Margaret River Pro Surf

We had planned this trip before we realized the dates might coincide with the World Surf League Championship competition in Margaret River.  I had actually already booked the best possible house in terms of view and proximity, so Matt was thrilled to see his first pro surf meet.  We were mostly lucky in terms of the timing, because the surfers are usually in place for two weeks or so and they pick the best days of swell for the competition.  It could have all finished before we arrived, but the men had only competed in the first two rounds of heats and there was a lot of competition left.  The women were mostly finished and we were unlikely to see any of them.

Even better, on the days when they didn't compete, there was no crowd and many of the surfers were still out there for several hours having a great time and we could watch, talk to them, and take pictures. It was a really unique experience.

The first day we saw was chilly and rainy but the waves were great and the surfers were excited.

The people watching was probably just as entertaining to me.  The bowl cut mullet was a pretty popular hair style for the local crowd.

I really had no idea what to expect for a pro surf meet but it wasn't a huge setup and didn't get terribly crowded while we were there.  No tickets or admission, just come find a spot to watch and enjoy among the tents and coffee carts.

We could go down the stairs and watch from the beach as well.  The loud speakers didn't reach down there, so I didn't always know what was going on, but it was a different perspective.

Pretty cool to be able to talk to our favorite surfer, Kelly Slater, who sadly lost a really tough heat and was out at this point.

Lots of kids were getting autographs.  I sent Ben to get Callum Robson's autograph, because he was an Aussie.  Ben came back with someone else's signature and not Callum's. He said everyone else was asking that guy so he must be famous, right?  Turns out it was Taj Burrow, a pretty legendary Aussie surfer who retired a few years ago. So once he went back for Callum's autograph, I got a pretty cool hat!

The actual surfing was really amazing. These guys are incredibly talented and they surfed some pretty scary waves.  There were locals surfing the next break one morning and the difference between the hobbyists and the pros was huge.

These two had a great time taking photos...

The favorite shot of the trip!  Kelly was ripping, as the announcers would have said.

We had to leave before the finals to get to Perth and our anniversary dinner, but we did get to see the local boy Jack Robinson (Jack Robbo if you're speaking Australian) win his way into the quarterfinals and we were so happy for him to win the whole thing in front of his home crowd. It was so much fun getting to be a part of the experience!

Australian Anniversary Trip

Idul Fitri, the end of Ramadan, fell in early May this year so everyone had another week of holidays.  Australia had recently opened their borders to tourists and we decided it was the perfect time to head down under again!

Unfortunately, the direct flight from Jakarta to Perth hasn't started up again, but there were flights from Bali.  The kids had always wanted to see the international terminal there and with only 6 flights a day, it was pretty quiet. Almost everything was still closed but it was fun for a change.

Ben found a great ipad holder on the Jetstar flight.  Another bonus of flying Jetstar - we had vouchers from a trip that cancelled two years ago and didn't think we would ever get the chance to use them!

Welcome to Australia!! I don't think any place in the world has bluer skies.

We landed in Perth, loaded up our rental car, and drove 3 1/2 hours south to Margaret River.  It was well past dark when we arrived so we didn't get any idea of what things looked like around our house, but Alex was thrilled to be in the first world again and drink straight from the tap.

We were all pretty excited for this weather! I love summer but it's nice to get a change now and then.

When we woke up and opened the curtains, there was no doubt that we'd chosen a pretty awesome house in Prevelly.

The porch upstairs was awesome.  Views straight out onto the main surf break at Margaret River, so Matt was more than happy.

I had no complaints about my morning coffee view or the fact that I needed to wear fuzzy socks.

We made 3 trips to the grocery store to enjoy all the fresh food and delicious choices.  I was happy to have my Aussie avocado toast, as I was recently introduced to the combination of vegemite and avocados.

The gardens around the house were really beautiful.  The family that owns this place had put so much thought and work into everything and it was a really perfect vacation home.

Even the bird bath was entertaining.  A ringneck parrot took a long and noisy bath first thing.

Sadly, there was a pretty massive bush fire last year that burned a significant portion of national forest and the cave we were hoping to visit was closed.  The entire entrance was burned.  We chose Giants cave instead and found a great adventure.

We didn't realize that self-guided meant you get a headlamp and a path, and you're entirely on your own in the dark cave.  These two guys had a blast.

The fire came through the mouth of this cave but didn't destroy everything.

Inside, we had the cave entirely to ourselves and spent plenty of time exploring and admiring the scenery.

It was definitely the most physically challenging cave we've ever visited.  There were tight ladders and places we had to squeeze past one another.

We had to climb one section with just a rope for support.

There was even some bouldering at the end. Alex didn't want to be done!

Next stop was Cape Mentelle winery.  One of the best things about Margaret River is just driving around and sampling wines, cheese, chocolate, yogurt, and jerky.  And enjoying the wildlife outdoors at each stop.

The boys enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine!

 It was wonderful being walking distance to the beach as well.  The sunrises and sunsets are magical.

My first flat white was a real treat as well.

We also enjoyed Calgardup cave, which is also self guided, but not nearly as physical as the first one.

It has water during some parts of the year and was a totally different experience.

Even some tiny frogs!

And a low ceiling in some parts that made us thankful for our hard hats!

This was my favorite sunset. Everything about the evening was just perfect!

The best part about our trip was celebrating our 20th anniversary! It's amazing how quickly the years have gone and it was special having the kids there with us to celebrate, too.  Matt found a 2002 Cabernet that was likely harvested right around the time we were making our vows.  We couldn't have picked a better place to enjoy it.

We spent our last night in Perth and went to a nice dinner at C restaurant downtown.

We had coached the boys on how to behave at a nice dinner and they were such gentlemen!

This was a really memorable dinner.  We couldn't be more thankful for one another and the two boys we've been given the privilege to raise.

20 years!

7 addresses in 4 countries.  Can't wait to see where the next 20 years take us....