2019-09-01_Lonely_Planet_Traveller

sdawnbreaks,thecoolgreytones

ofthebeachwarmtoa goldenhue.

Dozensofsurfersarealreadyout

inthewater,bobbingupanddown

withthegrowingswell.They’vepaddled

outfroma perfectsandycrescentbackedby

forestedhills;beyond,thelandis ribbed

withneatrowsofgrapevines.

ThisisPrevellyBeachintheMargaret

RiverregionofWesternAustralia,and

thesceneencompassesthisarea’stwin

passions:itscurlingsurfanddelectable

wines.Famously,someofthetoplocal

winemakerswillbeginthedaycatching

wavesinthemorning sun before heading

tothevineyards.

I,however,amnota surfer.Mylast

attempt, on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, was far

moreentertainingforspectatorsthanit

wasforme,asI buckedandlurchedand

launchedmyselfface first into the waves.

Also,a rathershockingadmission:I don’t

enjoywine.Onhearingthis,winemakers

acrosstheworld,fromtheDouroValley

inPortugaltoChileandNewZealand,have

attemptedtocuremebyplyingme with

theirtopvintages,tonoavail.

Giventhesetwolamentableshortcomings,

IarrivedinMargaretRiverwonderingif

someonelikemecouldtrulyappreciatethis

much-laudedpartofAustralia’ssouthwest.

My first reassurancecamein the formof

breakfast:soft-poachedfree-rangeeggs

onbutteredTurkishbread,scatteredwith

rocket,crispybaconandroastedbaby

tomatoes that burst in the mouth. I was

ina windowseatatthecolourfulbeach

shackSeaGardenCafe,lookingoutovera

longstretchoftheIndianOcean.Muchof

theproduceonmyplatewashome-grown,

drawnfromthevegetablegardenoutthe

backandfromsurroundingfarms.

Twinkle-eyedandbearded,Normandy

nativeGillesEngland-Brassyownedthiscafé

untila fewyearsago,whenhetookupa post

asexecutivechefatthenearbyPullman

Resort.‘Thisregionisamazing,’saysGilles.

‘It’soneofthosefewplaceswhereyoucanget

allofyourproducefromthearea.Wehave

truffles,chestnuts,Albanyoysters,grass-fed

beef...andtheytasteoutofthisworld.’

Partofthesecret,I discoveredwhile

chattingwithotherlocalsamongthe

morningcrowd,isthesoil,a sandyloam

resultingfroma granitelandscape

weathereddownovermillionsofyears.

This,combinedwithwhat’sknownas

a Mediterraneanmaritimeclimate,

createsperfectconditionsforproducing

big-flavouredcabernetsauvignonsand

chardonnays.Italsomeansexceptionally

flavoursomelocalfruitsand vegetables.

I droveouttoGreenmanOrganics,where

farmerMikeThompsongrowsalmostevery

fruitandvegetableyoucanname:sixtypes

ofapricot,heritagepearsnativetoFrance,

SouthAmericanpeppers,desertlimesfrom

Australia’s Northern Territory. His garlic is

A

PHOTOGRAPHS:

Gorging on the

Margaret River

Famousforits vineyardsandperfectwaves,WesternAustralia’s

MargaretRiveris ourtopBestin AsiaPacificdestinationfor

2019.ButcanChristaLarwood, a writerwithnogreatloveof

either wine or surfing, appreciate the joys of this fertile region?