With our Wine Tour booked for tomorrow we headed into Margaret River Town to check out what else was on offer.

Originally set up in 1839, the town expanded rapidly as part of a resettlement scheme at the end of World War 1. Margaret River is now the centre of one of the best wine growing regions in Australia.

It’s a small place but it’s got a little bit of charm. The Fudge Factory and Olive Oil factory had some good samples! We also had our first experience of Target Country – a rural take on the popular clothes shop. Karen got a jumper after not needing one in Asia, while John had to make do with a woman’s hoodie. At least it was only Blue!

Karen’s friend Elidih had given us the low-down on a great bakery, the Margaret River Bakery, and we went there for lunch. It was so good. All the furniture was a mix mash of vintage and rustic and the largest meringues we have ever seen competed for attention on the most mouthwatering cake shelf. Lunch was tasty and deadly – John’s burger had a steak-knife in it!

The weather wasn’t great – raining heavily so we ducked into the visitor centre to do some research.

As well as finding out about all the wineries we also got a few leads on other places to visit. One of these was the Gabriel Chocolate Factory, in Yallingup – so we drove there up there. On the way John kept asking himself why Peter Gabriel would have set up a chocolate factory and did he sing to the guests like Gene Wilder would have done. Again he was to be disappointed as it was in fact just some local bloke called Gabriel 😦

Some great chocolate was on offer as well as a demonstration into it’s production. They import the world’s best raw cacao beans and turn them into fine quality single-origin chocolate bars. They are Western Australia’s first bean to bar chocolate makers.

We didn’t get a chance to gorge too much on the chocolate as there was a Russian woman, living in West London, who tore into the free chocolate tastings with relish. She asked stupid questions to conceal the sudden movements of her other hand to the tasting bowls. You didn’t fool us once Natayla!!

They sold some nice looking Rocky Road but it would be a sin against Helen Rose’s version to have eaten it!