The Gigantic Forests

The South West region has some of the oldest 01st growth forests in the world reaching an age of 300 years. The two main varietal native trees are the Karri and Marri which are of the Eucalyptus  family.

Climate and Activities

The Margaret River region enjoys a temperate climate, dry, warm to very warm late spring, summer season (November to March) with average day time temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius and a cool to mild, wet mid autumn, winter season (April to October) with an average daytime temperature of 18 degrees Celsius

Depending on the type of activities and tourist attractions you want to experience will depend on the time of the year. Enjoying all the outdoor activities the region has to offer, surfing, bush walking, hiking, wind surfing and canoeing on the Margaret River would be a visit during the late spring and summer months.

The winter months are perfect for tours to the wineries to enjoy the wine tastings and many culinary choices the restaurants have to offer. If your desire is to take on the big waves then the wintertime is the best with large swells hitting the shoreline all the way from the Antarctic.

The Sheep and Cows

Before the introduction of Viticulture in 1969, the entire region was the home to tens of thousands of sheep for their wonderful wool and exquisite meat and cattle for their rich creamy milk and tender beef.

In the decades past, there were many different types of breeds of both animals and many of todays farmers are carrying on the traditional farming started by their generational families in the region. Both animals dot the entire country side in the region.

Today sees a lot less of the traditional farming as Viticulture Land, Olive Orchards, Venison and Kangaroo breeding farms start to take up a commercial place in the landscape.

On very rare occasions you might just come across a Golden Retriever fishing in the side road ditch during the wet season!!!

Stunning Caves

The Margaret River region offers visitors some of the most unique and stunning cave experiences in Australia.

 

Along the spine of the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge and beneath soaring Karri forest lie more than 150 caves. These caves belong to a series of complex and fragile Karst systems which are landscapes formed by the rapid drainage of water underground. Karst systems are characterised most often by caves, dolines (large holes), blind valleys, sinking streams and springs. The main road that travels along the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge is aptly named Caves Road.

 

The Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association operates three spectacular show caves; Lake, Mammoth and Jewel.  These caves are easily accessible, each with their own story to tell and decorated with their own unique formations.

 

Lake, Mammoth and Jewel caves are open to the public every day of the year, with the exception of Christmas Day.

For more detailed information, please  CLICK HERE

The picturesque coastline

The ninety kilometer stretch of coastline in the region is some of the most scenic and pristine in the world. The entire coastline is made up of beautiful white, sandy beaches, exotic coves, breathing taking cliffs and stunning, colorful reefs perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving.



One of the most significant feature of the coastline are the many shipwrecks lying just off the coast. During the 17th and 18th centuries the whole of the lower south west region of WA was visited by many French cargo and naval explorer barkentine ships and quite a few of the vessels experienced the full force of the winter Antarctic storms that make their way to the coastline and completely overwhelmed the crews of the ships and down to the shallow bottom seabed they went. This is why many of the local townships and wineries in the region are named after either the ship or its captain.


Thanks to Mother Nature over the past couple of hundred years the shipwrecks now attract an abundant diversity of marine life habitation and perfect conditions for deep sea and scuba diving.

This part of the world is the centuries old route the Great Humpback and Southern Right Whales take for their migration down to the Antarctic to their summer feeding grounds and then on the long return journey, to the warm pristine waters of the Margaret River region.

Just a short drive south from Margaret River is the "first port of call" on the return journey for many of the whales that come to feed, breed and play from June to September. Whale watching here is a very unique experience because it's one of the few places in the world where you can observe Southern Right and Humpback Whales interacting.

Exquisite Wineries

Established as a commercial viticulture region in 1969, Margaret River has the enviable reputation of having some of the finest quality wines produced anywhere in the world. The "terror" consisting of climate, soil and topography enables the abundant quality of grape production and best practices in Viticulture in the region.

There are over 100 registered wineries and grape growers in the region which extends from Busselton in the North of the region all the way to Augusta in the south, approximately 90 kilometers apart. The principal grape varieties grown and produced in the area are, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

The "must visit" list of wineries to experience in the region are Vasse Felix, Cape Mentelle, Voyager Estate, Leeuwin Estate, Cullen and Ashbrook Estate and many of them have restaurants and wine tasting facilities to make the visitors tour a memorable one. You can either self drive or enjoy a a guided tour conducted by one of the very experienced tour companies.

For more information on the many wineries you can visit,  CLICK HERE

Unbelievable surfing

Margaret River is world renowned for its huge surf and is on the professional world surfing contest event schedule. The surfing event is held in March each year and the size of the waves at this time of the year averages six to ten feet.

The swells come all the way from the Antarctic building up as swell travels the many thousands of kilometers to the South Western coastline where they break onto the reefs and travel into the mouth of the Margaret River.

A "must see" for the visitor to the region, is to travel the 40 kilometers south from Margaret River to the end of the coastline and the end of South Western Australia where the Indian and the Great Southern Oceans meet. It is an amazing sight to witness these two great Oceans collide whipping up gigantic swells that originated from the Antarctic almost three thousand kilometers away!