Australia / Perth & Western Australia / Margaret RiverMargaret River
Wineries, Surf Breaks and Limestone Caves
A wine and surf region three hours south of Perth: Cabernet and Chardonnay cellar doors, world-class surf at Surfers Point, limestone caves (Lake, Mammoth, Jewel), the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse where two oceans meet, and the 1.8-km Busselton Jetty on the way down. Whales pass from June to December. A car is the only practical way round.
Highlights
- Cellar doors of the Margaret River region
- Lake Cave and Mammoth Cave
- Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
- Busselton Jetty and its underwater observatory
- Boranup Karri Forest drive
- Surfers Point
- Whale watching (June–December)
Things to do
- Winery and chocolate-factory tourAfternoon · 5h
- Lake Cave and the Boranup forest driveMorning · 3h
- Cape Leeuwin LighthouseMorning · 2h
- Busselton Jetty train and underwater observatoryAfternoon · 2h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: October – April
Worth knowing
Bushfire Season
December to February is bushfire season. On days of extreme or catastrophic fire danger, national parks and walking tracks close and total fire bans apply. Check the state fire service app (Fires Near Me in NSW, VicEmergency, Alert SA, Emergency WA) each morning, keep plans flexible, and leave early if told to.
Heads up
Summer School Holidays: Full and Dearest
Australian schools break from about mid-December to late January. Beach towns, camping grounds and domestic flights fill up and prices rise 30-60%, with minimum stays over Christmas and New Year. Book months ahead, or come in February or March.
- Humpback whale migration — Humpbacks pass the east coast from about June to October, resting in Hervey Bay beside K'gari from July to October, where whale-watching boats leave daily; Byron's Cape Byron headland and the Gold Coast see them from land. In Western Australia they pass Margaret River and Augusta from June to December.