Margaret River, West Australia (Part 1)

 I had heard so many people talk enthusiastically about their trips to Margaret River that I just had to go to see for myself.  I had flown from New Zealand  to Perth to take a trip on the Indian Pacific train which crosses the Nullabor Plain to Sydney (more about this in a later post). Anyway I planned the trip to have a few extra days to explore the Margaret River region so booked a 3 day tour with McLeod's tours, a small family run business.  Always keen for a new adventure I, along with 9 other passengers, was raring to go early on the first morning. Our first stop on the journey south was at the pretty town of Mandurah where we had coffee and strolled along the very attractive waterfront enjoying a perfect morning. 

Mandurah waterfront

Further south we called into a wood turning artist's workshop where the owner gave us a very interesting talk on Australian native trees and their characteristics.

Note: No sign pointing to New Zealand

Lunch was at Busselton where we set out to walk the incredibly long jetty there.  At 1.8kilometres it is the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. It was a lovely walk to the end  and back over pristine waters with excellent views of golden sand beaches on either side. For the less physically able there is a small train you can take to the end and back.                Busselton is a popular holiday destination for West Australians and I could see why, it has a number of attractions including a brand new Hilton Hotel and a large brewery close to the beach.                     

The Busselton Jetty 1.8 kilometres long.

Shelter Brewery, Busselton

Then it was back on the bus and on to the Margaret River Chocolate factory, the biggest chocolate shop I have ever seen with every flavour of chocolate imaginable.  I bought some treats for the family and then enjoyed a stroll around their pretty gardens. 

We were invited to visit the farm belonging to the owner of the tour company, Nick McLeod, and feed carrots to his horses. I absolutely loved it there, so peaceful, so pretty, just a genuine Australian farm.

As we came over the hill to Prevelly, where we would stay for the next couple of nights, we had a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean and, most unexpectedly, a small Greek Orthodox chapel on the hill to our left.  The chapel of St John the Theologian has a very interesting story behind it.  During the second world war a local man, Geoff Edwards, was taken prisoner by the Germans on the island of Crete.  He managed to escape and found refuge in a monastery with the monks of Preveli. He had the chapel built as an acknowledgement of the risks the local people of Crete took to save the lives of allied servicemen, in gratitude to the monks who sheltered him and as a gift to the Greek community in the area. He had earlier named the area where his large farm was Preveli but it was later changed to Prevelly after he sold the land for subdivision. Inside the chapel I felt as if I was back in Greece, all the religious iconography was authentic and had been donated by local Greek Families.

The Chapel of St John the Theologian, note the Greek flag

Our last stop for the day was our very pleasant accommodation at Margaret Beach Resort, Prevelly.  Several of us gathered in the bar to have a drink before dinner and all agreed we'd been delighted with our trip so far. 

NOTE FOR SOLO TRAVELERS. I have done several small bus tours solo and I find it a fantastic way to get around.  I have always met wonderful people on these trips, many I have kept in touch with over the years. If you are anxious about launching yourself into solo travel, don't be, try a small bus tour and you will be hooked.

Waiheke Island Sculpture Trail 2024

 Any excuse to go to Waiheke Island is a good excuse and none more so than spending a glorious summer's day walking the bi-annual sculpture trail, Sculptures on the Gulf. This year it is titled Anything Could Happen.  With my friend, Pat, I set off on the enjoyable 35 minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland to the island, looking forward to what the exhibition had to offer.  The trail is 2 and a half kilometres long and winds around the Matiatia headland providing magnificent views along with thought provoking art installations.  This year there are 21 pieces,  fewer than in previous years but no less interesting. Here are some of them.

Cognitive Reorientation

This recalls  a scene from the Nordic-Noir television series, The Killing, where a car is lifted from water by a crane to reveal the body of a missing woman. Time is suspended here as water pours non stop from the car.  It Makes a macabre, dystopian water feature.

Artist: Eddie Clemens

Hard Graft

Cape Reinga lighthouse, at the very top of New Zealand, is reimagined here.  Further along the shore line from the light house  is a pohutukawa tree marking the entry to the underworld in maori legend.  The artist has combined the roots of the tree with the lighthouse as a homage to a very special place.

Artist: Oliver Stretton-Pow

No Tomorrow

I have to admit that when we first saw this installation we were bemused but when we read the notes on it it made sense.  Last year there were some terrible floods on Auckland's west coast. In places it is still possible to see the damage caused with debris hanging from distorted fence posts. This work echoes that but is also intended to show the grief and fatigue experienced when we are confronted by disaster.

Artist: Isabella Loudon

Lucken's Wing

This was designed as a tribute to backyard tinkerers, at a time when men would spend endless hours in their garages making weird and wonderful contraptions from bits and pieces. The resulting vehicles were a common sight around Waiheke back in the day.  As the sign on the side says these vehicles operated on a Wing and a Prayer

Artist: Denis O'Connor 

Fountain in Transit

This artist works with stainless steel tubing combining everyday objects into one big maze. The idea behind this piece is to draw our attention to things which help us, organise us and stop us without our giving them another thought.  This sculpture combines a shower, bus handles, a drain, a lamp and a clock.  It pulls the viewer in to imagine how these could possible all come together.

Artist: Yona Lee

These are just a few of the 21 pieces on display.  All installations are thought provoking and excellent conversation starters.  I highly recommend a trip to Waiheke to walk the trail, enjoy the views and see sculptures you are unlikely to see anywhere else.

Walkers on the trail.  The tower in the background is Wakefield Dreaming
by Brett Graham

Below: View of Matiatia and the ferry terminal from the sculpture trail

As always I thoroughly enjoyed the day, more so for the weather, the walk and the views than the art which was not as good as it had been previous years. The exhibition is manned by enthusiastic volunteers and there is a shuttle bus which drops visitors at the start of the trail which winds through bush and around the headland before arriving back at Matiatia and the ferry terminal.  In previous years there had been a marquee on the foreshore where you could buy food and drink.  There is no marquee this year so my friend and I took the short bus trip up to the village of Oneroa and had lunch looking out across the beautiful bay.  All in all we had a fantastic day and had lots to talk about on the ferry back to Auckland.

The exhibition runs from 24 February to 24 March.  Entry and shuttle $20

www.sotg.nz