Experience top quality wine, world class surf and food festivals!
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Experience Extraordinary
The Margaret River region is renowned for producing some of Australia’s very best food and wine.
And that’s just the beginning of what’s on offer. From the coast, to the caves to the forest there is enough on offer in the Margaret River region to satisfy everyone, from the foodie to the serious adventurer.
Margaret River
Margaret River and its premium wine region is the place for indulging many passions. It’s the only wine region in Australia where you can hop from award-winning wineries and restaurants to stunning beaches, tall-timber forests, world-class surf breaks and ancient caves.
Blessed with mild weather and abundant sunshine, Margaret River has evolved from a chilled-out surfie town into a popular base for enjoying the region’s fine flavours and spectacular scenery, where rolling vineyards sit against a backdrop of ocean and forest.
Producing over 25% of Australia’s premium wine, the tastings are top notch. And besides over 200 wineries, you’ll be spoilt for choice with many fine restaurants, boutique breweries, art galleries and fresh produce, from divine cheeses to chocolate. Time your visit to coincide with the annual wine and food festivals and you’ll get to savour many of these flavours in one hit.
Those with a taste for adventure will find plenty to indulge in too, from exploring the famous Cape to Cape track, or spotting whales off the coast.
From Perth, it’s an easy 3 and a half hour drive via coast or country. Budget travellers can catch the coach that departs daily. Or, you can opt to arrive in style, taking a direct charter flight to nearby Busselton.
After a journey surrounded by premium wineries, extraordinary architecture and amazing vistas of
undulating vineyards, it is the lush forest, the river and the surf breaks that add an extra dimension to Margaret River.
During the day the town is bustling and at night town comes alive with a totally different scene of fantastic foodie restaurants, wine bars and pubs with live music. Decadent food, premium produce, internationally renowned wine, surfing, art and a love for nature combine to be the soul of the town and some of the main Margaret River attractions. Stunning walking and cycling tracks meander along the river or through the surrounding forest to the vineyards and farms. The world-famous Margaret River surf is only 10 minutes from the centre of town.
A range of quality accommodation is available ranging from backpackers, bed and breakfasts, apartments, luxury lodges, manors an
It’s a full plate at the annual Margaret River Gourmet Escape, with a line-up of international celebrity chefs and homegrown favourites. Nigella Lawson returned to the 2018 event for a second helping of the region after her appearance in 2016. She was joined by the likes of Rick Stein, Monica Galetti, Skye Gyngell and Tetsuya Wakuda. Margaret River Gourmet Escape offers something for everyone from the avid foodies to those simply chasing a bit of celebrity action, or those who want to try the region’s premium wines.
Top Things To Do
Surfing Margaret River
The Coast With The Most
The region stretches along some of the most pristine coastline and swimming beaches you’ll ever experience. Favourite swimming beaches of Geographe Bay, Eagle Bay, Bunker Bay and Gnarabup Beach each just beg for you to peel off your clothes and plunge right in. For surfers, Margaret River’s magnificent beaches are regularly ranked among the top 40 surf breaks in the world, spectacular for sport lovers and spectators alike. The shoreline is no less impressive, offering rugged rocky bays and towering limestone cliffs just waiting to be explored.
Surfing – Margaret River
Sugarloaf Rock
Accesible Adventure
With coast, forest and caves found within this region, you will be spoilt for choice to be as adventurous as you want. From surfing, diving, snorkeling, hiking, mountain biking, quad biking, caving, abseiling and more on offer. And you can choose from one of the many local tour providers to show you the best spots or selfguide yourself through the region minutes from the city
Epic Landscapes
There are only two horizontal waterfalls on Earth and you can look wide-eyed and open-mouthed upon both of them at Talbot Bay in the Buccaneer Archipelago. The white waters are thrilling to ride by boat and awe-inspiring to view from the air. With tour operators available to show clients the thrilling white waters by boat ride or the awe inspiring to view from the air.
Boranup Forest
Wine in Margaret River
Extraordinary Food and Wine
The region has more than 220 local wine producers, with over 100 of them trading directly to the public from their cellar doors. Most famous for its Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion and Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River region produces around 25% of Australia’s premium wine. Choose to self-guide or take one of the many guided tours across the cellar doors of the region. Or if your taste buds prefer try the local craft brews, ciders and distilleries for the distinctive Margaret River thirst quencher. And there is no better place to get your gourmet fix. Home to a bounty of fresh produce, it’s no surprise that the region has developed a reputation for being Western Australia’s culinary epicenter. There are the freshly farmed marron, trout and venison; the handcrafted cheeses and chocolates; the boutique beers and crisp ciders. With every variety of dining on offer, every meal you have in the Margaret River region is a celebration of the best the locals have to offer.
Culture Immersion
Immerse yourself in the culture of the region from the customs of the Noongar people to the local artisans and musicians there is plenty of experiences to deepen your love for the area. Experience the world’s most ancient living culture at the Warden Aboriginal Centre in Yallingup. Or venture to Ngligi Cave and discover first hand fascinating Aboriginal legend of the battle between good and evil spirits that gave the cave its name.
Ngilgi Cave
When to visit
A year round destination, the Margaret River region has a Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild cool winters. June – December; catch the annual Humpback and Southern Right whale migration; and each year at the end of November the global food and community migrate to the Margaret River region for the Margaret River Gourmet Escape.
Getting here
Perth is the only Australian city offering direct flights to the UK via Qantas, with other international carriers also flying daily.
All major rental cars have depots at the Perth Airport and from there, the Margaret River Region is an easy 3 and a half hour drive south with low traffic congestion
How to get around
With so much to explore, taking a road trip lets you set your own pace. The Margaret River region is a collection of coastal towns starting in Busselton through to Augusta, all easily accessible within a radius of a 60 minute drive. Taxis and guided tours are also available in the towns of Busselton, Dunsborough, Yallingup and Margaret River.