An Indian Summer…a phrase I often use to describe the best time of the year.
A glorious time of the year when there is no wind, the sky is Sapphire blue and about 23/25 degrees C. It usually appears around mid February and carries over most of our Autumn. Thats March, April and May.Occasionally a day appears in our summer months..thats December to February but very rare as these months in my opinion are the worst times in Margaret River. This year I recall having two such days.. One in November and the other late December. The prevailing Southerlies start any time in mid November and will blow days on end until about the end of January. Our Traditional Summer is Hot Cold and Windy….all in one day!
This is how it goes.On the beach by 8.00am. Wind picks up and off the beach by 10.00am. Although it may be 30 degrees +, the wind chill factor makes it feel very cold. Back on the beach around 6.00PM .. Hopefully the wind has dropped and you get in a sunset swim. Back home for a BBQ with friends and over a few Reds. Rug up… Even those Reds wont warm you up…Well, maybe after 5 or 7!!
Yes not until Autumn that we get those consistent balmy windless Sapphire days ..You walk, camp, swim, all day long and sit outside over a campfire to the early hours of the morning without having to put on 3 jumpers and 2 pairs of Trackie’s..Its my favourite time of the year and that’s when Margaret River comes to be.
A lot happens in Autumn.Usually (wine) Vintage is travelling along nicely and a great time to visit those boutique wineries and witness the wine making process. Grape crushing being the first process. Poking your fingers into a fermentation tank and tasting raw grape juice makes you wish you owned your own vineyard. I myself prefer an annual visit then taste the end product any time of the year.
The Salmon migration all along the Leeuwin coast is in full swing and the professional fishermen are scattered along the coast ready to put a net around a school that sometimes is as big as the new Optus Stadium! But we locals find nothing better than to find a secluded beach at sunset and cast out with some very light lure gear and snag a 6kg Salmon. The Experience of a hook up is the best 5 minute adrenalin rush you will ever experience. Of course you give it a kiss and let it go..No…there is no good recipe to eat them.. Yes..its a hot debate as to how to cook and eat them… I’ve heard all 3 million recipes, but believe me … No.
So between Vintage and fishing I simply walk the beautiful forest and ocean trails. The light is soft, particularly the golden hour ..from 4.00 to 6.00PM and that’s when I catch up on my photography.
So that’s our Indian Summer..
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