Hello Margaret River!

J and L invited us to crash their wedding anniversary trip, and we shamelessly did. Landed at Perth airport, cleared immigrations and retrieved suitcases in an impressive 15 minutes (e-clearance rocks). Then we took a three-hour scenic drive south. While it isn’t the most environmentally-friendly car (VW, Dieselgate of 2015 and ongoing), the brand new 2019 BMW X5’s trunk fits four big suitcases and many more shopping bags, gives us comfortable legroom, lends the drivers awesome technology, provides questionable GPS navigation data and ate up the 280km to Margaret River, and beyond.

Beyond checking out wineries, we have no firm plans on the agenda. Erm. I contributed nothing to the trip. Hurhurhur. Renting a car, sorting out accommodation (ooh spacious apartments) and organizing administrative details were efficiently done by J and L. It’s really cool because we’ve all got our strengths, complementing one another, and when we share the same values of punctuality, taking responsibilities for various matters, and finances, put together, these make traveling together really enjoyable.

A supermarket run ensured that the kitchen has extra rolls of garbage bags, napkins and such. The apartment's hosts provided basics, but if we want the usual comforts, we'd have to get them. I even bought boxes of tissue paper and uhh thicker toilet rolls. While we're not doing major cooking here, the fridge is stocked with breakfast supplies and snacks. The man was totally enamored with the garlic olives, tomatoes and duck rillettes at the grocers' and bought a few jars.

For the first morning in Margaret River, L and D prepped easy eggs, sausages and toast. They’re breakfast people. (I'm not.) Nothing imaginative is needed. Breakfast foods are toggled between hot foods and fruits, or granola, cold milk and yoghurt. As much as I didn’t want any food first thing in the morning, I sat down at the table, because I'm in comfortable company. It’s like a happy ritual on vacations. Sitting around a breakfast table in an apartment to food that we've prepped is definitely nicer than if we were at the hotel restaurant's morning buffet with a wider spread.