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2026 AFL Grand Final

Published on September 30, 2026October 1, 2026 by JellyfishKingLeave a comment

The build-up

2026 was the Docker’s best year.

In their 32-year history, the Fremantle Dockers AFL Football Club have made it to two Grand Finals. This year, 2026 was their second. What a season they had – blitzing all-comers and finishing on top of the table. All players, fans, commentators, even critics expected they would win their way to the Big Dance – the greatest show on turf – the last Saturday in September – the ultimate prize – the Grand Final. Indeed, they did.

The first time the Dockers made the Grand Final was 2013. Docker’s tragic Gordon, my great mate, attended that game. He asked me to come with him, but for various reasons I declined – a decision I have regretted for the past 13 years. On that occasion we were run over by an experienced opposition. The Dockers have never been Premiers.

This year promised more.

As mentioned, the expectation was building from May. The Dockers were playing some pretty inspired footy. In June Gordon and I decided to bite the bullet and book flights to Melbourne for the Grand Final weekend. The flight options were scarce and expensive. We secured flights from Thursday night via Brisbane – home on Sunday morning via Adelaide. We paid extra to allow for cancellation – just in case. Gordon’s nephew was escaping the madness of Melbourne Grand Final weekend and generously offered his house in Essendon for our lodgings. We waited with bated breath for our team to qualify. Fremantle finished on top of the table.

A unique “feature” of Australian sporting final programmes is that the teams that finish on the top of the table earn themselves a second chance. That means they can lose their first (Qualifying) final and still stay in the race. This is what happened in Fremantle’s Qualifying Final – they were hopelessly outclassed by fourth placed Hawthorn.

Another unique feature of AFL finals is that when there are six teams left, they play two “Semi Finals”. Fremantle met Geelong, a formidable opponent with vast finals experience. A gutsy 14 point win did wonders to ease the anxiety of the Purple Army. We were back in the hunt!

Four teams were left. Hawthorn hosted Brisbane at the MCG and Freo travelled to Sydney to play the Sydney Swans. What should be called Semi Finals, the AFL calls Preliminary Finals. The two “Prelims” will, perhaps go down as the greatest games in AFL history. Brisbane survived a massive comeback by Hawthorn to win by 9 points. Fremantle, down by 21 points at three quarter time, held Sydney goalless in the last term to run over the top and win by 12 points.

We made it! We’re Grand Finalists! We’re going to Melbourne!

Our opponents are the Brisbane Lions. This is their fourth Grand Final appearance in a row. They will be going for a “three-peat” Premiership title. It will take a mighty effort to beat them.

Off to Melbourne

I met Gordon at Perth Airport T2 about 10pm on Thursday night. This wasn’t going to be an easy flight. We arrived in Brisbane at (time adjusted) 5.30am. It was difficult to get much sleep. When we booked the flights, we didn’t know our Grand Final opponents would be Brisbane. And here we were, travelling to Melbourne in enemy territory amongst Lions fans! Thankfully there were a few other Dockers supporters on the flight.

The 90-minute flight had us arriving in Melbourne ay 9.30am – too late for the Grand Final Parade. We caught an Uber to Gordon’s nephew’s place in Essendon where we were met by Gordon’s Brother, Stuart. The house was beautiful. We were truly blessed to experience such generous hospitality. Stuart drove us to Queen Victoria Markets, where we caught a tram to Flinders Street. We walked to the MCG to catch the Captain’s Run – an open training session. The magnitude of the crowd floored us. Walking through the city and at the ground the level of support for the Dockers was immense. It seemed like Melbourne had turned Purple!

By sheer fluke, and despite the large crowd, we managed to bump into my cousins, Martin, Colin and Justin. Martin lives in Melbourne – his brother Colin had travelled from Perth earlier in the week. Justin is Martin’s son and a West Coast Eagles supporter – I loved seeing his support for Freo. We walked back to Fed Square for a few beers, where Martin’s wife Kirsty joined us. We promised ourselves an early night, so we caught the tram back to Essendon where Stuart was going to pick us up for dinner.

Dinner was at a local pub, where we both hungrily tucked into a sensational rib-eye steak. Gordon sent his compliments to the chef, whereby he came out of the kitchen and shouted, “up the Dockers!“. It was nice to catch up with Stuart and his wife Sandy. We had met them on a previous footy trip to Melbourne in 2019. Exhausted after a big day, we were relieved to finally turn in for the night.

Grand Final Day

Stuart again met us at the house and drove us to Moonee Ponds Station, where we caught the train into Flinders Street Station. We were meeting the cousins for brunch at Bear Brass on South Bank. My youngest son Mitchell joined us also after flying in from Perth that morning.

After brunch we made our way to Fed Square to join the thousands of Freo fans waiting to march to the ground. What a thrill this was. What fantastic support. In the drizzle we walked at a slow pace to the ground. The rain wasn’t heavy enough to get drenched, but I bought a poncho just in case it strengthened. It turns out it was a dud purchase, because our seats were undercover. And what seats they were! We had a fantastic view from level 2 on the 50m arc at the City End.

Mike Brady got the crowd going with his footy classic “Up there Cazaly“. The motorcade of legends traversed the boundary – featuring our boy Nat Fyfe.

Kylie Minogue was the headline act for the event. She came out with a large array of dancers. She sang five of her hits on the centre stage with numerous costume changes. She finished flying around the stadium hanging off the spider cam. It was a great spectacle. As with all these acts if would have benefitted from a concert quality sound system.

Clean all that stuff up – there’s a game to play!

The Game

The 2026 AFL Grand Final was a cracker of a game. As you would expect, both teams threw everything into the contest. The sounds of “Country Roads Take me Home…” rang out early as Charlie Cameron kicked the opening goal. Josh Treacy quickly replied and we got the sense this was going to be a tight contest all the way through,

That’s exactly how the game played out. One team would get a couple of goals ahead, but the other team would even up the score.

The scores were level at half time.

As they have done all year, Fremantle dominated the third quarter. They were two goals ahead when the disaster struck. Captain Alex Pearce collapsed flat on the ground while chasing his opponent to the boundary. He’d ruptured his Achilles tendon. He was to play no further part in the game. Brisbane quickly capitalised, scoring two quick goals to return to level pegging. Was this the break that Brisbane needed to seize control of the game? No sir! Fremantle rallied again and at three quarter time they had a 10 point lead.

The last quarter – 20 minutes left in the game to claim glory. Again, it was a see-saw affair. Fremantle kept the scoring pressure up. When Pat Voss kicked a goal on the 22 minute mark Gordon and I looked at each other. Dare we? I checked AFL web site and it reported 4 minutes of real time to go. We were 17 points in the lead. Dare we?

Wharfie Time rang out on the loudspeaker. The Dockers fans went nuts; Gordon and I included. The dream was coming true.

This was like a red rag to the Brisbane team. They put the foot down and slammed on three goals to snatch a 1 point lead. They kicked another before the siren to claim the 2026 Premiership. Dockers fans sat in stunned silence – sure, there was plenty of noise in the ground – but it was silent. What happened?!

As the dust settles

The feeling is difficult to put into words.

You might be thinking “come on, it’s just a game – why so serious? – get over it“. You’re right – but I’m guessing you haven’t been a Dockers fan for 32 years.

This was our year. We have been building a team – a culture – a belief – for the past 10 years. We’ve done the hard yards. We finished on top of the table. We’ve beaten all the tops teams. We were the best team of 2026. We made it through the Grand Final. We were the best team in the Grand Final for all but the final four minutes. At the 22 minute mark of the last quarter, we finally allowed ourselves to believe it was ours. With the blink of an eye, it was snatched away from us by surely the cruellest of the football gods.

Flat – deflated – empty are the only words I can come up with. I’m not going to say disappointed. How can anyone be disappointed with this team? They have given everything. They had given us the best season of football I’ve ever witnessed. I have been seen many versions of the Fremantle Football Club over the years. Ive been privileged to see some of the greatest players of all time. Pavlich, Fyfe, Mundy, Sandilands, Walters. This current team doesn’t have those superstars – but have matched their achievements. They have ended the season with unfinished business. Their story is not yet done.

I cannot wait for 2027!

Cheers! Awesome weekend – thanks Brother Gordon

UK 26 – Part 11 – Fort William – Edinburgh

Published on September 11, 2026September 11, 2026 by JellyfishKingLeave a comment

Day 7 – to Edinburgh

We leave the highlands today and make our way back to Edinburgh for the final episode of this epic journey. We travelled through the Glens of Glencoe again and even in the cold, wet and misty morning, the majesty of the place was impossible to ignore.

Our route had us traversing the southern edge of Loch Lomond. We played Ella Roberts‘ version of the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond. Reminding me of the trip with my father in 2024, I was filled with emotion. Dad believed when a Scotsman passes, his spirit takes the low road back to Scotland.

For ye’ll take the high road
And I’ll take the low road
And I’ll be in Scotland afore ye

We stopped in Luss for a rest and we made our way down to the Loch’s bonnie banks. Jane got her shoes off and waded in the Lomond Water.

Loch Lomond

Onward to Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow. My motivation to stop here was purely to collect a Starbucks mug for my “you are here” collection. Jane wanted to see more of Glasgow, so we drove deeper into the city to find somewhere for lunch. We found a place called the Wee Lochan Kitchen. It was indeed wee but had great reviews. The haddock chowder was very good. When it was time to pay, we discovered they don’t accept contactless payments. – only cash or (strangely) bank transfer. There was an ATM just down the street, so I went to withdraw some folding stuff. No good – the machine kept spitting out our card. I tried a local convenience store buying some crisps and hoping the shop owner would give me some “cash out”. It worked; we paid the bill and continued on to Edinburgh.

Most of the way was on a motorway, but as we entered the city google maps took us through the back roads where we hit every red light. We eventually got to our accommodation at Hotel Ceilidh-Donia (pronounced kay-lee-donia). We unloaded the car fully which proved to be a chore as they placed us on the 3rd floor up a narrow staircase. The hotel itself was nice, and the staff were super friendly.

Our driver and ride for the past week with Hotel Ceilidh-Donia in the background

We had to drop the car back to the Haymarket depot. On the way we visited my childhood home in Blackwood Cresent, my first school: Sciennes Primary School and drove past the Meadows. All fond memories of the five year old me.

Walking back into the city we stopped to see an old friend, Greyfriars Bobby.

It always chokes me up when I see all the sticks left for Bobby

We stopped for a pint at Grassmarket.

The rest of the crew were organising dinner at the Indian restaurant Voujon. We caught the bus back there and joined them. We hit the sack early because we had to get up early the next morning.

Day 8 – Ashes

The alarm sounded at 5.45 am. It was a special day. We were climbing Arthur’s Seat at sunrise to spread the ashes of our parents on Scottish soil. Keith and Alison’s parents Jim and Alice, and my parents, Ian and Myra all have passed away, and their ashes have been waiting in canisters for their trip back “home”.

We were joined by my Dad’s brother, my Uncle Willie and his wife Auntie Linda. We all set off as the sun was rising on a clear, crisp day. The dawn light painted a beautiful backdrop to Arthur’s Seat.

We followed the road that winds around the back of the hill before joining the track that climbs to the summit. As we began the steep ascent, it became clear that we would not be able to make it all the way to the top. Instead, we chose a small grove of trees about halfway up the final slope as the place to scatter the ashes. The spot overlooked Greendykes, where my grandmother lived, and Portobello, where my dad went to school. I scattered Mum and Dad’s ashes there, with Willie helping to spread some of his brother’s. It was a simple, quiet moment.

Mum and Dad were never ones for pomp and ceremony. In fact, I can almost hear Dad now saying, “haud your wheesht!“. I think they would have approved of this modest farewell and the chance to return part of themselves to the place they always considered home. My sister, Ann and I will have a similar little ceremony with the remaining ashes on a beach somewhere in Perth later.

Keith and Alison took a much more hands-on approach, spreading some of their parent’s ashes there and some on other parts of the hill.

Thanks to Keith and Alison for the opportunity to share this special moment. Also, thanks to Wille and Linda for joining us. Willie and Linda joined us for breakfast back at the hotel. It was great to catch up with them after many years.

Jane and I spent the rest of the day exploring Edinburgh City. We caught the bus into Princes Street where we took photos of the Scott Monument and Princes Street Gardens. We walked up the Royal Mile. We had lunch in between rain showers at Luckenbooths.

Ross fountain with the castle in the background

At 3.30pm we had tickets for Edinburgh Castle. We met Alison and Vic and used our “castle pass” for the last time and explored the castle grounds and buildings – such a privilege. It felt right to end our adventure at Edinburgh’s iconic landmark, standing above the city like a final moment of reflection.

Our final dinner together was at a nearby restaurant Abacus, then back at the hotel for final drinks, and recounting the awesome time together we had in Scotland.

Keith and Lynn, are travelling on to Romania; Alison and Vic heading to London and Paris; while Jane and I are returning home after nearly four weeks.

Final Day – Home time

Time for us to return home to reality. Sadly, we could not secure a business class upgrade, so we toughed it out in economy. Luckily, we missed the chaos of the flight traffic control problems in UK and the flight home was uneventful. We arrived home about 7pm the following day after seeing both sunrise and sunset on the same flight.

What a fantastic time we had. We certainly crammed a lot into those 25 days.

Highlights include:

Glencoe – magnificent scenery
Guiness Storehouse tour
Wicklow National Park in Ireland
Meeting cousin Gillian in Pitlochry
Ring of Kerry driving – scary but worth it (Jane might say otherwise)
Meeting Aaron’s parents in Cardiff
Spreading the Ashes on Arthur’s Seat
Travelling with the “Will trade cousins for Whisky” group – when’s out next trip? – and how many other cousins can we rope in?
Jane’s driving! Really, an impressive effort. Well done.

Lowlights include:

Getting robbed in London – and not being allowed to drive
Getting robbed by the London cabby
Hot hotel in London
Accommodation chaos in Cork
Continual nagging from Jane about keeping my belongings secure (I guess I deserved it)

UK 26 – Part 10 – Aviemore – Fort William

Published on September 10, 2026September 10, 2026 by JellyfishKingLeave a comment

Day 6 – to Fort William

We said goodbye to Aviemore after breakfast. First stop, 20 minutes away was Ruthven Barracks. This was built by the Government to defend against the Jacobite uprising. The Jacobites did eventually destroy the buildings in 1746.

The route towards Fort William has stunning scenery particularly along the banks of Loch Laggan. We’d lost track of our travelling party, and we pushed on without a rest stop, as we believed we were behind. We agreed to meet up in Fort Willian for lunch. Alison and Vic however found themselves already through Fort William and decided to keep going to Glencoe. The car needed refuelling, so we found a petrol station and had a quick lunch at McDonalds.

We eventually all met up in Glencoe and walked one (easiest) of the Glencoe Lochan Trails. It was a little rainy but the views around the small Loch (or Lochan) were stunning.

As the rain continued, we drove around Loch Leven. Again, the views were amazing.

We returned to Fort William and checked-in to our accommodation, Victoria House. Fort William is a popular hub for tourists. Situated close to Ben Nevis, it is a gateway to Western Scotland, including the Hebrides Isles, Glencoe and Oban.

Victoria House is on the outskirts of Fort William and not really close to any restaurants. It was close to a laundromat however, so we took the opportunity to freshen up our underwear. There were varying ideas for dinner, with the others opting for a takeaway sandwich from M&S. Jane and I drove into the town to a restaurant we’d found, however there was a queue out the door. Tired, we settled for a takeaway Thai curry from Cafe 115. It wasn’t anything special, but it hit the spot.

Day 7 – Glencoe

After breakfast we decided to rest, while Keith and Lynn joined in a Park Run in the Nevis Range.

When they returned, we drove back to Glencoe. Glencoe has got to be one of the most spectacular places on earth. With towering mountains and flat glacial valleys, there are postcard pictures at every turn. This was my favourite place, not only in Scotland, but of the whole trip.

Keith and Lynn offered to drive. It was a welcome relief for Jane as she has shouldered all the driving, not only here in Scotland, but in Ireland last week as well. We parked our car in Ballachulish and Lynn picked us up from there.

We caught the Mountain Resort Chairlift. It was a chilly ride, but the views were breathtaking. The chairlift took us up the mountain over waterfalls. There was a cafe at the top for a warm cuppa.

We decide to visit Oban for a late lunch. Oban is a seaside town renowned for seafood and a ferry port for the Hebrides Islands. Lynn was keen for fresh mussels, while the rest of us stuck with the old standard fish and chips. Oban is a pretty town and it was lovely to eat the fish and chips on the docks.

As we had a late lunch, we decided a cheese and cracker dinner in the Victoria House’s lounge would be a great way to finish the day. Accompanied by beer, wine and whisky of course.

That sadly, concluded our Highland trip. It’s back to Edinburgh tomorrow.

UK26 – Part 1 – Serious Business

Published on August 16, 2026 by JellyfishKingLeave a comment

Jane and I are off to the United Kingdom and Ireland for three weeks. The itinerary includes: flying to London with Qatar Airways; 5 days in London; Cardiff for two days; Dublin for two days; self drive around Ireland and Northern Ireland ending in Belfast; Edinburgh; self drive around Scotland for five days; returning back to Edinburgh before heading home.

This trip has special significance, as we’re carrying some of the ashes of my Mother and Father who both passed away in the last twelve months. We are meeting up with my cousins, Keith and Alison in Edinburgh to spread the ashes of my parents and Keith and Alison’s parents on Arthur’s Seat overlooking their homeland city of Edinburgh. I was lucky enough to visit Edinburgh in 2024 with my Dad while he was still able.

We had booked the flights late 2025 to get the best possible deal. After spending days analysing the prices and whether we can use our frequent flier points, we decided to book economy with Qatar Airways, flying via Doha. My dream was to fly business class, but we didn’t have the required points and the prices was outside our budget.

My dad passed away in August 2025, and my mum followed soon after in February this year. It was incredibly hard to watch their decline over the past few years, but they built a good life together and created a loving family. Although we’re not a particularly spiritual family, my sister Ann and I felt it would be meaningful to take some of their ashes back to Scotland, where they both grew up.

As the flight day grew closer I kept an eye on the business class upgrade offer from Qatar. It was still very high one week away from departure. But eventually it did come lower and we snapped up the Perth to London leg. The Edinburgh to Perth leg was still very high, so we left that as economy (for now). So we’re flying to London Business Class – how exciting!

QSuite

The Perth to Doha leg was on a Boeing 777-300ER with QSuite Business Class. This is widely accepted as the best business class in the world.

We arrived and checked in early to take advantage of the lounge. Qatar Airways uses the Air New Zealand lounge at Perth Airport. It’s fairly small and basic, by world standards, but the booze flowed freely and the food was ok.

Air New Zealand lounge. Hurry up with those champagnes Jane!

Priority boarding soon had us settling into our home for the next 11 hours. WOW the seats … or should I say cubicle was spectacular. Where’s my champagne? It came with the level of service we were quickly going to get used to.

There were no set meal times, the flight attendants took our orders from the menu and will be delivered whenever we wish. I was still full, so I ordered a cheese platter after take off and breakfast before we land in Doha. Boarding at 10.30pm means much of the flight is overnight. The biggest advantage of business class is you get a flat bed in which to sleep. I got my cheese platter along with a classic gin martini. I settled in and watched a movie, Anaconda (the 2026 reboot) starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd. It was ok. After the movie I got changed into my complimentary pyjamas. When I got back to my seat the attendant have converted it into a bed. Nighty night.

I had a pretty good sleep. Probably around six hours. with still 2 and half hours to Doha I freshened up and changed back into my clothes. By bed was returned to a seat when I go back. Then breakfast was served.

Doha

We arrived ahead of schedule in Doha and went immediately into the Al Mourjan Business Lounge. Wow the lounge seemed as big as Perth Airport itself. It was 5.30am – too early for the breakfast buffet, although Jane and I just had breakfast on the plane and weren’t really hungry. We found a nice spot to sit. I had a coffee while Jane went for a shower. I had a shower later.

We decided to check out the buffet and had a little bite to sample the food. No bacon – but was expected in a Middle East country. We decided to see if the bar served Bloody Marys – they did indeed – not expected in a Middle East country.

“Normal” Business Class

The leg from Doha to London was on a Airbus A380. This aircraft wasn’t fitted with QSuite. But the “normal” business class was still spectacular. Where is missed with no QSuite, it made up for with a lounge area. This is a full bar surrounded by seats. After another breakfast (3rd one on the trip) we visited the lounge and had more bloody marys. We also had canapes and I had a couple of drams of The Glenlivet.

We arrived at London Heathrow again ahead of schedule very refreshed (and a little tipsy). Through immigration with no line and delay out to a waiting taxi.

What an experience. There was nothing to fault in the whole journey. Qatar Business Class is truly magnificent.

Thanks Dad.

Busselton 2020 (not Bali)

Published on October 26, 2020October 27, 2020 by JellyfishKingLeave a comment

Our family had a week booked in Bali in June spanning my 57th birthday. My sons Aidan and Anthony and Aidan’s Fiancee Ena were joining Jane and the girls and I for the usual Bali favourites: relaxing, eating and drinking.

Again, ruined by Covid-19! [Insert frowny/angry/frustrated face emoji]

We decided to re-imagine the vacation in Busselton. We stayed at our usual haunt Busselton Beach Resort.

Aidan, Ena and Anthony arrived Friday night, while Jane, the girls and I arrived lunchtime Saturday. Aidan had been talking up Rocky Ridge Brewing Co at Busselton, so we went there for a (liquid) lunch. Their thing is tasting paddles, because they have abut 26 beers to choose from. Between the six of us I think we have then all covered.

They had a big variety. Aidan got a couple of growlers refilled. I left my growler at home much to Aidan’s disgust.

After some basic grocery shopping we headed back the the resort and reacquainted ourselves with the pool and outdoor spa (Jacuzzi). The pool was freezing, but the spa was nice and hot. We had a BBQ for dinner before playing some cards and Jackbox before we crashed around midnight.

Day two (Sunday) started with a traditional Aussie breakfast of bacon, eggs, mushrooms and toast. Aidan and Anthony brought Kayak, so we carried those down to beach after breakfast. I took the drone down and got some nice photos and videos. Its a pity the beach is clogged with seaweed. I know Busselton shire has tried to fix this problem, but I guess the seaweed is here to stay.

We hit the pool again after we returned from the beach.

Aidan wanted to got back to Rocky Ridge, so we went there for lunch. The burgers and wings were very good. We also tried the beers we didn’t try the day before. Later we walked up to the jetty and had another beer at the Goose. We got back the resort for a rest. When we were all ready for dinner we realised most places were already closed (at 7.30!). We drove to the Esplanade Hotel just in time for the kitchen closing. The girls were hinting at MacDonald’s, so we gave in and they got takeaway “McDo” (as they say in the Philippines). We settled in and watched Lachie Neale win the Brownlow medal. Cards and Jackbox were the go after the medal count and we retired to bed exhausted.

Day three (Monday). Ena and Jane promised us a Filipino breakfast, which meant Aidan was up early to go and buy rice. Ena was able to get Beef Tapa, Tocino, Longganisa and hotdogs from her work. There was a mountain of food, but the girls were in heaven and wolfed the lot!

Everyone was keen for a game of golf. Busselton has a nice Par 3 Golf course which is relaxed and casual, perfect for beginners. Aidan and Anthony are experienced golfers and I play occasionally, but the girls had never played before. With seven of us the group it was going to be a long walk. It was actually good fun and everyone enjoyed the experience. I had a good round excepting one hole where I sliced my drive into adjacent houses. I got the “yips” after that and took a 10 for that hole.

A well deserved beer was waiting for us at Beerfarm. Beerfarm is a craft brewer in Metricup which is about a 30 minute drive from Busselton. We got their sample paddles and enjoyed lunch at their restaurant, Burnt Ends. The beers where good, the food was better and the grounds were stunning.

Back home for a quick rest. Aidan wanted to try his luck with squidding on the jetty. He’s never caught a squid before, so we all got geared up with squid jigs and hit the jetty. Aidan got some luck early and caught a little squid. But sadly that was it for the night. We saw a pod of dolphins and guessed (or used that as an excuse) they chased the squid away.

At sunset I took my new camera down to the smaller jetty to capture some classic Busselton Jetty images.

We had fish and chips (Cod Rocks) for dinner and pretended we caught the fish.

We played cards and Jackbox again until about midnight when we all retired after a long, but immensely enjoyable day.

Day Four (Tuesday) was our wine tour. The bus was picking us up at 9.30. Aidan booked the whole day tour at Cellar d’Or Tours which included four wineries, two breweries and the chocolate factory. Anthony cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast, with some leftover hotdogs and cheese kransky sausage.

Our tour driver Stuart, who we later named “Chewy” was waiting at reception. We had to pick up two other couples from Bunker Bay and Yallingup before we we started the wine quaffing.

First stop was Happs winery. Happs is not your usual wine tasting set up. They had 43 wines set up in a self-service arrangement. Whoa – it was going to be a big day!

The Second winery was Credaro Wines. This name was familiar to Jane as she worked with one the Credaro’s in a previous job – too bad it wasn’t the wine brother!

Lunch was at the Black Brewing Co, which used to hethe Duckstein. Lunch was good with a nice selection of Beers, Wines and Gins. I needed a rest from wine tasting, but Aidan and Anthony tasted them. Aidan got one of his growlers filled there.

Winery number 3 from Bettenays Wine and Nougat. We were all tasting their wines and considering if we should buy a bottle of two. Then they opened the Nougat Liqueur. Everyone just said “wow”. Most of us on the tour bought several bottles of the liqueur – no wine.

A quick trip the Margaret River Chocolate Co before heading to the last winery of the day, Willespie. Willespie was an old fashioned traditional winery with old growth vines. They also still use cork, which is rare these days. “Chewy” replaced the sexy French host, much to the girls disappointment, to run us though how to properly drink a Chardonnay. Apparently it needs to be warmed up somewhat to avoid that extra woody taste. By this stage I had so many wines, my taste buds were just about cooked. It was a fascinating tutorial nonetheless. Well done Chewy, you did a great job.

Last stop was Cheeky Monkey Brewing for a cleansing ale before we returned back to Busselton.

It was a full-on day with lots of wine beer and food. We all loved it.

Day Four (Wednesay) was Aidan and Ena’s last day with us. They were going to stay at Bettenay’s guest hose for a couple days to celebrate their anniversary.

I took my drone down the jetty foreshore and took some aerial photos and videos. I was hoping to see some dolphins and follow them with the drone, but no luck.

We went to Canal Rocks for sunset photos. The ocean was rough but the sunset was nothing to write home about. Dinner at Occy’s in Dunsborough before saying goodbye to Aidan and Ena and home to Busselton. Early to bed as we’re heading home tomorrow.

Day five, we cleaned up and left for home about 11am.

It really was a great holiday. Having Aidan, Ena and Anthony there meant there was lots of fun and laughs. I hope we can do it again next year.

Next trips are:

December 2020 – 2 night stay-cation in Perth for Christmas shopping

January 2021 – 4 Nights Camping in Augusta to celebrate our friend Susan’s 60th birthday.