When in Margaret River...

When in Margaret River... Drink wine and devour some of the finest olives, cheese and chocolate. But that’s just the beginning! Caves, lighthouses, Karri tree forests, wildflowers, rock formations, rolling green hills, stunning coastline and the list goes on. This is the summertime playground for the people of Perth and they are proud to boast and share some of their secret and favourite spots. In fact we have found Perth and the south the friendliest people on our travels with many locals who follow us giving us some wonderful tips!

The region is host to over 100 caves and some of the most spectacular coastline in the country. Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park is the show piece of the region with the famous Cape to Cape walk or drive via Caves Road. Turquoise water and amazing rock formations in stunning bays line the coast and in the south you can see where the Indian Ocean meets the Southern Ocean.

A visit to Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin Lighthouses will set you back a few dollars and so will visiting any of the tourist caves. For the brave at heart you can take your torch and sense of adventure to one of the caves marked on WikiCamps and not pay a cent.

There are loads of awesome surf breaks along this peninsula and the number of cars with boards on the roof, even given the cooler conditions during our stay, is testament to how gnarly the surf is in these parts. If surfing isn’t your thing then there’s plenty of snorkelling and whale watching too. We saw several whales from the lookout at Sugarloaf Rock. Don’t miss this beautiful spot along with Canal Rocks. A local tipped us off that this was her favourite sunset spot (you’re welcome!).

We stayed at Contos Campground (Chuditch Area) within the National Park and couldn’t believe that there were so few other campers given how awesome this low cost campground is. The campsite is spacious, reasonably flat and gives you the feeling you’re the only ones there. There are near new, clean long drops, BBQs and fire pits.

We took a glorious drive through the towering Karri trees of Boranup Forest. Another local had told us that if fairies existed that is where you’d find them, and he wasn’t wrong. The tall timbers and lillies below is a beautiful combination. We checked out Boranup Campground to find not a single soul there... if you’re in a small RV or tent this would be our pick. Such a pretty spot.

Of course if the weather forces you indoors, like it did us, there are loads of wineries, sweet shops, local stores and cafés to explore and indulge!