Margaret River is renowned for its wine so of course a trip to its vineyards was in order. Brianne bravely accepted my invitation for a three hour drive south on the wrong side of the road. It would be her first time to wineries and an adventure for both of us in so many ways.
We hit the road early morning in a white Barina compact four door. An easy drive with only five turns, as assured by the concierge. It was scenic at times with thick brush and wildflowers but there were stretches of farmland with cows and sheep grazing.
It was the roundabouts that kept me alert, even a little nervous because vehicles were entering the same circle from different directions. Roundabouts in Australia are used to connect and exit to different freeways. Whereas in the U.S. we have off and on ramps. The signage is different as well. For example, "giveway" appears on the signs instead of yield. And in some cases they have a yield symbol with arrows forming a circle. Confusing.
No worries. When in doubt I would yield and we arrived without incident and ready to experience the wine and adventure of Margaret River.
Greeted by the owner, Glenys, of Vintage Accommodations, I knew we were in a fun town with its own quirky personality. She highlighted a map and kept saying, "Right! Said Fred." But on a more serious note, she instructed how to carefully taste to keep ourselves safe on the road.
Off we went on our self-guided tour. Brianne learned how to read a map while discovering her palate for wine. Hard to believe 20 years ago I was holding her on my hip, making grilled
cheese, and today we're in Australia going to wineries together.
Our first stop, Red Gate, was a lovely little winery with a nice man doing the tasting and answering all of our questions. And a good salesmen because I walked out of there with
Chardonay and that's not a grape I typically fancy, but this one was quite good. Brianne seemed to like the less complex white wines and especially the sweet ones.
We continued on our way to four more wineries and a brewery. The weather was gorgeous and each place was beautiful in it's own way. Once I post pictures you will be able to see for yourself that they each have their own unique characteristics. My favorite place was Voyageur where they had Mediterranean style buildings and beautiful rose gardens.
We returned to our hotel safely to relax a bit and try to take a nap. Normally I would end my post here but something happened on this evening that must be shared.
Hungry for dinner, we went to a pub recommended by Glenys only a few minutes up the road. They had a wide range of local brews and of course, a nice selection of wines. I decided on drinking water so I could enjoy some wine we had purchased that day. We enjoyed our dinner and then hopped into the car to pick a DVD from Glenys' selection and settle into our beds to watch a movie and end the day with some of the delicious wine.
We made the turn onto the street of our hotel and we were laughing because whenever I used the turn signal I would turn the wipers on instead. I'm used to the turn signal being on the left side of the steering column. For some reason, I can't get used to it.
Amidst this, I noticed in my rearview mirror flashing lights. Yep, I was getting pulled over. The Aussie cop walked up with a breathalyzer in his hand. I couldn't believe it! I looked at Brianne and I looked at the cop in disbelief. He asked if I had been drinking this evening and I said no, just a ton of water. He explained they have random breath tests in Australia unlike the US where you need probable cause. I kept staring at Brianne in disbelief, uncertain what to do. I knew there was a limit of .05 in Australia and I had wine earlier in the day so my heart was pounding out of my chest. I knew I wasn't drunk or even buzzed because I was very careful and had listened to Glenys' instructions to remain safe.
So I asked the cop what happens after I submit to the test. He said, in a snotty manner, that if I haven't been drinking like I said I wasn't then I get to go. Again, I looked at Brianne and then back at the cop. All kinds of things were racing through my mind including my lack of trust for law enforcement, especially in a foreign country. What if they were setting me up? I went ahead anyway and blew into the machine. The cop looked at it, said "no worries," and let us go. What a relief! And I was still in disbelief over what had just happened. Random breathalyzer tests? Really? Wow!
I couldn't wait to celebrate in the comfort of our own room with a glass of wine. Cheers!
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