Margaret River
Premium wines, superb dining
and breathtaking coastal views
Proud of its global reputation for high-quality wines, the Margaret River region produces around 20% of Australia’s premium drops. Cellar doors at more than 100 wineries let you meet the vintners and sample prize-winning Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and more. The area is also emerging as a craft beer hub, with a clutch of boutique brewers.
Fresh seasonal produce, and fine ingredients from freshwater crayfish to truffles, makes Margaret River a foodie paradise. Inventive chefs at stylish eateries create distinctive local takes on everything from Japanese and Italian to Indigenous Australian food. At farm gates and markets you can try artisanal delights from handmade chocolates or nougat to olive oils, charcuterie and goat’s cheese.
Margaret River may have evolved from the chilled surfie town it once was, but the breaks rolling onto the sand at Surfers Point, Yallingup and Injidup still attract board riders from far and wide. Trails in vast Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park lead bushwalkers and cyclists among towering Karri trees in Boranup Forest, and along rugged limestone cliffs interspersed with curving beaches. Windswept lookouts like Sugarloaf Rock, Canal Rocks or the iconic lighthouse on Cape Naturaliste are breathtaking vantage points for dolphin and whale watching, as well as dazzling Indian Ocean sunsets. The region is just as spectacular under the earth as it is on the surface.
In Lake Cave, a huge crystal formation hangs from the ceiling, almost touching the mirror-like surface of the cave’s underground lake. The three massive chambers of Jewel Cave feature some of the longest stalactites in Australia.