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!

Kalbarri is a fishing village and a great family holiday spot. There’re loads of activities here and we ventured out on a canoe gorge tour. Here’s a tip, if you w