Breaking the cycle with a weekend in Margs

Finding the time to relax and get a break sometimes feels impossible. Weekends are filled with sports, chores, and catching up to begin the week again.

After the endless cycle, I finally crack and my partner and I head down south for a Friday-Sunday getaway.

A weekend trip to Margaret River leaves us actually breaking the cyclical pattern that full-time work or uni provides, leaving us well rested and set up for the week.

FRIDAY

You don’t need to have Friday off work for this to still be worthwhile, but luckily we both manage to get the day off. So after a slow morning, we set off at 9am to slide down the very familiar southern freeway. With so much of the southern region only being between 1½ and three hours away, it makes it incredibly easy to accomplish a weekend trip.

Before directly hitting Margs, having the whole day means we can drive around and decide on our day by following where the road leads us. Being down south now means it is quieter, and we miss the hustle of the usual summer crowds. We pull in to Sugarloaf Rock, the island of graphite exploding out of the water. A downside to being there now is we can’t always be so lucky with the weather. What we don’t know is that the next two days will be filled with warm sunshine but for now, it is freezing and there is no sun in sight.

However, this doesn’t lessen the quality of our walk around or sightseeing. The ocean and surroundings still shine with that down-south charm that tells you you’re somewhere else and, most importantly, away from the city.

Running back to the car, fingers purple and teeth chattering, I wish I’d actually checked the weather and worn some warmer clothes. The coast by the rock has a beautiful path to walk up, and with some warmer clothes, it might have been a little more enjoyable.

After a well-made cheese board (I am getting better at it), some wine, and the most addictive card game I’ve found (Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza) in our Airbnb, we settle into bed. I can’t wait to wake up and not think about the million things I have to do — just relax and take the day as it comes.

SATURDAY

After spending a lot of my past trips south seeing concerts or visiting family, I’ve never really done the tourist activities. So, of course, we have to hit the very popular Margaret River Bakery. The line is out the door — a good sign, if you ask me. It moves quickly, and inside I am taken into a new world, escaping the cold in a room that is warm, filled with stacks of colourful salad rolls, toasties, golden pastries and sweet smells that fill my nose. I almost wish the line was moving slower to give me more time to make up my mind at to what I want. After finally deciding, the words slip out after one bite: “This is the best cinnamon scroll I’ve ever had.” I think you can almost see the sugar lighting up my eyes.

The sun is shining and it is starting to warm up, so we head 20 minutes down the road to the Indijup Natural Spa — a place I’ve heard gets flooded in summer. We have it all to ourselves, and the sun is warm enough that I regret not bringing bathers. The rocks, clearly smoothed over from years of water splashing over them at high tide, created natural divots in the water, looking like small spas. The sun glistens off the crystal-clear water, and I really understand why this picturesque place is so popular.

Next, we drive 15 minutes down the road to Canal Rocks, walking over the short bridge to see the water crashing on one side, and completely calm and sparkling on the other. Another nice walk later, we get back in the car, unsure where to go next.

The Yallingup Maze and Mini Golf park catches our eye, and an hour later we have one pretty sore loser and one very braggy winner … I won’t disclose who is who. The park is popular with families, and inside there’s a game shop with every kind of card and board game you could imagine. Remember how I said I was addicted to Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza? Well the games shop has different versions so we obviously have to buy one, and our plans for the afternoon are now set.

We have a little walk around the shops and make some interesting book choices. Will buys 1001 Dad Jokes, and I hear no end of them for the rest of the weekend — and I guess I may be hearing them for the rest of my life.

Then we rest before our dinner plans.

The sun setting means the chill is back and, all rugged up for dinner, we head down to meet some family at Margaret River Brewing Co. The heaters and moody vibes of the place are comforting. The food and drinks are delicious, as are the laughs and talks — which, for once, are not about our weeks or our jobs, but just about us. I have almost forgotten tomorrow is our last day, and time to go home.

SUNDAY

We have a well-deserved sleep-in, in comparison with our usual early mornings. Packing up our stuff, I am not even having the Sunday dread of it being my last day off. Instead, we have a nice slow morning getting ready and heading back to the bakery, since I haven’t stopped talking about that cinnamon scroll.

It is cool but the sun is still shining. We end up heading to play soccer golf, and once again, since there is no planning, I am in new white jeans instead of the leggings sitting in my bag in the car. They quickly become forever stained from the muddy grass kicking the ball around. But ruined jeans are worth the tears we shed laughing so hard. The sore loser has lost again, and we decide to start driving home.

We have fitted so much into just a short block of time, and breaking the work week up means I actually feel myself enjoying the weekend. My shoulders finally relax for the first time in weeks, and instead of dreading the busy schedule ahead, I have really stopped and just enjoyed what is happening at that very moment.

+ We met April through the travel writing course at University of Notre Dame, where she is studying under Mignon Shardlow. We are pleased to bring her work to our readers.