Margaret River | Wine, Beaches & Adventure in the South West of WA

Every time we chat around the campfire about wine, Margaret River comes up. The region is known globally for its wine, beaches and sense of adventure, all tucked away in Australia’s south-west corner. Have you been? Definatley on our bucket list, so we asked Ebony from Zahlis Big Lap to give us a recap of their time in the area and what they got up to with the kids and caravan in tow.

We are Zahlis Big Lap, a family of four (Ebony, Michael with our two girls Maddyn and Emery) who are travelling Australia in our Caravan. Our journey started in February 2018, from Gippsland Victoria. Where we sold up everything to travel Australia and find our new happiness a place to call home.

This was our week in Margaret River, a small town about 3 hours south of Perth.

A stunning region with literally something for everybody, even those like us who aren’t wine drinkers.

We based ourselves for a week at the Olive Hill Farm stay for the bargain price of $15 per night. There are only 17 caravan bays secluded within mature Olive groves. Catering for self contained travellers only 10kms from Margaret River. Pet and family friendly. (Tip: No water or power available -generators permitted).

This family friendly run farm stay offers private access to the Margaret river, nightly communal fires, Friday night bag pipes and the option to purchase their meats on site and a secure place to leave your belongings to head out and explore everything the region has to offer.

There is much to see and do in this region, if weather permitted we could of easily stayed 2 weeks. Unfortunately for us, we dragged the Victorian weather with us.

Our top recommendations for this area are.

Hamelin Bay. – 30km from Margaret River.

Get excited and go experience a free wild life encounter with the Hamelin Bay wild stingrays. Get up close and personal, these stingrays have very little fear for us humans. Within minutes of us dipping our feet in we had half a dozen sting rays floating around our ankles.

Busselton Jetty – 50km from Margaret river.

Visit the longest wooden Jetty in the Southern Hemisphere , 1.841km long.

If you’re not feeling active you can catch the train. At the end of the Jetty you’ll find an underwater observatory. While in Busselton check out the fresh produce and take a stroll along the esplanade.

Yallingup – 40km from Margaret River.

A popular place with beaches and limestone caves – grab your self a picnic rug and order some fish and chips letting the kids run wild on the playground breathing in the fresh sea air.

Cowaramup – 10km from Margaret River.

A town full of cows, it’s worth a look and don’t forget to fill up at the golden jersey petrol station and mention the olive hill farm stay to receive 4c off a litre. The Millers ice creamery was a real hit for all four of us, even catering for our littlest and her allergy’s. They have gluten free, dairy free and egg free options. The ice creamery has an adventure playground and a few play cows the young ones can milk.

Caves – 10-40km from Margaret River.

A variety of caves, Mammoth, Lake and Jewel to name a few are definitely worth exploring. Some of these caves even offer self guided tours.

Image – Margaret River Tourism

Colonial Brewery – 5km from Margaret River.

Friday nights they offer $10 pizzas and a whole lot of entertainment for both the kids and parents including live entertainment and interactive games. Taste their local brew, we’ve given it a 10/10.

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse – 50Km from Margaret.

Visit the most south westerly point of Australia where the southern and Indian ocean meet. The light house is the tallest on mainland making this for a must see attraction.

Image: Margaret River Tourism

Beach – Amazing views and great surf.

We were lucky enough to time our visit with the Margaret River pro surfing event. There is more than one beach, be sure to check them out and be sure to keep an eye out for sharks.

Rotary Park & Heritage Trail.

Just north of Margaret River you can stop and stretch yours leg, with toilets, bbqs and a playground for all. Cross the bridge which is built over the Margaret river, and explore the walking trails by foot or by bike – The trails are 15km return.

Image: Margaret River Tourism

Town centre

Cafes and restaurant galore, with a few shops for those shopping addicts in between. This place has a real flare to it and an afternoon could easily be wasted drinking fine coffee and people watching.

Wineries

Did you know that Margaret River Region has more than 200 wineries.?

I guess the hardest question will be,which one do we visit.

Photo: winetraveler

Don’t limit your visit to only these spots we’ve mentioned, Margaret River Region has endless opportunities and I’m certain you’ll love it as much as we did. Even more so if you’re a wine drinker.