Unfinished Business

All dressed up and raring to go.

Take two. After returning home to hide from a week’s unseasonal rain, the skies cleared and we were ready to go camping again. The bikes knew their way to Busselton, the long way round. It wasn't long before we were cruising along Mornington Road and gliding through the sweet curves of the Ferguson Valley. There was evidence of lingering rain but it was gone for now.

Kids playground at Busselton Jetty.

If they can find room for us we always stay at the council owned Jetty Tourist Park in Busselton. The mid season rate is $45 per night; all sites have power. This caravan park is right in town in one of the South West's busiest tourist hubs. This is not a caravan park full of kids play things. Once you get used to the ride height of the shower caddy and the peculiar positioning of the hook inside the toilet cubicle you won't want to stay anywhere else.

Wind vane on Busselton Jetty.

For dinner we were served delicious Thai food under one of the town's grand old fig trees. While we mulled over a good bottle of Shiraz we laughed a lot and it seemed we could find nothing to worry about.

By 7am the following morning we were participating in the standard issue walk along the Busselton Jetty. This magnificent jetty stretches 1.8km out to sea and it's easy to daydream while you take in the interpretive signs along the way. Then we wore out the soles of our shoes, enjoying the town from the Geographe Bay Sailing Club to the Jenny Taylor art gallery.

Are selfies still in fashion?

We were up with the magpies the next day and we found ourselves at the end of the jetty once more, enjoying the most magical sunrise. Busselton used to be a favourite haunt of ours. Until 1988 we visited the town every year in our Kombi, and then until 2005 we sailed down from Fremantle each summer. Since then our visits to this neck of the woods have become fewer and farther between. While we stood watching the sun rise I could feel myself falling in love with Busselton again.

Busselton Jetty

Always wonderful views between
Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin.

The rest of the day was about riding. Devil (F650GS) and Dwarf (R1200GS) took us on a run along the lanes between Cape Naturaliste and Margaret River. We stopped to check out the development in Yallingup, and then on we went to admire the soul of the surfing community in Gracetown. We crisscrossed back to Cow Town (Cowaramup) for morning tea and then waddled the length and breadth of Margaret River's newly paved main street. By mid afternoon the humidity was up and we retired to our camp for a refreshing ale or two.

Henty Road

Steve found a nice set of back roads to take us home and Henty Road in the Ferguson Valley was simply wonderful. The temperature eased to a comfortable 27⁰C and for a moment I was gliding along in my own reverie.

It was a magic three nights away. Of course we had to live through the case of the missing thong, which turned up on Steve's left foot 15 seconds later, and then there was the case of the missing plate, which remains missing in action.

Today it's time for a reality check while we clean the ringtail possum pee off the tent fly; until next time.......