South West of Western Australia

The south west of Western Australia ('down south' to Perth locals) is one of the most idyllic places on earth. With a Mediterranean climate, vast tracts of unspoilt forests and beaches and breathtakingly rugged coastlines it is a Mecca for tourists from all over the world.

Margaret River Wine Region

And within this paradise sits the Margaret River Wine Region; a microcosm of everything that makes the south west such a wonderful place but with the added attraction of some of the world's best wines for you to try. A pleasant three hour drive south of Perth, a new world awaits...

Geography

The Margaret River Wine Region is located in the south west tip of the south west of Western Australia. It juts out into the Indian Ocean and takes the brunt of wind and waves that have traveled all the way from Africa. Indeed, the beautifully rugged coastline is a study in erosion with the top layers of soil and limestone having been stripped back to the red granite bedrock that lines the coast. In between the red rock promontories that jut into turquoise bays, perfectly white sand creates stunning beaches, many without a single footprint.

Further inland, the soft limestone has been eroded underground by streams which have created magnificent caves which is how Caves Road gets its name. The rugged coastline gives way to gently rolling pasture and preserved bushland and forests.

Climate

The region is blessed with a perfect Mediterranean maritime climate, with the classic four seasons. Shorts, sandals (the locals wear rubber sandals called thongs!) and a t-shirt are de rigueur in summer and you will need to rug up in winter.

History

Margaret River (the town and the river) was named after Margaret Wyche, a cousin of the founder of Busselton, John Bussell. The area was settled as early as the 1850’s, becoming a centre for timber cutting from the 1870’s. By 1910, the settlement had a hostel which also doubled as a post office.

The town of Margaret River really became established after World War I with the establishment of The Group Settlement Scheme. This was an attempt to attract migrants to Western Australia and open up the good rural land and establish a dairy industry, which attracted settlers to the town and between 1921 to 1930, over 100 settlers moved into the district.

The group settlement scheme met with many difficulties including lack of reliable transport and its participants endured many hardships and isolation. Whilst the group settlement scheme could be described as a visionary project, it failed because of inadequate planning and the poor selection of farmers who lacked training, capital and established infrastructure. Inadequate assessment of the local environment and farm sizes and clearing difficulties also contributed to abandonment or amalgamation of many farms.

Surfers began to move from Perth down to the Margaret River Region in the early 1960’s, with the near shore reefs off the coast of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge producing big surf much of the year.

Following the migration of surfers, other people who were seeking an alternative lifestyle also became attracted to the area with its green landscapes and regrowth forests. The original intention of these new arrivals was “just to be”, to plant trees and live a subsistence lifestyle, an existence made easier by cheap rents in the area in the 70’s. These Utopian seeking families soon established a permanent presence in the community and transformed the landscape through alternative and creative industries such as value adding to the existing dairy industry, establishing art and craft galleries and introducing alternative building methods including rammed earth and mud brick.

The 1960’s saw the beginnings of the current commercial industry that, more than anything has put Margaret River on the world map. Its climate of lower summer temperatures, higher rainfall, minimum frost and hail risk and much lower ripening period cloudiness make it ideal for viticulture. The first vineyard, Vasse Felix was established by Dr Tom Cullity in 1967 with a further 46 vineyards being established during the following 25 years as the demand for table wines in Australia steadily increased. By the mid 1990’s, Margaret River wines held 20% of the premium Australian wine market despite producing only 0.56% of Australian Wine.

Activities

Winery Tour This is where you travel from cellar door (the winery tasting area which sells wine) to cellar door, tasting a multitude of different wines and maybe buying some. Make sure you decide on who is driving before the fun starts! Or better yet, go on an organised winery tour. Our Resort managers would be only to happy to organise this for you.

Food There is a wide selection of restaurants dotted throughout the region plus many of the wineries have their own restaurants where you can try their wine with food. See the selection of brochures and menus at our reception when you check in.

Bushwalking There are many beautiful walks in the region. The cape to cape walk has breathtaking scenery as do many of the walks throughout the forest. The Boranup Karri forest is particularly spectacular.

Beaches You will be totally spoiled for choice with beaches. A four wheel drive vehicle will take you to beaches without a footprint where you will be the only person in sight or you can go to family-friendly beaches without leaving the black top.

Fishing What takes your fancy? Salmon? Herring? King George Whiting? Or would you prefer lobster (crayfish to the locals) or abalone?

Surfing Some of the best surf in the world is found in the region. Talk to the locals to find the best break.

Diving Excellent visibility, a multitude of reefs and fish galore make skin or scuba diving a memorable event. You could dive a different reef twice a day for a month and not even dent the number of choices left.

Caving Many spectacular public caves are available to see and for the serious spelunker, there are non-public caves to find!

Shopping Explore the larger townsites or check out the smaller ones for those quaint country stores.