WILD WEST: End of the coastal road
A taste of Margaret River before heading homeSo after close to 3500km touring West Australia’s Coral Coast from Perth to Exmouth and back, and staying at eight caravan parks and one bush camp, the time has come to rinse off the salt, dust and pollen and head home to a Melbourne Spring.
But before that, I grab a taste of the famous Margaret River region, driving three hours’ south of Perth to spend an action-packed week-end, based at the welcoming Taunton Farm Holiday Park.
Here are my top-10 highlights...
Surfing safari
Margaret River is world famous for its surf breaks, and the main hub is Surfers Point in Prevally, where the Margaret River Pro championship event is held each year. No-one’s surfing the messy waves when I drop by, but with its manicured lawns and timber seating it’s a great place to relax or have a picnic.
Even better for a swim or surf is a spot I discover earlier in the day inside the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park, after venturing down a 4WD-only track at the western end of Grace road in Boranup. Only a handful of people have made the bumpy trek when I arrive but the white sandy surf beach is as good as you’ll find anywhere…
Bushy adventures
Accessed off Caves road, the Boranup Karri Forest delivers some spectacular tracks for bushwalking or just driving on the manicured dirt roads through the dense forest of tall pale-barked karri trees. Some are up to 60 metres or more in height and have branches that seem to head out in all directions.
Keep going and you’ll end up at the Boranup Lookout for terrific views over the bushland and ocean.
Art and craft
We only visited one art gallery in Margaret River, but it was a cracker. Located in the middle of town, the Jah Roc Galleries has some of the finest hand-crafted furniture and local art and crafts you’ll see anywhere in the one place, although you’ll need be cashed up to buy anything.
As a tribute to the inaugural West Australian Guitar Festival, which was on in Margaret River when we visited, they even had a display of unique ukuleles for sale, hand-painted by local artists at $450 a pop.
Boutique beer
The flourishing Australian craft beer scene had its origins in Western Australia, and beer lovers are spoilt for choice in Margaret River with a dozen or more small breweries located in the region.
I can highly recommend the Brewhouse at 35 Bussell Highway for its great outdoor seating area including grassy areas for the kids, as well as a big selection of tasty beers on tap.
Lighthouse lookouts
There are two working ‘tourist’ lighthouses in the area, and I chose the northernmost Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse for a quick visit. It’s also not far from the extremely photogenic Sugarloaf Rock, a towering granite rock just off the shore that’s a haven for nesting birds and other wildlife.
While there I bumped into a few keen walkers doing the Cape to Cape walk, a multi-day 123km long trek that follows the coastline between the two lighthouses.
Beats and melodies
As one of the most visited regions in Western Australia, there’s always something happening in Margaret River and the week-end I was there had a distinct musical theme, with the inaugural West Australian Guitar Festival held at various venues around town, including some fun free events and displays at the main auditorium in town.
Those, like myself, staying at the Taunton Farm Holiday Park were also treated to some (very loud and free!) live music, courtesy of the Here Comes the Sun music festival held at the 3 Oceans Winery next door to the park on the Saturday night.
Feeding frenzy
There are plenty of options for RV travelers in Margaret River, but one of the oldest and most popular is Taunton Farm Holiday Park, a 15 minute drive from the town centre. We stayed there for three, mostly relaxing (see above) nights on a massive grassed powered site, with plenty of shade from nearby trees.
It’s also a great park for families or groups of friends, with a big open communal area incorporating the historic camp kitchen shed, jumping pillow, and large grassy area where the kids can feed the farm animals every afternoon.
Peerless pier
The other big tourist attraction in the area is the historic Busselton Jetty. It’s not as straight as South Australia’s Port Germain timber jetty, but longer at 1841 metres, and a nice way to stretch the legs with a 30 minute walk to the end and back (there’s also a train to the end if you’re feeling lazy).
The cheapest option is $4 to walk the jetty, or you can fork out $14 for a return train ride or more for a tour of the underwater observatory at the end of the jetty…
Local market
Our visit also coincided with the weekly Margaret River Farmers’ Market, held every Saturday morning at the Education Campus.
It’s a good opportunity to pick up some locally grown fruit and vegies or other local produce, and I stocked up with some grass fed lamb cutlets, fresh lasagna, sourdough bread and super-fresh mushrooms and asparagus, as well as grabbing an espresso from the vintage Combi Coffee van.
Limestone caves
There are around 100 limestone caves found around Margaret River, with four main ones open to the public.
I chose Ngilgi Cave, which has been running tours since the late-19th century, and wasn’t disappointed. The semi-guided tour reveals plenty of spectacular shawls, helictites, stalagmites and stalagtites, along with highlights like the incredible Dog Tooth Crystals in the aptly-named ‘Jewel Casket’.
You need to be reasonably fit though, as higher humidity and carbon dioxide levels combined with plenty of steep steps gets the heart pumping.
Also read:
WILD WEST: Slides, spikes and sneezes
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