General Chat

Last Friday, for a break, and as a prelude to our Wedding Anniversary, we went to Margaret River for the night.

What's the expression about anticipation being greater the realization?

We only live just over an hours drive from the Town site, which we have always found relaxing and quaint on our many other stays.

We arrived well before the 2.00pm check-in and decided to have some lunch in one of WA's well known coffee house franchises.

Ordered our meal, looks around, about five other people in there. Normally at lunch time on a Friday the place would be full.

By the time our meal was served we were the only ones in there, apart from the staff.

Finished our meal and decided to walk around the town for a while, and managed somehow to injure my ankle.

OK, of to the hotel, booked in, and went to our room. It suddenly struck me that despite having stayed at this place intermittently over the last fifteen years, the rooms had never been re-furbished. I suppose that view was not helped by our watching the recent Gordon Ramsay programmes where he helps hotels in the USA have a make-over.

This place was just ripe for him to take in hand!

The weather meanwhile had turned much cooler; turned on air conditioner...nothing! The fan whirred and then cut out, whirred and then cut out, and every time it whirred the lights dimmed!

Off to reception to complain. After some discussion in the room as to whether the unit was working (which it wasn't) we were moved into another room. The aircon in this one was working as it had only been installed an hour earlier.

Then the heavens opened!

Sat in the room watching the same TV programmes that we could have seen at home without forking out $139.00

Just as the icing on the cake, the restaurant at the hotel was closed as it was being prepared for a wedding the following day, so we dined lavishly on instant pot noodles (don't ask:-| :-|)

Still, there was always the Farmers' Market to look forward to on Saturday morning.

Yes, well. The Markets had been recently moved from their old position almost opposite the hotel to the TAFE campus just out of town.

About thirty stalls set out like the famous British 'squares' of the Victorian army. There were probably the same number in the old location but as they were set around buildings there seemed to be more of them, and always a turn and a surprise.

Most of these stalls, we noticed were selling the same produce, kale, silverbeet, oranges, beetroot etc which we were growing at home!

The whole two days was a waste of time and I was able to take my Rose Coloured glasses off and realise that Margaret River has lost the charm which made it so special. Now it's just another soulless town in the bush.

I suppose that from that aspect, it was $139.00 well spent :-D

How's your ankle?

I know what you mean about "bush" markets............ they used to be terrific. Now they have no soul, they're all the same! I like the farmers' markets, where they have to be local growers, but I usually avoid fruit & veg stalls at other markets, unless I know the stall holder is a local.

Ankle is fine now Scozz :-)

Normally, on a Friday afternoon, particularly on Fathers' Day weekend MR would be heaving with people, tourists as well as locals, but the town was dead.

I first visited over twenty five years ago and have always enjoyed my visits until this time :-(

If we do visit again, it will be for a day trip!

I bet you were glad to get home Allan! :-(

there used to be some great wineries in the Margaret River area


Mind you, that's going back to the 1970s :-)

There still are, Sylvia. The Region, as a whole is very nice and picturesque, but we've always liked the town site itself until this most recent trip. :-(

Jem, we did seriously discuss returning back home after the fiasco with the air conditioner.

Hopefully our trip to Kalbarri next week will be better. The last time we went was thirty three years ago, when I had a job interview at Shark Bay. We diverted there on the way back to Perth just for a look, so we have no preconceived ideas what to expect apart from some magnificent scenery, particularly along the Murchison River :-D

I hate it when that happens. A few weeks ago we went with some family members to a "gastro pub" 20 miles away where we'd had a wonderful meal last year. What a disappointment it turned out to be.

It was "under new management". I wish we'd looked at Tripadvisor first, we'd have been warned.

Always disappointing when you have been looking forward to a break. Hope your ankle is ok now and that your next break is great.

We had a break early this year, went to the Gold Coast for a week....... or should I say we booked for a week, but came home after a few days.

We're so used to our quiet town, the crowds drove us mad...... and the stink of exhaust fumes was really awful.

When you live in paradise, where do you go for a holiday? :-D

To all who have asked; my ankle is ok if I am on level ground, but any sort of incline, however modest, sets off the pain :-(

I remember once sitting in a game lodge in Namibia watching 'One Foot In The Grave' and wondering why we had paid all that air fare.