Day Four (of trip)

Day Four…

Wake up. Happily realise that I have slept. Doubly happy to realise it has made me feel way better. Spend a good deal of the morning filling the birdbath so the tiny native birds can stop looking so sad when they fly down to find it empty. Watch as they splash in and out of the water over breakfast. Pack up the hippy cottage, take one last wander around and make sure to photo document the stuff the weirded me out. Pictures to follow this post. Unicorn and Shrine included. (That is not a joke). Decide not to look inside the red urn on top of the TV cabinet- I really don’t need to see what is inside. Say goodbye to Layla, apologise that I gave away her water to the birds, attempt the trampoline again and head off. Think how I will be okay not seeing another dolphin for a while.

Drive past the alluring winery entrances and note the gimmicks adopted to ensure patronage. The ridiculous gold diving man statue always gets me. Wanker winery.

Walk up and down Margaret River, looking for a wifi place to pay bills, not many options. Just a heads up if you are heading down that way- your options are slim for connectivity. Decide to head to one last winery for lunch, discover that the map says Devils Lair is somewhere completely wrong and find the Watershed instead. Eat and embark on the long drive out to Pemberton, our last destination. Notice the change from bush to forest with pleasure.

Towering trees and dense vegetation surround the imposing roadway. Pemberton is small. It is like a town, only lesser. Than you would expect. They have a general store. Excitedly drive to check in at our Chalet. I chose this place because it is a lavender and berry farm. Those are two things I am really into. Reception/gifts store smells amazing. Lots of dried things hang from the cealing and I cannot wait to try their homemade lavender ice cream and scones. And milkshakes. Mmmm. Owner Pete hands us a bottle of milk and says, “this will make my trip over to you with the daily breakfast basket a lot easier.” I loved that sentence. Fresh laid eggs, homemade berry jam, cereals, bread, etc. Pete also wrote out directions to the local swimming spot, so we headed over. It was a dam with a sandy beach part, and shallow area for swimming. The water was clear and rather yellow and warm. It was sort of like swimming in pineapple jelly- before it has set. The surrounding trees were stunning.

After dinner we wandered around the property, around the lake, and visited the Alpacas. One sneezed at us and both were kind of staring. Discovered a grove of lemon trees, with giant lemons, picked one for my tea. Caught up on some podcasts I hadn’t watched yet, attempted to play Guess Who, but not everyone quite grasped my rules. This made me roll my eyes so much they hurt, so I opted out. I like my imagination, it often saves me in times of boredom. Don’t diss it man. Then we discovered the rats. Well, as they are about ten centimeters long, that makes them a Rat, right? Plus large body of water outside, berries, lavender? Yeah. So I am at this point considering pulling an all nighter, as these rats climb down the walls. Not sure how this will pan out.

Things do not look good for our heroine.

I have my imagination to keep me entertained, right?

Oh, man, my imagination flicked over to paranoia.
There could be like, thousands of them. And they could have glow in the dark teeth. And hypnotic eyes, and claws that rip open your flesh with poisonous gas for breath.

Aw crap.