.

Tomorrow, a visit to Freemantle, the Port for Perth