The southwest of Western Australia - Margaret River

We have heard a lot about Margaret River from the beginning, in almost every conversation with Australians the magical term "Margaret River" was mentioned. Beautiful, exquisite food, wonderful wine, amazing beaches, and above all: you must visit the chocolate factory in Margaret River.

So a weekend in spring break is perfect to spend a few days in the highly praised Margaret River. And because you want to adapt to the customs of the country, it's best to stay at the campground!

Interestingly, a few days before our Margaret River weekend, we met Aurel's classmate Kane on the train, who was on a camping holiday with his family. For Australians, camping is often more about the camping itself than the holiday. Kane's family simply drove 10km outside of Sorrento, our suburb, to a campground to go camping. The children make spears out of branches in the morning and go hunting - the day is spent very leisurely at the campground without much program. "You will enjoy yourselves on the caravan park in Margaret River!" Kane's father shouted to us when we got off the train.

With such high expectations, things can almost not go well. And indeed, our "cabins" at the campground did not exactly impress us. Musty cold tin huts that remind us of a turned-off closed refrigerator with their terrible smell, and the weather was cooler than expected... Luckily, we had hot water bottles with us! The children were delighted with the mini golf course, tennis court, and basketball court, but the parents revealed themselves to be camping skeptics with little enthusiasm for shared bathrooms and communal kitchens. At least the power outage was compensated with a bottle of wine!

However, we were reconciled with the world after our hike to the whale-watching platform. Even before we reached the lookout platform, where you have a magnificent view over the sea, the first whales appeared!

Aurel, our whale lover, was thrilled and is convinced that he saw his first blue whale. It's difficult to determine whether it was the fin of a humpback whale, southern right whale, or blue whale sticking out of the water, but it doesn't matter - it's fascinating anyway!

Margaret River is the southern Styria of Western Australia: vineyards with wine taverns as far as the eye can see, including a chocolate factory, craft beer breweries, and cheese factories. Instead of healing thermal baths, this pleasure region offers one of the best surf spots in the world, the Main Break. International surf competitions take place here every year, unless they have to be canceled like last year due to shark alarms...

The really dangerous animals in Australia are not sharks, jellyfish, crocodiles, or spiders, but magpies! The black-and-white pied butcherbird, which is widespread throughout Australia, attacks everything and everyone who approaches its nest during the breeding season. It's called "magpie swooping" when the angry magpie dad swoops down from the tree and pecks at the helmets of passing cyclists. Rene and Aurel have already been hit, fortunately protected with helmets!