I stepped out of the van this morning and found myself staring into the curious eyes of a kangaroo. He didn’t seem much fussed and continued browsing on the grass at his feet. I debated letting Pam sleep, but decided she would much rather see a kangaroo and woke her with a call. He scampered when I reached for the camera, but not before we had both taken a good long look at each other.

Pam cooked us a breakfast of eggs, ham and onions and once again we hit the road early, heading out for the town of Margaret River. We arrived in time to do a little shopping at a local farmer’s market, and filled in what was missing at the local IGA. We eyeballed an internet cafe for future reference, but the town was a little too touristy for our tastes, and we headed across country on some single lane back roads across some gorgeous hills and valleys lined with orchards, cattle and vineyards, some things we hadn’t seen much of further north.

We parked for lunch overlooking a place called Canal Rocks, a rocky intrusion into the Indian Ocean, weather and water beaten, and looking beautiful under a clear blue sky. We had to position a mosquito net across the tailgate of the van so we could see out without being pestered by ‘face flies’, these annoying little flies that are so desperate for moisture in this dry climate that they immediately go after your eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The netting was a charm, and we had a very pleasant and unmolested lunch of ham and feta salad.

After lunch we headed for the Ngligli Caves, an extensive limestone network that took us an hour to cover. It was well-managed and well-lit with a strong catwalk and informative displays. It was neither wet nor bat-infested, two things that we both hate, and in fact reminded us of the Beatushollen Caves near Interlaken. Feeling a little sleepy, we drove to Cape Naturaliste and parked in the shade for a wee kip.

Then it was on to some local wineries to sample their fare and talk about varieties. Australia is justly proud of its wines, and exports to much of Asia and many parts of the rest of the world as well. We ran into folks from Italy as well as Ireland and enjoyed the scenery and gentle ambiance as much as the taste of local flavours. Then it was back to the campsite for a quiet evening of blogging and reading.