There are quite a few travel websites around and some of them specialise in Australia. If you check out any of their Top 10 lists for places to visit, my bet is that Margaret River will feature in all of them. It would be absolutely nuts if it were not included.
So when we decided to fly the 3614 km from Brisbane to Perth, we also decided it would be nuts if we did not include Margaret River.
So we did. For four days.
Margaret River
You don’t go to Margaret River for the river…
You don’t even go to Margaret River for the town which is called Margaret River…
It’s a nice enough town, certainly above average, with a traditional ‘UK’ type of high street, a sprinkling of nice pubs and bars and plenty of fine places to eat.
The reason people go to Margaret River is because it’s bigger than the town, it’s bigger than the river, it’s a region.
Margaret River Region
People go to Margaret River for the wine tasting…
…in one of the many wineries and there are plenty to choose from. This was our favourite…
Well, that’s what Mrs Bob went for.
People go for the caves, there are plenty around…
Well, that’s what Elizabeth went for.
People go for one of the chocolate factories…
Well, that’s what both Elizabeth and Karen went for, although I bought a sneaky bar of chilli dark chocolate.
People go for the massive maze…
Actually, we all had fun in this thing, took us an hour and a quarter all done, but that included three games of pétanque.
And some people go for a simple beer in one of the pubs…
Or better still, a beautifully crafted beer from one of the fine breweries in the region…
Yes, that’s what I went for, and I wasn’t disappointed.
But if you go to Margaret River for anything, maybe it should be the glorious coastline and the bluest sea I have ever seen…
Some people though just go for the surfing…
And I’ll be talking more about that on Friday.
So that’s Margaret River.
Situated in the south-west corner of Western Australia, so therefore in the south-west corner of the whole of the country, you could say it’s Australia’s Cornwall. It is, and it isn’t; both these areas have some similarities, whilst at the same time managing to be very different.
Both though, if you get the chance, deserve a visit.
We loved Margaret River. Trust me, if you decide to visit Perth, make sure you go to Margaret River.
Great pics of the local region Bob! It seems you filled your days with a lot of activities (and drinking/eating). Have to agree with Brookwood Estate – it’s one of my top 3 favorite wineries in the region too.
It looks stunning – it’s certainly on our WA list for when we get out to Oz later this year. Have you tried Oceanview Estates Winery near Brisbane? On the road to Maleny. We stayed their for a night last year and it was lovely – not the most amazing wine I’ve ever tasted (extensive sampling has been undertaken…..) but the food was incredible and the cabin was lovely.
It is stunning and yes, it’s a must on anyone’s WA list.
Funnily enough, I have stayed in Maleny, can’t remember the name of the place but we were in wooden cabins. It was about 10 years ago when we were here on holiday.
Nice town with some great views over the rolling hills. Maybe next time we’ll give Oceanview Estates Winery a try.
Glad you enjoyed the area, Bob. I was walking the Cape to Cape Track last weekend and, like you, was amazed at how blue the ocean was. While eating lunch on the limestone cliffs above the water I saw two whales and a pod of six dolphins, and I thought, “Wow, this place is amazing . . . and I get to live here.”
Did you get a chance to visit Busselton?
My wife has done quite a few charity walks, the longest being 55 km. We looked at that Cape to Cape Track and thought “wouldn’t that be a great one!” 135 km long, would be a big challenge over a few days, but what a walk!
Maybe one day.
Yes, the sea was awesome, and on one day we drove down to Augusta and I saw a couple of dolphins splashing around just around 50 metres from the shore. The place is amazing.
We did stop in Busselton on the way down, had a quick sandwich and a coffee, it looks lovely by the jetty, it was very busy as well.
You live in a great part of the country Ernie, no doubt about that.