As one of Australia's premium surfing destinations and wine regions, the Margaret River region in Western Australia stands toe-to-toe with the best in the world. 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. What's more, all of this is located an easy three-hour drive from Perth.
Blessed with mild weather, abundant surf breaks and plenty of 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.
Top things to see and do in the Margaret River region:
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Enjoy a long lunch of fresh local produce prepared by award winning chefs at one of the region's many vineyard based restaurants such as Vasse Felix, Cullen Wines, Leeuwin Estate, Wills Domain, Voyager Estate and Amelia Park.
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Sample some of the best local brews, spirits and ciders such as The Beerfarm, Cheeky Monkey, Eagle Bay Brewery, Wild Hop Brewing Co. and the new Shelter Brewing Co in Busselton. Or, make your own gin at Margaret River Distilling Co's Giniversity.
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Sheltered beaches, bays and epic swells are dotted along the coast. Known internationally as one of the best big-wave surfing locations on Earth for consistently spectacular breaks, there are over 40 top spots along Margaret River's coast, with conditions ranging from powerful reef breaks to fun beach surf.
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Be amazed by more than 2,500 species of wildflowers decorating the coastal walking tracks and forests with vivid colour from August to November.
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Walk or train to the end of the Busselton Jetty, then meet the colourful fish and sea-life at the Underwater Observatory. At 1.8 kilometres, the jetty is the longest timber piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Learn about the Margaret River region on an Aboriginal cultural tour with Koomal Dreaming - be mesmerised by a live didgeridoo performance in Ngilgi cave or forage for bush tucker on the Cape to Cape track.
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Browse the beautiful boutiques and galleries of Dunsborough and Margaret River. There's homewares, florists, clothing stores, great cafes and plenty of beautiful souvenirs.
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Stock up on local chocolate, cheese, olives, olive oil, nougat, bread and venison at local providores or the weekly farmers market, then picnic or camp amongst the karri trees in Boranup Forest.
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Head underground and explore the ancient limestone cave formations. Join an underground tour at Lake, Jewel, Mammoth or Ngilgi Caves.
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Walk a section or all of the Cape to Cape track. The track runs 135 kilometres from Cape Naturaliste near Dunsborough, to Cape Leeuwin near Augusta, with companies such as Cape to Cape Explorer Tours and Walk into Luxury offering guided walking tours.
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Climb the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, Australia's tallest mainland lighthouse, and see where the Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean meet. There's also the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, which has undergone a major upgrade and offers panoramic ocean views from a new observation platform, landscaped lawns, a nautical-themed playground and Lightkeeper's Inn Café.
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Jump on a charter boat and watch the whales frolic in Geographe Bay between June and November. Naturaliste Charters and All Sea Charters, Legend Charters and Whale Watch WA all offer whale watching tours departing from Dunsborough, Busselton and Augusta.
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Enjoy the great outdoors and go rock climbing, abseiling, mountain biking, eco quad biking, fat biking, horse riding and canoeing.
- Oh, and since the region is famous for its wine, taste the region's premium drops on a winery tour. The region produces around 20 percent of Australia's premium wine, with more than 80 cellar doors. Make sure you elect a designated driver, or better yet, join one of the many tours such as Margaret River Discovery Co, McLeod Tours, Margaret River Tours and Walk Talk Taste Margaret River.