Margaret River - Untamed Beauty

Margaret River WA was originally a chilled out surfie town, but has evolved into a delightful smorgasbord of premium wine, fine restaurants and food, dazzling beaches, spectacular forests and scenery – just a three hour drive south of Perth.

Blessed with a perfect Mediterranean maritime climate, the four seasons are gently defined in this relaxed and soulful corner of the country.

It is a region for all seasons, whether it is autumn dawn walks in wooded valleys veiled in mist; cosy winter nights spent with good friends and a great local wine around a roaring fire; spring picnics amid towering karri forest ablaze with wildflowers; or warm summer days lazing on a secluded beach by a sparkling sea.

The region offers a fine supply of world-class wineries, boutique breweries, and restaurants overlooking sweeping vineyards and surf breaks. While the region’s 60 plus wineries produce less than one per cent of Australian wine, they are responsible for over 15 per cent of the country's premium wine.

Active visitors are able to go rock climbing, abseiling, canoeing, whale watching, or even throw in a line and try their luck catching some local snapper or simply be enthralled watching the locals take on awe-inspiring breakers at world-class surf break, Surfers Point.

UNTAMED BEAUTY

From the tranquil waters of Geographe Bay in the north, down the ancient cave-carved Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, through the picturesque vineyards and karri forest of the heartland, to the desolate beauty of Cape Leeuwin in the south, this is a place of splendid natural contrasts.

Explore networks of underground caves, a rugged coastline, squeaky-clean sandy beaches, turquoise water, towering forests and bush and coastal walk trails.

The wild, rugged beauty of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge with its dramatic cliffs and rocks, the tranquil aqua waters of the many protected bays, the local vineyards covered in rising mist in the early morning all contribute to outstanding visual splendour. It’s a photographer’s dream.

The intrepid traveller can journey along the Cape to Cape Track, stretching from Cape Leeuwin to Cape Naturaliste. The total journey takes up to 6 days. However, many sections of the trail make for a most enjoyable short stroll or day walk.

Large stingrays grace the waters of Hamelin Bay. There are schools of dolphins, the occasional seal, and on land kangaroos, possums and bird life aplenty. The Blackwood and Margaret Rivers' meandering waterways are visited by pelicans, hundreds of black swans, red necked stints, egrets while onshore blue wrens, silvereyes, magpies and a number of species of cockatoos.

Out at the Leeuwin Cape and along the spectacular beaches view a variety of seabirds including the Yellow nosed Albatross, Great winged Petrel, the Australasian Gannet and the Flesh-footed Shearwater, to name just a few. The Blackwood and Margaret Rivers also offer abundant water activities, ranging from canoeing to fishing and boating. The Blackwood is also becoming internationally renowned for its favourable kitesurfing conditions.

In Spring the countryside comes alive with a huge variety of Australian wildflowers which lay a carpet of mesmerising colours through the forests and coastal heath. It’s wonderful for those who like to walk and explore.

BEACHES
The serene aqua water of Hamelin Bay provides the perfect ambiance for relaxing in the sun, beach combing, swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving out on the shipwrecks. This bay is often graced with the presence of stingrays which can be hand fed.

FISHING
The area is a fisherman’s paradise. Fishing from a boat, the jetty or the riverbank may yield Bream, Herring and Yellow Fin Whiting. Blue Manor crabs are found in season and beach fishing all along the coast is extensive and worth the exploration and effort.