Alison

A Mid-Week Winter Break in the South-West of WA, Australia

Around this time every year we normally take a short break “down south” as they say here. I booked last minute and definitely after the school holidays. Our first stop was going to be Pemberton, the Karri Valley Resort, Beedelup.
Leaving the house at 11 am as planned, a miracle of sorts, we stopped for lunch on the way at St. Aiden’s Winery, in the Ferguson Valley. Deciding on a mixed cheese and meat platter to share was a good choice as it meant I could have a dessert! Rice pudding on the menu is always a winner with me.

The drive to Pemberton from Perth is around 4 hours, with our lunch stop we were looking to arrive at 4.30 pm. As Anthony is always the chauffeur it means I can enjoy the ride, the trouble is any length of time in a car makes me fall asleep. I’m really not much company!

Steel horse sculpture
Rice Pudding with Coconut crumble
and sliced pear
A local pinot grigio

Arriving at 4.30 pm as planned we checked into reception and picked up our key. It was a strange set up with the reception being on the other side of the road to the resort. As we drove back onto the road and off to the resort we saw kangaroos, emus and alpacas roaming freely around. We had a wonderful chalet overlooking the lake. There was a restaurant right next to our chalet and we were planning on having dinner there that night.

Views from our chalet

From around the resort



Inside the restaurant

Duck confit with puy lentils and asparagus

The Lakeside Restaurant was huge with plenty of seating. The service was excellent and the food delicious. Anthony asked if the duck was local and our waitress looked quite horrified and said she didn’t think so, “our ducks are too cute” she said.

After a restless night due to the noise from above, we had a fairly early breakfast in the restaurant. I think the children upstairs were jumping off the bed and every time they landed our bed shook! Checking out at 10 am we walked back along the road to have a better look at all the wildlife.

My chauffeur

I took so many photos of this kangaroo, creeping closer and closer. I was slightly worried that he might box my ears but he was quite happy to pose for me.

Alpacas and pigs

This was a great resort for families as there was lots to do for kids. There were designated feeding times for the animals and also an archery range. A playground and small beach and kayaks and canoes to paddle around the lake.

Off to our next destination now – Albany. Stay along for the ride!

16 comments

  1. Pemberton looks like a wonderful place for a mid-winter break. It’s so green there, which is not usually the case during winter in the U.S., unless you’re somewhere in the extreme south. So sorry about the upstairs neighbors, but overall, the resort looks fabulous. I (Kellye) think alpacas are adorable, but I would be terrified to approach a kangaroo. Thank you for sharing your road trip with us!

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