A trip to Western Australia is always a delight for me, because not only is it an amazing state to visit, but it is also my home-state. It means I get to see old friends and family and touch base again with the sights and sounds and smells and tastes that I remember from childhood.

‘Nuff said about nostalgia! Even if I had never seen this massive place accounting for a third of the country (just that in itself is pretty awesome, you’d have to agree) I would still have been knocked out by WA’s wealth and vibrancy.

I guess its individuality and ability to innovate  must be something to do with being so far away from anywhere. I am not just making that up. Perth is the most isolated capital city in the WORLD! For some places this would be an excuse not to try to compete with anywhere, but West Aussies just make up their own rules and do things their way.

The first few days of R&R with family in Perth meant we had a little time to relax. Day Two though, we decided to visit the active new food zone of Mount Lawley, north of the citycentre but still close enough to be very accessible. After an excellent coffee at Globe Coffee House in the main street, a few blocks closer to the city we found the place we had been told not to miss – The Beaufort Street Merchant (08 9328 6299). I could see why people are excited about this provedore. It was full of all manner of local and imported foodstuffs, wines, snacks, cakes, and coffee – decidedly Italian–feeling, but urbane enough to attract everyone – with a welcoming energy.

Across the street a sign on the door of the much applauded Jackson’s restaurant advertised an upcoming truffle degustation featuring Manjimup truffles. But more of that later as chasing this ‘black gold’ was one of the reasons we had visited WA outside of prime-time, the wildflower season.

A few more doors along I was lured into Elmar’s Smallgoods , a wedge of Germany inserted amongst flowers shops and cafes. To step in here and inhale was to be transported to another continent by the salty, smoked, garlicy, spicy odours of dozens of sausages and hams and cheeses.

Then back home to where we were staying, south-west of the CBD in the Perth hills. This is the area to come when stone fruit is in season, but even out of season, several orchards were still open for business with signs out on the roadside. Another reminded us that if we had been there on the first  Sunday of the month we could have dropped in at the Roleystone Country Markets which I am sure would be the place for locally made jams and chutneys and some bags of crisp apples.

We couldn’t resist dropping in to Raeburn Orchard, the work of the Casotti family at Roleystone, and Willow Springs Orchard at Bedfordale. The latter was doing brisk business selling export-quality persimmons and from here on we could easily identify those bare-branched trees hung with golden globes as if festooned with lights for a festival.

Soon enough it was time to head south into the region where I grew up. Tourism WA has basically drawn a diagonal line across the lumpy bottom left-hand corner  of this mighty state and called it the only name it rightly can: the South-West. People from other parts of the country – or as the locals say ‘the Eastern States’, or ‘over East’ – instantly think this is just Margaret River, but of course it so much more.

Of all roads in Western Australia, the Albany Highway leading south from Perth is the most familiar. I grew up in what is now called the Great Southern region, a place of rolling hills and lush land, ideal equally as pasture for sheep or grain crops. In winter after some early rains, the ground was already dusted with green.

At Williams we were in urgent need of a coffee and found the ideal place: The Williams Woolshed. I knew as soon as I saw the homemade cakes in a display cabinet that we were onto something. Not only does it serve meals and snacks but on Sundays a Bush Tucker menu is available in the adjacent building on Sundays. The large premises is home to an information centre and several shops including one selling regional produce. What a find!

Finally we moved on, delighted that such places are opening in country areas, and soon arrived in Kojonup, just over halfway to Albany. I went to high school here and the place holds many memories. Here we discovered McQuade Meats at the top end of town. This butcher proudly sells Q lamb and Stirling Range hoggett and it was exciting to see his passion for the local meats.

We stopped only once more near Cranbrook as by now it was getting late. Fortunately we knew there was time the next day to double back and see Mount Barker once only known for its apples, but which now is one of the more established wine areas of Western Australia.

Following reassuringly frequent signs along a side road we arrived at Trevelen Farm just before closing time at the cellar door. We admired the range of often-awarded wines, tasted some gutsy Geographe Bay cheeses (owners John and Katie Sprigg say that local cheeses are coming soon) and photographed marron scooped up from a nearby tank. Trout is also raised here as measure against ground salinity – turning a minus into a plus – making this an ideal place to pick up the major makings of a fine picnic.

With the sun setting it was time to hotfoot it to Albany – and think about where we would eat!