A Quick Visit to Western Australia — Jumping in with Both Feet

Hello Friends!

I have good news! There are contractors in my house right now completing the LAST repair on our list! They are refinishing our bedroom floor, which was damaged due to the leak that occurred back in August before we moved in. Serious jazz hands flying over here!

I also have my Christmas shopping complete. A big thanks to all my people at home who let me ship to their houses! You ladies are the BEST!

It’s a rainy day, and I’m stuck inside with the contractors, so I thought I’d share about Australia! Australia was a work trip for Tom that took place over a weekend. After much debate, we asked Nana if she wanted to make a trip over to stay with the kids so I could tag along to Australia. Nana jumped at the opportunity and a weekend away in Western Australia was born! This wouldn’t have happened without Tom’s Mom who flew half way around the world to watch two children in a foreign country. Thank you Nana!

I took SO many pictures. I’ll try to control myself in the sharing department.

To Australia!

After a few months in Singapore, it was refreshing to see wide open space without buildings and people everywhere you look. It was spring, and the air was crisp and refreshing. It was just the TLC the doctor ordered for this Iowa girl!

We stayed south of Perth, in an area called Margaret River in Western Australia. I am here to tell you, that part of Australia is BEAUTIFUL! The climate is similar to the Napa Valley area in California. There are vineyards around every bend. We had the pleasure of visiting multiple vineyards and learning about the wine making process. It was fascinating! They also have olives and chocolates and fancy hand soaps and lotions. I have never had such good olives as I had on this trip.

Wine country:

Near where we stayed was a granite rock formation in the ocean called Canal Rocks. It was recommended to Tom by a local when he was out taking photos of the surf at night. We hiked to Canal Rocks multiple times on the trip. It looked different under each lighting condition we saw it in. Watching the surf slam into the rocks was mesmerizing, particularly at sunset!

Canal Rocks:

My favorite part of the trip were a couple of hikes we took with a local guide on part of the Cape to Cape Track. Cape to Cape is a 123 km (that’s 76 miles) hike between two lighthouses, marking the northern and southernmost points along the western edge of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. We learned about the crazy geography, plants, and random pieces of information such has how they combat non-native species using poisonous indigenous plants. If you are ever fortunate enough to visit Margaret River, let us know and we’ll hook you up with an amazing guide!

Of course, Tom had to work as well. I went on a whale watching tour without him, which sadly was a bust. I did get to take a shower in the Indian Ocean though, which wasn’t really on my to-do list. I didn’t really see much of the whales, but I did see this cool rock. I also spent some time watching surfers and relaxing outdoors in the crisp air.

Some fun facts… This plant is called a grass tree. They are everywhere, and are protected by law in Western Australia.

This plant looks innocent, but it’s poisonous. In fact, there are a lot of poisonous things in Western Australia.

These plants just look cool. But who knows? They can probably kill you too.

This is a galah cockatoo. These birds and some of their cousins are all over the place.

Aussies are also funny. I laughed harder than I should at this…

What is “up” with all these names?! Yep, that’s a bad joke…. Yallingup, Wilyabrup, Gnarabup. In WA they use the term “up” often at the end of the name of a location. We asked about it, and it has Aboriginal origins. “Up” or “upp” means “the place of.” So Yallingup means “the place of yalling.” In fact, Yallingup means the Place of Love. I can see why. We certainly fell in love with the area during our short time there. There is so much more to do there that we didn’t have the opportunity to experience. It is definitely going on the list of places we want to go back to!

Last but not least, I wanted to share a video Tom made of some of our favorite drone clips.

♥ Rebecca