Who's Who Of Premier Producers

The Sunday Age

Sunday January 20, 2008

Paul Mack

Destination: Margaret River WA

Car: Mazda CX-9 Luxury

Round trip: 600km from Perth

Take a look at the map handed out by the Margaret River tourist office in the south west of Western Australia and it doesn't take too long before you realise it could take weeks to sample even just a taste of what this region has to offer.

It's somewhat more than a Sunday Drive could ever hope to cover and that is just on the food and wine front! For within the 100 or so kilometre stretch that forms what is known as the Cape to Cape - Naturaliste to Leeuwin - region three hours south of Perth there are more than 80-odd wineries interspersed with gourmet food producers covering everything from berry farms and olive groves to chocolate and cheese makers.

But this was more than a Sunday Drive, it was a holiday drive and with a few days to spare after the new year broke, Margaret River was the destination on our mind.

The list of wineries reads like a who's who of Australia's premium producers of chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and cabernet for which the region has become renown with labels such as Voyager and Vasse Felix, Cullens and Cape Mentelle, Pierro, Moss Wood, Howard Park, Xanadu and one of the originals Leeuwin Estate.

But this little pocket of WA offers more than just fine food and wine.

By the time you take in the growing arts industries with many talented furniture makers, potters and painters calling Margaret River home, explore the vast underground limestone caves, drive through the glorious rolling countryside dotted with vineyards and get wet along the stunning wild coastline with big surf beaches that attract the world's best boardriders every year for the Margaret River Masters, your time simply disappears.

Heading south of Perth to the Margaret River region is really about grand touring with much of the road as far as Busselton, located at the southern end of Geographe Bay about 250 kilometres from Perth, being fairly straight and flat.

With that in mind and the family on board, we were after a comfortable cruiser with long legs and Mazda's new CX-9 SUV fitted the bill perfectly.

The CX-9 is the new seven seat bigger brother to the CX-7, a car that has to a certain extent reshaped what people think about SUVs.

For these two, the five-seat CX-7 and bigger CX-9, are not your lumbering boxy 4WD off-roaders but sleek reinterpretations of the people mover that also benefit from the safety advantages of all-wheel drive.

Design-wise, the CX-9 certainly stands out and its wedge-like shape not only ensures it fits within Mazda's sporty philosophy but also makes it look smaller than it actually is.

That much becomes obvious as soon as you climb into the spacious cabin that features a fully flat floor, long 120mm-sliding second row 60/40-split seats and enough space in the third row for a couple of adults over shorter distances.

With the two rear pews folded flat into the floor, the luggage space is cavernous and access to all three rows if a full complement of passengers is on board, is a simple and easy affair. You don't need calisthenic practice to work your way into any of these comfortable and supportive leather trimmed seats.

As the 'luxury' model, there is no shortage of standard equipment with the front seats electrically adjustable, along with all windows, mirrors and sunroof, a climate control system with three separately adjustable zones, cruise control, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers and a superb sounding six-stack Bose audio system that is controlled by the large central touch-screen. There are also plenty of auxiliary power outlets to ensure nearly every occupant can power up their own entertainment for a long journey.

Under the bonnet is a 204kW/366Nm 3.7-litre V6 that drives all four wheels through a six-speed auto transmission and as Sunday Drive headed south out of Perth along the Kwinana Freeway, the first thing that struck us was the superb refinement of the drivetrain.

A decent prod of the throttle produces a strong acceleration that is more than up to the task of hauling this big weighty vehicle off the line in a fairly smart fashion but it is the smoothness and quietness with which it does it that is most impressive.

So seated comfortably in the big supportive leather seats, with the cruise control and climate control set for legality and comfort respectively, there was little else to do other than sit back relax and enjoy the excellent sounds emanating from the Bose audio system.

Heading off the end of the Kwinana Freeway we joined Highway 1 as it runs south through Mandurah and onto Bunbury where we kept close to the coast joining the Bussell Highway through to Busselton and Margaret River.

As mentioned, the wineries here are the main game (but beer drinkers are not forgotten with a few micro-breweries scattered around the area too) and almost every one has a cellar door for tasting while a huge number offer food as well from nibblies at the tasting bar through to full extravagant degustation menus.

There is also no shortage of places to stay whatever your budget from camp grounds to five-star luxury boutique hotels but if you are heading "down south" over the Christmas holiday break you will need to book as it seems just about everyone in Perth has the same idea.

From Margaret River, it is about 15kilometres across to the coast at Prevelly Park and that is where we headed to have a quiet swim at Gnarabup Beach and watch the brave and talented take on the big waves out at the Point.

Heading north on Caves Road, we were afforded the opportunity to test the handling capabilities of the big CX-9 as the road winds through forests, pastoral lands and between the ever present wineries and here again, the Mazda DNA shone through with a solid and engaging drive that offered the sort of agility that belies the vehicle's size.

Through corners there is a little body roll as you would expect of high riding SUV but it is very well controlled and there is no shortage of grip from the active all-wheel drive system and monster 20-inch rubber.

Along Caves Road there are numerous places to stop and take in the rugged coastline and glorious beaches with Canal Rocks a favourite spot for local fisherfolk, where you can wander among the granite outcrops and simply enjoy the splendour of nature at its sculptural best.

At Yallingup, home of one of the best beaches in the area, you can swim, wander along the shallow reef shelf or surf, with the break renown for its capability to hold very big waves while just past the small settlement are the region's most spectacular limestone caves with one of the most impressive being Lake Cave.

A venture deep inside this stunning chamber reveals a tranquil lake that lit up, reflects the delicate formations that rise from the floor and fall from the ceiling of the cave.

From Yallingup we turned east towards Dunsborough, which is perfectly located for the annual whale-watching season, between September and December, when Southern Right, Humpback, Pygmy and Blue Whales move along the coast. You can watch them basking or at play from a number of coastal vantage points or from one of the many tour boats that operate in the area.

A slight detour west takes you to the end of the road past the quiet and calm beaches of Meelup and Eagle Bay and if you are after a great spot to enjoy a long lazy lunch, Wise Wines' restaurant overlooking the clean blue waters of Meelup is a perfect place to stop.

Further out at the end of the road is the historic Cape Naturaliste lighthouse, built in 1903 and opened to the public in 1986. From its top, it affords spectacular views north across Geographe Bay and south towards the impressive natural granite boulders of Sugarloaf Rock.

From Dunsborough, we followed the road around the edges of Geographe Bay back to Busselton and then north along the Bussell Highway and Highway 1 back to Perth.

If ever there was a region just made for grand touring, then WA's south coast is it and if you want to do it in comfort and style, then you would hard pressed to find a more suitable vehicle than the new Mazda CX-9.

Drive facts

MAZDA CX-9 LUXURY

Price: $57,265

The car: Five door seven seat large SUV

Engine: 204kW/366Nm 3.7-litre V6 petrol

Official fuel consumption: 13.0l/100km

Fuel consumption on test: about 13.9l/100km

Drive: all-wheel drive

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Safety: ABS brakes; DSC stability and traction control; six airbags; reversing camera

Standard features: Climate control; cruise control; power windows, mirrors, sunroof and front seats; leather trim; six-stack Bose CD audio system; remote locking.

© 2008 The Sunday Age

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