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Leeuwin Lighthouse wins tourism award

SW tourism winner a leading light at awards

CHRISTIANA JONES, The West AustralianNovember 23, 2009, 5:28 am

WAN / Danella Bevis ©

It may conjure thoughts of a solitary life but for Paul Sofilas being the manager and guide of Australia's tallest mainland lighthouse has seen him celebrated for sharing the Cape Leeuwin building's heritage with about 90,000 people each year.

The manager and guide of the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse was just one of the winners at the weekend's Western Australian Tourism Awards, which acknowledge the State's best tourism service providers and event holders.

Mr Sofilas, who lives at the cottages at Cape Leeuwin and manages the 113-year-old lighthouse, received the Golden Guide Award in front of 820 people at the Burswood ballroom on Saturday night.

Other winners included the Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association, which was awarded the Sir David Brand Award for Tourism for a second time.

Volunteers for Anaconda Adventure Race 2009 Augusta 7 and 8 Nov.

Volunteers are needed for either full or half days on Saturday the 7th and Sunday the 8th of November.
Jobs Include:
Saturday -registering competitors for the junior race and race martials
Sunday - registering competitors for the main race (very early start I'm afraid), race martials and transition assistance
There may be other duties available and we'll keep you updated as we receive information.

If you think you can help out, please contact the CCG on 9757 2202 or respond to this email with your contact details and the day/s you are available. The CCG will provide transport and refreshments on the day.

Its a great way to be involved in what promises to be a fantastic event and support the CCG at the same time.

Winery Tours

A guest who has booked in for later this month asked the following:

Hi Dirk

Do you have any suggestions of local Margaret River winery tours. My Boyfriend and I would love to explore the regions wineries and local cuisines. Can't wait to come down. Warmest Regards,

Kelly

My brief reply was as follows:

Hi Kelly,

There are quite a lot to choose from although as the season gets quieter, not all the tour groups operate every day.

Wine for Dudes	www.winefordudes.com	0427774994	Smaller buses and younger clientelle.
Margaret River Tours	www.margaretrivertours.com	0419917166	Well known
Bush Tucker Tours	www.bushtuckertours.com	97579084	Popular and a bit different
Margaret River with Neil McLeod	www.toursmargaretriver.com.au	97572747	Local personality who gives the history and context of the places he visits.
Others	http://www.margaretriver.com/tour_result.asp	Margaret Visitors Centre	Quite a range and can book through them as well

All the tours will pick you up from here and drop you off again. Usually about 10.30 to 4.30 or so.

The tours are great and give you the opportunity to drink a fair amount, and not have to worry about driving. Also you quickly make new friends on the buses as after a few tastings, everyone becomes a bit more chatty.

An alternative, if you just want to do some tasting, and also see a bit of the region, a drive south from Margaret River to Augusta and back makes a good day out and you will be able to visit several wineries on the way. As long as one of you doesn’t drink too much, it is not a problem.

My suggested tour is to go down Caves Road, drive through the Boranup Forest, perhaps visit a cave (or all three), have a look at Hamelin Bay, go to the Leeuwin Lighthouse climbing to the top if enthusiastic. Lunch in Augusta (maybe the old bakehouse), then Brockman Highway to Warner Glen Road and up to the Berry Farm for afternoon tea and a taste of their wines, jams and chutneys. Along the way are several wineries and a meadery. You will then be back in town in time to look at some of the shops in the main street and check out where you want to go for dinner.

You could also decide to have a good lunch at some of our top class winery restaurants. A short list starts with Voyager Estate and includes Leeuwin, Watershed, Cullens, Vasse Felix, Saracen, Woody Nook, Swings and Roundabouts, Amberley, Driftwood, Lawrence, Flutes, Providore and many more. Plus the breweries do great lunches also (Bootleg, Colonial, Cowaramup and Duckstein). Along the way to any of these you will pass many other wineries to visit.

There is a service in Margaret River called Designated Drivers who will go to the restaurant or winery where your car is, and drive you back to here in your car. Cost is about $25 and is good if you have opened up that second bottle of wine and suddenly realise you shouldn’t be driving yourself anymore.

Don’t forget, that on your way down to here from Perth, if you leave in the morning, there are plenty of wineries and things such as the chocolate factory and cheese factory to visit in the afternoon. Most things close 4.30 to 5.00, and although check-in at our B&B is from 3.00pm, you can come in any time after that, even after dinner.

And you can also visit some more attractions on your way back to Perth the following day as the wineries open again at 10.30am (usually).

I hope this has given you some options to ponder on and I look forward to meeting you and your boyfriend.

Regards,

Dirk Hos