Heavenly Beverley : A Road Trip to the Deep South.

The South West of Western Australia is particularly beautiful. A more temperate climate than Perth or Heavenly Beverley, tall timbers, spectacular beaches, big surf, caves, lush scenery and a thriving wine industry make the region a magnet for holiday makers. There are art galleries, quirky crafty centres and gift shops galore. Tourists flock to Margaret River and its surrounds all year round.

Michael's friend, Steve and his partner Shirley have lived in the town for fifteen years. He is a silversmith, who makes a variety of jewellery, decorative pieces and wall hangings. He also works with glass to create exquisite plates and bowls. We were very interested in having some of Steve's items in the East End Gallery and resolved to take a road trip to see him and Shirley.

Enroute to Margaret River, we caught up with another of Michael's friends in the Big Smoke. Cathy, an established painter, offered one of her Denmark coastal scenes for the gallery. We spent a very pleasant hour with Cathy and her Mum. Then we stayed overnight in a B&B in Fremantle, which had been converted from an old embassy. Very quirky and comfortable, but the stairs up to our top room were steep and narrow and nearly killed us. Repeatedly.

We had dinner at the Maya Indian Restaurant in Fremantle. Yum doesn't even come close. Go there when you're in Freo. The Qwim fish curry and the lamb Rogan Josh were to die for. We added naan bread, rice and raita to complement the meal. Excellent.

After taking a few obligatory photos of the West End, we retired to bed in the Tarantella room. The air conditioning kept the hot night out, making sleeping a breeze. We were out and about reasonably early, as we had arranged to meet our friend Ailsa for breakfast at Breglia's Piccolo Cafe in High Street. We had sussed it out the night before, discovering the prices were reasonable as compared to extortionate.

Breakfast was excellent and filling. And not too expensive. We waved Ailsa goodbye and set off for the Deep South. The trip was uneventful. We arrived in Margaret River mid afternoon. After finding a map at the tourist information centre, we located our accommodation for the next two nights. A pretty little villa on the river, surrounded by majestic forest, we unpacked before plunging into the swimming pool. The day was hot and sultry and the pool, deep and refreshing, reduced our body temperatures to near normal.

Showers, fresh clothes and we were prepared for the evening. After drinks at Steve and Shirl's, we retired to the Tavern for the evening meal. the food was typical pub fare. The wine prices were outrageous, but we were in the centre of a holiday region. We expected as much.

The following morning, we met at Steve's studio and workshop. We meandered around, taking in his jewellery and other items of interest. We settled on some pieces for him to package up and send to us in Beverley for the gallery. Then we took our leave and prepared for some reconnaissance.

We stopped at the Payet Gallery before lunch. The gallery was stylish, simple and uncluttered. Very us. We chatted with Kate, one of the owners for some time. Then on to the Boranup Cafe and the adjoining gallery. The lunch was delicious and well worth a visit. The gallery was large, crowded and in some parts, very busy. In fact, I had to go outside after suffering from visual overload. There was just too much to see. The metal work in the gardens was outstanding and varied in the number of sculptors and pieces. Michael had a field day with his camera.

We moved onto other galleries and wineries. Woody Nook and Hay Shed Hill had wine and art. Bliss. Bettanay's had wine and nougat and liquid nougat, And a chilli fortified wine. Warm and divine, the liquid gold filled our mouths. More bliss.

We returned to change and decamp to Steve and Shirl's. This time, Shirley acting as a Masterchef, produced a feast of marinated chicken, sausages, salads with dressings and bread. Wonderful. But I think she overdid it. After nearly falling asleep in her chair, she retired to bed. We were pleased she felt comfortable to do so.

That night was cool. We needed the blanket on our bed in the cabana that night. We slept in, packed up our belongings and headed off at about eleven. We made it to Capel for lunch. The Capelberry Cafe was fantastic. We ordered turkey, cheese and cranberry baguettes, which were crammed with fresh ingredients. The coffee and tea were both very, very good.

We drove on. Later in the afternoon, saw us take an unfortunate detour between Wagin and Narrogin, adding about an extra hundred kilometres. By the time we arrived in Narrogin, we were ready for a break. Finding Just Jesse's Cafe open, we had a Devonshire tea and coffee to fill up. We chatted with Nic, the very friendly and efficient cafe waitperson and met one of the local organisers of the Narrogin art scene. Narrogin impressed us.

Arriving home just before dark, the dogs were ecstatic to see us. Even the cat greeted us with agreeable fondness. The bird was just about beside himself, chirping and bouncing on his perch. We'd had a great trip, but we were so pleased to be home. At the House that Rocks in Heavenly Beverley.