In recent years boutique breweries have made their mark in the Margaret River wine region, providing yet another diverse attraction for this wonderful area. There’s plenty to choose from, and like the wineries, most also have reasonable lunch menus to entice and satisfy their patrons.

Paul’s ‘at home’ beer of choice lately is the locally brewed, Colonial Brewery’s, Small Ale. With an alcohol content of 3.5 he finds he can have a two or three with little effect, and he enjoys the taste.

Last week we decided to take a trip to said brewery to see what other tipples they have available on tap. It’s a rustic sort of establishment, with both alfresco and inside dining. I tried their apple cider, very refreshing, while himself partook of their IPA (6.5%), which he proclaimed to be full of flavour and, “pretty, damned good”.

For those unsure of which ale to buy, a sample board with all five tap beers can be purchased.

We ordered our salads for lunch, me a frekkah, feta and beetroot salad, and Paul a classic Caesar. Then out to the alfesco area to sip our ales overlooking a tranquil lake while we awaited our meals.

All of the wineries and breweries have their eateries overlooking water of some sort – it seems to go with the territory. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a lake, or an ocean, it sure beats eating inside a stuffy restaurant in suburbia.

My salad was good, and reminded me of the first time I ever heard of, and tried Frekkah, which was at Maggie Beer’s farm shop in the Barrossa Valley in South Australia. For those of you who don’t know what Frekkah is, it’s green cracked wheat – very nutty and tasty. Paul said his salad was lacking and he’d had better Caesar’s. Didn’t matter though, what mattered was just getting out and having a look.

We finished off the day with a wander up the main street of Margaret River, and an Ice Cream cone at the Ice Cream shop. Daily living in an area that overseas tourists find awe inspiring, and Perth people only get to enjoy now and again for a week or two at a time. An area with so much to offer. Living here – what a pleasure!