Top Five Things To Do In Margaret River, Western Australia

I’ve always wanted to go to western Australia, in particular the wine producing area known as the Margaret River. I hope you’ll agree with me when I say that the guest writer has done a fine job of sharing the best of what the region offers. This is a sponsored post.

Top Five Things To Do In Margaret River, Western Australia

The beautiful Margaret River region in Western Australia, roughly a three hour drive south of Perth, is a haven for wine-lovers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. With over 100 vineyards, magnificent karri forests, deep underground caves, and a rugged coastline boasting some of Western Australia’s best surf and the 135km Cape-to-Cape track, you could easily spend a few weeks exploring the region. Blessed with a maritime Mediterranean climate, no season is too hot or too cold so there’s never an excuse not to get your hiking boots on, your bike out, or your wine nose up in the air! Fly into Perth, check into one of many fantastic Perth hotels and spend a day or two seeing the city sights, then hire a car and drive south.

Wineries

The Margaret River region is world-renowned for its wines, especially its Chardonnays and Cabernet Sauvignons, and is home to many wineries all within minutes of each other. You’ll be spoilt for choice and could easily spend days just visiting different wineries in the area. Many have beautiful grounds as well as fine wines, some have excellent galleries, and almost all offer some sort of food, ranging from simple platters sitting on a picnic table to multi-course gourmet cuisine in award-wining restaurants. The oldest winery in the region, Vasse Felix (well worth a visit for its excellent wines and five-star restaurant), is only thirty years old, illustrating just how recently it was discovered that the area was perfect for vine growing. If all your party would like to taste the wines, there are various wine tours that you can book onto, with one even on bicycles!

Cape-to-Cape Track

Running along the spine of the Leeuwin “Naturaliste Ridge, through the stunning Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, this track links the lighthouses of Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, where the Southern Ocean meets the Indian Ocean. Most off the track follows the coast, overlooking dramatic craggy cliffs and white sand beaches, but occasionally detours inland to particularly impressive sights such as the magnificent Boranup karri forest. You can cycle or walk along the entire stretch, or tackle just a section.

Caves

Once you have seen the limestone cliffs on the coast, you might not be surprised to discover that hundreds of caves lurk underground –  limestone helps to create caves as water seeps through the porous material, creating breathtaking stalagtites and stalagmites. The two best caves to visit are Jewel Cave and Lake Cave, the former containing the longest straw stalactite in a commercial cave, and the latter being the deepest in the area. As the name suggests, Lake Cave has an underground stream which beautifully reflects the amazing limestone formations, enhanced by clever lighting.

(photo credit: Michael Spencer)

Margaret River

The river itself provides a calm stretch of water on which to canoe, passing paperbark trees, flocks of colourful birds, and flying fish. The banks are a lovely place to stop for lunch. Either hire your own canoe or join a tour.

Wildflowers

The Margaret River region is one of only 34 internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots in the world and boasts over 150 orchid species and around 2,500 wildflower species. The spring months of September, October and November are the best times to view the wildflowers at their most spectacular. There are numerous walk and cycle trails that will take you through wildflower hotspots.

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