Cath's Australian Adventure: Adventures in Pemberton

Got a text from daughter no 2, her hubbie asks whether we would like to go away with them for the forthcoming long weekend. It's a public holiday so he will book where he can she says. The only place he could get all of us in together is Pemberton so Pemberton it is. Anyway, we have always wanted to go there, it's on our bucket list. In the meantime there are alarming noises coming from our car, not good news when we need it to tow Sheila to the campsite. The garage tells us it is the differential bearing and we hope that it is covered by the extended warranty we purchased when we bought the car. I've not got happy thoughts about this as there always seems to be plenty of wriggle room when it comes to claiming from insurance companies. SIL offers to lend us his ute, so that's what we do. We are rather advanced in years and single cab utes are generally the province of young chaps who like nothing better than a good burn up. The resulting combo is rather successful and though we might have looked rather out of place, who cares. It's the beginning of the holiday and the cops are out in force it seems. A timely reminder to make sure that we stick rigidly to the speed limit. We don't want a repeat of last year when we had a little conversation with the cops outside Balingup which resulted in a swingeing fine. In Pemberton we drive down through the town looking for Pemberton Caravan Park. This proves to be at the far end in a wooded valley, so very picturesque. We are directed to our pitch which is on the perimeter adjacent to a road. We notice the water treatment works just the other side of the dividing road but think nothing of it, but more of that later. I'm driving so it's left to me to back Sheila on to the pitch. Anyone who knows us will realise that this is our camping bete noir. Neither of us is much good at reversing a trailer and equally neither of us is much good at directing the driver of the reversing car. Usually we indulge in some sotto voce harsh words (why is there always someone avidly watching I ask) and after a few goes can generally park in the allotted space, albeit often at a bit of a crazy angle. Not so today, it's straight in the space. All those internet lessons appear to have paid off. We're all set up and sitting down with a cup of tea when the rest of the family appear so we are left to mind Maddie & George while the parents do the pitching.

The waterworks!

This is the first time we have been away together and it's so good to have them with us. To have company is lovely when we are generally on our own. At 6am the following morning we discover the drawback of being pitched opposite the water works when a tanker draws up and spends some considerable time filling up with potable water. Aside from this disruption, we loved this site. Although it was quite full that wasn't the impression you got really.

All set up

Addicted Candy Crushers at play

Lavender & Berry Farm

Dining Car window at Hidden River Winery

Lavender & Berry Farm

There's plenty to see and do in and around Pemberton with a couple of excellent wineries. We loved Hidden River Winery http://www.hiddenriver.com.au/ and Salitage http://www.salitage.com.au/
in particular. Pemberton is some way in land but there is a swimming opportunity at Big Brook Dam, a very lovely place indeed. We were there to coincide with a cycling race, part of the route was immediately behind our camping pitch so we enjoyed watching the competitors racing past. The lovely gardens at Lavender & Berry Farm http://www.lavenderandberryfarm.com.au/ are worth a visit. We loved the café where we sat on the verandah and watched the birds visiting the surrounding shrubs.