Howdy folks, I’m on my first Taste Mastering trip of 2014, a six hour self-drive adventure from Perth up to Kalbarri National Park and Geraldton on Australia’s Coral Coast.

One of the many highlights of the drive was the devouring of a Caltex service station award-winning pie in Dongara.

Ladies and Gents, I can honestly say this was the best pie I’ve eaten in Western Australia. It ticks all the boxes in my Good Pie Guide, deep filled, plenty of meat, real tasty, and most importantly of all HOLDS ITS FORM! No hot pie filling dripping down my arm for me, no Sir.

If you take the Indian Ocean Drive to Kalbarri you get to really appreciate the dramatic coastline and can imagine the Dutch trading ships sailing round the coast hundreds of years ago (with a lot of them not making it). There’re a lot of shipwrecks and stories out there, one of the most famous being the notorious shipwreck, mutiny, executions and punishments which surrounded the wrecking of the Batavia. Gruesome, chilling and heroic stuff.

Another in 1839 saw Lieutenant George Grey shipwrecked near the mouth of the Murchison River and having to WALK back to Perth, and that’s where we start our adventure folks. Not walking back to Perth, but at the Murchison River.

It’s a bit dry at the moment, but depending where and when it rains can change the Murchison  into an unforgiving, raging torrent overnight…

…and I wouldn’t mind having this view from my window at home, it’s Nature’s Window!

Continue reading →

Howdy folks,

Well today’s Taste Mastering adventure sees me on a bus trip to the other-worldy, sci-fi-esque structures called the Pinnacles.

So all aboard and buckle up as we set off on the 500km round trip from Perth to explore the eerie landscape of the Pinnacles Desert.

Here we go!

Hang on a minute…why am I holding a 15 year-old 30kg wombat?

Ahhh, first stop is the zoo! Nobody told me that! Caversham Wildlife Park is a family operated business and houses the largest privately owned collection of native wildlife in Western Australia. It’s also a regular stop off on this trip. I must’ve missed the memo.

OK, now it’s time to see the Pinnacles!

So how come I end up doing this?

…Is someone playing a joke on me? This doesn’t look like the Pinnacles from the photos I’ve seen?? It looks much more like I’m holding a giant $200 Grade H 2.5kg rock lobster above my head and pointing for the cameras.

Continue reading →

Hello folks, last month I went to Carnarvon for four days and did so much stuff I’ve only just recuperated. It’s not ALL bananas and fisheries round these parts you know.

They’ve got a space museum! Did you know that?? And Buzz Aldrin opened it last year!! Yes you heard me correctly, little old Carnarvon organised for Buzz Aldrin to visit and officially open the doors of their Space and Technology Museum! (Carnarvon was actually a vital cog in the space race mission and putting the first man on the moon). Bet you didn’t know that eh?

Continue reading →