Margaret River

If you hear Western Australians talking about going Douth, you can conclude they’re heading Down South to Busselton, Dunsborough, Yallingup, Margaret River or Albany. They are all coastal towns south of the WA capital, Perth, with incredible seaside locations. Many city-dwellers have holiday homes here while others book accommodation in hotels, serviced apartments, campsites or AirBnBs.

Busselton

The quickest driving route out of Perth is the Forrest Hwy until Bunbury where you branch off into the Bussell Hwy.

Busselton’s big attraction is the 1.8km wooden jetty, the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. You can walk along it (for a fractional cost) or take the mini train to the underwater observatory at the end of the jetty. The beachfront is lined with Norfolk pines, BBQs, play areas and cafes. It’s a great place for families to chill during vacations. The town centre is conveniently located and the beach is walking distance from many of the accommodation locations along the Geographe Bay Road.

This is the start of the wine-growing region. You can choose to stay at any of the towns along the way. Dunsborough and Yallingup are half hour away from Busselton and Margaret River is another half hour away with easy access as day trips.

Yallingup

Yallingup is popular for swimming and surfing as the waves are huge. Smiths Beach is pristine and extends in an arc shape.

A short drive away is the Injidup Nature Spa, a natural rock pool. It involves a bit of clambering down rocks but is worth the risk. Calm in low tide when you can lie or float in the rock pool. Spectacular with crashing waves through in high tide and safer to view it from higher up then.

If you cannot manage the risky descent down the rocks at Indijup, some distance away there’s a more civilised way to view Canal Rocks over a wooden walkway.

Dunsborough

Dunsborough extends a bit further west from the main highway at the lower end of Geographe Bay.

Climb up to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse for a birds eye view of the Indian ocean and a history lesson if you take the guided tour. Eagle Bay, Meelup Beach, Bunker Bay are the famous beaches, along the tip of Dunsborough. Drive past Millionaire’s Row, where the rich and famous have their holiday homes.

Avoid visiting during Schoolies Week at the end of November. That’s when the city school leavers make their pilgrimage here following their final school exams. It’s a rite of passage from school life to the adult world.

Margaret River

You can get to Margaret River via Bussell Highway (more direct) or Caves Road (meandering closer to the coast). We usually enjoy driving along Caves Road, narrow and winding with tall trees creating a shady tunnel.

This famous wine-producing region also hosts the international Margaret River Surfing Pro. The beaches along the coast are great for surfing, pristine and sparkling. Good for fishing too but I’m not an expert on that.

There is a surfeit of wineries for wine-tasting or purchasing international award-winning wines. Just keep driving along and pull up at any one that takes your fancy. Spend an afternoon having a lazy lunch and tasting some of the world-famous wines. Do book in advance during the peak season.

I love the wide open spaces with wineries stretching for miles. Such pretty landscapes whether driving along the road or walking at the beach. One of my favourite places for a short getaway, though I think I would become an alcoholic if I lived here!

There are caves to explore around here – the Mammoth Cave, Lake Cave, Ngilgi Cave, to name a few. You do need a reasonable level of fitness to climb down and up again.

Stop for coffee or lunch at Amaze’n gardens, just off the highway. The kids (and adults) can try to find their way out of the maze and/or play a round of mini golf. Detour to the Margaret River Chocolate Factory for some delicious sugar treats. It’s midway between Bussell Hwy and Caves Road.

Heading south along the coast will bring you to Augusta which is popular for whale-watching tours during the whale migration season. You’ll have to proceed further inland to get to Denmark and Albany, two more beautiful coastal towns. I’ll leave them for another post.

Cape to Cape Walk

If you’re into hiking or bush-walking, you may want to attempt the 140 kms walk from Cape Naturaliste in Dunsborough to Cape Leeuwin in Augusta. It’s possible to do it any time of the year but spring is ideal when the weather is pleasant and the wildflowers are in full bloom.