http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22924 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22924 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22921 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22921 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9949
The degustation menu is fantastic giving you a little more than a taste of his favourite items on the menu. Ma hor a well known favourite with a slice of pineapple, caramalised duck, seared scallop with a mint, chilli and coriander dressing. Licorice ice cream is another established favourite but if it's not on the menu it's worth a trip back.

The wine list is dominated by Australian wines but there are generally a few international gems as well.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9949 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9319
Despite its rather sedate sounding name, Margaret River, three hours drive south of Perth, has all of these.

It's the home of world-class surfing competitions with frighteningly large waves which break against the rugged coastline with awesome power and regularity.

It's the home of Moss Wood, Leeuwin Estates and a hundred other world-class wineries, many of which have cellar door tastings and attached restaurants.

The local produce is so fresh and tasty that most of the restaurants deliver something a little special. Vasse Felix is particularly good for a smart dinner, but most of them are interesting.

Margaret River Cheese Co. (yummy cheddar), Chocolate Factory, Simmo's Ice Cream and Bootleg Brewery are all good stops between wine-tastings.

And that's just inland. The coastline of this area is one of the most beautiful on this side of the continent - or any side of any continent to be frank.

And the coastline offers up plenty of places to stay: north to south you've got Dunsborough, Yallingup, Gracetown and Prevelly/Gnarabup, where you'll often get stunning sea views from your deck, as you sip your day's purchases.

Some of the comments on Perth are pretty critical - but they also miss one of the great advantages: when you've got an area this beautiful, you don't want it to get too over-crowded. Margs gets pretty busy around Christmas, but the rest of the year you can normal find a corner of it - a beach-break, a vineyard, a restaurant - to keep to yourself.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9319 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2775
There's numerous wineries, most of which do tastings and some of the bigger ones (e. Lamonts, Sandalfords) have great restaurants looking out over the vines.

There's also breweries, chocolate factories and numerous other places of interest on the easy to follow loop around the valley.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/2775