Day 9, Dongara/Denison

A roadside sign we passed on our drive up from Perth to Geraldton had claimed that the best pies were to be found at the Dongara Bakery on Waldeck Street, and now that we were in the vicinity we were keen to test that claim. We headed straight to the bakery to get breakfast on Tuesday morning.

Jac ordered the pizza pie. This was a pie shell filled with meat and gravy, and instead of a standard pastry lid, the pie was topped with cheese, ham, red and green capsicum and pineapple.

She absolutely loved the pizza pie and ranked it as one of the best she’d eaten, ever – only the steak and kidney pie at the Thornlie Bakery beats it – she reckons Thornlie’s pips it (and every other pie) with its superior pastry. This photo is one of my favourites from the entire holiday.

I had (surprise surprise) a chicken and vegetable pie. At Dongara Bakery, chicken and vegetable is indicated by a little pastry heart on top of the pie.

The gravy was thick and delicious, a really strong chickeny flavour. There were peas, carrots and corn kernels in it. I’d have liked just a little more chicken in the pie – there were a few big pieces, but overall, it was mostly gravy and vegetables. Still tasty though. I thought the pastry was pretty good. The best pies? I think I’d have to try a couple more different varieties before making a final assessment. But definitely an amazing must-try pizza pie!

I took more photos back at the chalet hill.

Later, we felt hungry again, and Jac cooked up a meal of ham, eggs, baked beans and fried bread in the chalet’s electric frying pan. The bread was the last Noble’s brown burger bun, sliced, buttered and fried in the pan. YUM!

We then went for a walk. We visited the Fishermen’s Memorial, which was erected in dedication to the fishermen of Dongara and Port Denison who lost their lives at sea (you can view the plaque here), and then walked along the breakwater and the marina, and all the way across to the Big4 Holiday Park. Next time we might stay in one of their chalets, which are even closer to the beach.

I almost forgot to mention how much I enjoyed watching the last day of the Second Ashes Test! We got back from our walk in time to see the Australians batting to win the match. It was bliss sitting on the bed watching the cricket, munching on Tasty Jacks crisps and sipping on a bottle of Bundaberg Ginger Beer, with a view of the ocean through the window to my right.