15^th September:Perth (Swan Valley)

What is the Swan Valley noted for? Wine tasting! Murray wanted to go wine tasting there and so we all piled into Gail's Commodore and found our way to the Swan Valley. Gail had recovered by this time but was driving and so was limited in her intake. Not so me. I seemed to be drinking all day !!

Being Monday, some of the wineries were closed but we managed to fine enough that were open for tasting. One of them, Mondoon, had just opened a new complex: tasting, a cafe, a restaurant and a brewery. A beautiful area where one could taste wine and beer if one so desired. There were plenty of people there too, for a Monday. So, in all, we tasted at 4 wineries of different sizes and 2 breweries. We could buy wine but not beer as these breweries didn't have a licence to sell to the public. Not that that worried me! But, apparently, they have both negiotated with Dan Murphy's and their beer will appear in these bottle shops.

There was also a Cheese place. Tasting was expensive: the cheapest platter which had only 1 cheese, was $25. There was one with 2 cheeses that cost $60! All the cheeses were imported. We didn't stay!!

We ended the day in the Margaret River Chocolate Factory – a dangerous place. I bought a little but it was so expensive too: 1 small square of Turkish Delight cost $1.95 and it wasn't anything spectacular!! One girl photographed herself buying nearly $200s worth of chocolate and people, mostly foreign tourists, were buying heaps. (At one place, a group of head scarfed people wanted vegan cheese. Why do you go to a winery for vegan cheese?)

My summary of the Swan Valley tastings: Some wine was good; some was okay. Some was over priced; some was reasonable. It is a real tourist mecca and there are so many wineries as well as great restaurants. It is no wonder Chapman Valley is closing and the Chittering Valley wineries are struggling. Swan Valley is in Perth and so accessible.

We pack up today and go to Bunbury where we will see Andrew Leske and family.