INTRODUCING BILL IVORY PARTNER OWNER/OPERATOR Margaret River Vintage Golf and Wine ToursI was born and raised in the
south-west of Western Australia. After
completing school I trained as a teacher and went on to teach in
country Western
Australia, Perth, and Papua New Guinea, before accepting a commission
in the Royal Australian Air Force.
My Air Force career took me to
many parts of the world and included
postings to Papua New Guinea, USA (Philadelphia) and several locations
in Australia. I finished my Air Force career as a Wing Commander, in
charge of the logistics program supporting the P-3 Orion fleet, based
at Edinburgh Air Force Base near Adelaide in South Australia. In a nice
coincidence, the Air Force Base is just a few minutes away from some
great
wines in the Barossa Valley.
In 1970, while teaching in
country WA, my wife Valma and I
purchased a 5 acre plot of land in the then sleepy, farming hamlet of
Margaret River. The small acreage was the site of the first school in
the Margaret River District and was being sold by a local farmer, along
with his neighbouring farm. The farm became Cape Mentelle, one of the
iconic wineries of the Margaret River Wine District. Valma and I are
neighbours to Cape Mentelle and Xanadu
Wines.
After 24-years in the Air
Force, Valma and I sought to fulfil our
dream by returning to Margaret River. We live on our 5 acre
plot which has largely been retained as a native garden. Valma is
Deputy Principal of a local school.
I see Margaret River as a
special place in a special part of the world.
The green south west of Western Australia is an island of plants and
animals, cut off from the rest of Australia. The nearby confluence of
the Indian and Southern Oceans and the cooling breezes they generate,
provides the key to the creation of some of
the best wines in Australia.
The environment is kind to the
people who live in Margaret River. In
turn, locals love the place and it nurtures some fabulous artisans who
produce lovely art. Visitors enjoy a wide range of art and crafts,
including fine timber furniture, glass, pottery, oils, watercolours and
handcrafted jewellry. Like the wine and food, the art
assumes a special place in the Margaret River scene.
I love to share the
secrets of Margaret River with people who
find joy in ‘hidden treasures’. Golfers who
appreciate good wine and good food (and who doesn’t?) will be thrilled
with the
insights and exclusive experiences offered by Margaret River
Vintage
Golf and Wine Tours.
I look forward to welcoming you to 'my' Margaret River. |
INTRODUCING ROB DEWAR
 PARTNER/ OPERATOR My two
passions are wine and golf and having moved to one
of the most beautiful areas in Australia, I have a unique opportunity
to not
only indulge myself but also to indulge others in these twin
pleasures. The
past few years have been spent acquiring a foundation to my knowledge
of wine,
improving my golf, and familiarising myself with the people, places and
products of the Margaret River Region,
which
is now renowned throughout
the
world. Add all this to my diverse work experience, spread across
several
sectors and cultures, and I am now in the enviable position of being
able to
introduce visitors to this remarkable place.
Prior to arriving in Australia in 1999, my life was varied and interesting. Nothing has changed! I was born in
Trinidad of British parents and raised in
colonial Hong Kong. My first job was with The Royal Hong Kong Police
Force as
an Inspector in the Marine Division. This experience developed my
interest in
boats, which I carried on into the commercial world acting as a yacht
broker
and agent.
My love of
golf led to a new career marketing and
distributing golf products and apparel throughout Asia, and I helped to
organise a number of high-profile golf tournaments, as well as catering
to the
needs of the participating professionals.
Travel has
always been a part of my life, and I've visited
many countries, and like most travellers, I've plenty of stories to
tell.
I'm a great
believer in fate and I'm sure my guardian
angel led me to this wonderful part of the world where golf and wine
are an
everyday part of life.
For the golfer
we have courses ranging from the resort
style in and around metropolitan Perth and along the coast of Mandurah,
to
challenging country courses such as Augusta, Busselton,
Margaret River
and
Manjimup, including "True Links Golf" at the Albany Golf Club. Most of
these courses are situated within the beautiful and
picturesque wine regions comprising the Southwest of Western Australia.
For the wine
buff, we have world-famous vineyards such as Amberley
Estate, Cape
Mentelle, Leeuwin
Estate, Vasse
Felix and Devils
Lair wines as
well as
many boutique wineries such as Moss Wood, Cullen, Pierro
and many
more where you'll always find something special.
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