This weekend I took a trip down to the Western Australian South West with the family. It was a long drive but the trip was great... and our accommodation was pleasantly surprising. We like to go down south a few times every few years and it’s always a good time. It’s a lot of driving – usually we share the driving but I offered to do all the driving this time around – around 450kms in two days!
stop 1 - pinjarra
Our first stop on Saturday was Pinjarra - from home we took South Western Highway to Pinjarra, taking the scenic route. We got a coffee at Dome then sat in Lions Park to drink it and soak in some vitamin D.
STOP 2 - COWARAMUP
Then we headed back out on the road, heading towards Margaret River. Detoured off SW Hwy down the Old Bunbury Road. After over 2 hours of driving, we didn’t quite make it to Margaret River and stopped for lunch in Cowaramup. We stopped for lunch at a cute as cafe, Cowtown Cafe and Bakehouse. They have a wide range of drinks and food. I had a coffee frappe - it was creamy and not overly icy which made it very enjoyable - and a chicken, cheese and mayo toastie - also yummy! And possibly one of the best toasties I've ever had.
STOP 3 - ACCOMMODATION
We stayed in a two-bedroom villa at the Bayview Geographe Resort in Broadwater, just outside of Busselton. I had stayed there before when I was younger but they've had a MAJOR remodel.
The villa was modern, clean and comfortable. The beds were comfortable (I stayed on one of the singles). With a fully equipped kitchen and a washing machine, you could easily stay there for a long time.
The resort area is huge and has a heated indoor pool and direct beach access. It was surprisingly quiet as well, considering it is still school holidays and there were kids around. Very nice.
I'd definitely recommend this property, for a night or a week... it’s a great resort and not too pricey either. Our villa was $245/night.
STOP 4 – BUNBURY/BINNINGUP
The next morning we checked out of the hotel and started the trek home. First stop was at a McDonalds in Bunbury for coffee before heading north to Binningup to see how it has changed (family used to have a house there).
STOP 5 – HARVEY
For lunch, we headed inland a bit to Harvey, where we ate at the Harvey Best Restaurant. It was a little eclectic and I think family-owned but the food was nice. I had a Mushroom Cheeseburger that was nice and succulent with beer battered chips.
We took South Western Highway basically the whole way home and enjoyed seeing all the little towns on the way.
It was a LOT of driving but a lot of fun.