Where is Margaret River
Margaret River is a stunning wine region, located in the South West of Western Australia, about 3 hours away from Perth. Its extraordinary beaches with white sand and turquoise water, makes this place one of the most beautiful in the world!!
We watched the most amazing orange sunsets and got tipsy drinking the local wines. We spotted so much wild life including the famous Kookaburra singing and waking us up in the morning. We saw the huge Stingrays in Hameling Bay and lots of more sea life.
Please keep reading to discover what else we saw, where we stay and the tips to visit and have the best time of your life!!
What is the weather Forecast in Margaret River?
Margaret River is an excellent place to visit all through the year. However it will depend on what you would like to do.
Imagen taken from https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-min-max-Temperature,margaret-river,Australia
If you like hiking, wine, chilling and a more relaxing sort of holiday, you can come to visit in the winter time from June to August, the temperatures might vary from 15 to 18 celcius degrees and there might be a bit of wind. However, this is the time of the year where you find it more peaceful and less crowded.
The summer season is from December to February, the average temperature is around under the 30 Celsius degrees but it might feel warmer. in this time of the year you should be aware of the presence of flies around you and your food, so please take a net hat with you and protect your food if you cook outside. during this season you can take surfing lessons, snorkeling, hiking, visit the wineries and camp outside.
The Autumn season is from March till May. It might be still warm but a bit more pleasant for those who don’t enjoy the hot climate. It is a perfect time to practice all sorts of outdoor sports as well as going in the water. Some of the harvest of the wine are at their prime in this season, so go enjoy of the wine and local chocolate tours and sit to watch the stunning sunsets.
During the spring you can go Wale watching, go to art festivals as well as the quirky markets with organic foods, juices and local skin care products. It is an amazing time to visit ice cream shops and there might be some sales still from the last season.
And What About the Accommodation?
There are different options to stay in Margaret River, from Luxury Resorts, Chalets, Hotels and Caravan Parks. Keep reading to find out more.
Stays in Margaret River for Backpackers
We wanted to live a more natural and outdoor experience so we decided to stay in the Gracetown Caravan Park. The Park was available to book for a minimum of 5 days and we paid around 500 AUD in total. We were a group of 4 so it was quite comfortable for us.
The spots are quite spacious and the facilities were very clean and comfortable. There is a fridge to store your food and BBQ facilities. They also have an outdoor cinema. Sometimes in the morning there is a coffee van and in the evening there is a burger van. The Camper site is about 5 minutes away from the beach and has The Grace Farm Winery just across the road.
Luxury accommodation in Margaret River
If you want to have a more luxurious experience, you can book a Retreat House or a Romantic Cottage, or an entire Villa. The prices range from 150aud to 300aud per night with all inclusive facilities. We recommend you to find out about the The grape Juice Retreat and book an stay in their spacious Honeymoon Rooms or Studios with private balconies.
There are facilities such as BBQ areas, a picnic area, an outdoor firepit where the guest can connect with the nature of the place.
Wine Tour in Margaret River Region
Wine tasting was one of our favourite activities to do in Margaret River. There’s plenty of Cellars and wineries to choose from, all of them with good wine and great atmosphere.
The wine tours can be pre-booked or you simple turn up. For sure there is always space for extra people unless there is a big party going on in the place. How it works is that usually you have from 5 to 7 options to taste. Starting from bubbles then white, after rose and finally the red wine. There will be always explaining what type of wine it is, the year and how and when to drink it. The price of the Wine Tasting in Margaret River ranges from 10 to 15 AUD per person, However, you can use the amount paid towards the purchase of a wine of your preference. We went to two tastings on one day.
First, we visited Edward’s Wines. It was a stunning and luxurious bar, filled with happiness and nature. Its story of the place was quite interesting, as there was an airplane at the entrance of the bar. The beautiful Matilda was flown by Brian Edwards, founder of Edward’s Winery, from the UK to Australia. It was one of the legendary solo flights in history. The wine yards have producing the most exquisite wine grapes since 1993. The fields were quite neat, the view spectacular and the staff very bubbly and knowledgeable. Definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to have lots of fun whilst enjoy a great glass.
The we visited Grace Farm , a very familiar, relaxing, natural and traditional winery. We sat on the outdoor area and got to taste the signature wines. The staff made sure that we knew the origin, age and character of the wine we were tasting. It was such a magical surprise we went before sunset and got lost in the amazing view of the vines. Our favorite wine was the house Chardonnay, and off course we couldn’t wait to get a few bottles to enjoy the rest of our evening. Definitely recommend Grace Farm, if you want to have some time of relaxation, the amazing environment surrounded by nature as well as the friendly staff made the wine taste even better.
It is beach time!!
There is always a good time to go to the beach when you visit Margaret River. Its white sand beaches are spectacular. Even in a cold day you might see people walking their dogs by the ocean. Such a peaceful place! The sunsets are amazing and the sunrises to die for. There are different activities you can do if you want to have a beach day in Margaret River.
Surf lessons in Margaret River
There are different surfing schools around the cost a very accessible prices. you can take a private lesson that usually lasts for two hours or you can join summer programs that are usually more affordable. We recommend booking with Margaret River Surf School. They offer nice options if you want to take a private class, have you own group or want to join the group lessons for 2 hours, 3 or 5 day course.
When you take surfing lessons, the price usually includes the wetsuit and a foam or beginners board for the duration of the lesson.
Ride a Jet-ski
If you prefer to experience more adrenaline, Riding a Jet-ski might be for you. On our way back to Perth from Margaret River, we stopped at Dunsborough, WA to hire a Jet-ski. we found a company called Dunsborough Jet-ski Tours. They offer two options
- The Light House Tour which is approximately two hours for 285aud for a single rider and 100aud more for an additional rider. Family ticket is 660aud
- The Meeloup Tour which is one hour from 195aud for a single rider, 65 aud for an additional rider and 460aud for a family ticket (2 jet-skis)
The tours are available all through the day and you will always have a guide with you to take you to the best spots. If you are lucky enough you might be able to see dolphins, birdlife and whales.
Walks and wildlife!
There are lots of activities to do during summer and winter. we all wanted to be in nature enjoying from the birds and possums at night. if you want to go hiking, there are amazing option.
You can visit the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. It is 123 Kms of walk tracks by the coast. The entrance to the Park is Free of change, but you must follow the Safety rules when Bushwalking, Swimming, Surfing, Fishing, Kayaking, Snorkeling and Caving. This is a bast park and we all need to know how to prevent accidents to happen and where to reach in case of an emergency. Along this park you will have the opportunity to see sting rays close to shore, dolphins, whales, kangaroos, possums, quendas and reptiles.
What’s on Margaret River?
Margaret River is big for its festivals and cultural development. There are lots of local art festivals you can visit all through the year. The following list is the updated list of events in Margaret River for 2025.
- January
- Festival of Busselton in
- Karnidale Circus Festival
- February
- Geographe Bay Race Week
- Busselton Jetty Swim
- March
- South West Craft Beer Festival
- May
- Margaret River Readers & Writers Festival
- Margaret River Ultra Marathon
- July
- Cabin Fever Festival
- August
- CinefestOZ
- September
- Margaret River Region Open Studios
- October
- Cape to Cape Mountain Biking Race
- November
- Pair’d Margaret River
- December
- Ironman Western Australia
The Heart of Hameling Bay, Wester Australia and the Sting Rays.
Picture taken from Herotraveller.com
If you want to be closer to nature you can travel to Hameling Bay to see the Stingrays. It is about 20 minutes away from Gracetown. There are plenty of signs that take you to the bay and also lots of parking spots. The sand beach was white and the water was clear. The only downside we found was the amount of flies there, at some point it was unbearable but it might have been the season.
Even though we hate flies, we thoroughly enjoyed to have the 2 mts wide Stingrays that came so close to shore. You can start swimming when all of the sudden these amazing creatures start swimming towards the cost, as if they knew they wanted to be seen. The majestic of its feature and at the same time the powerful sting made them such interesting creatures. Guides don’t recommend touching them but they can get so close that sometimes it is hard to resist the temptation.
Jewel Cave, deep in the heart of the Earth
On the last day we explored the Jewels Cave. It was just 15 minutes away of our Camping site and 10 minutes away from Augusta. Margaret River has lots and lots of caves to explore, most of them with magical stories. The Jewels Cave in particular called our attention because it is the largest on show in WA, and also, explorers found in it in the remains of a young Thylacinus cynocephalus or Tasmanian tiger which is now declared extinct. Along with amazing rock and mineral formation, their pillars and illumination make the place magical. Explorers found a hole in the ground that took them through on of the main chambers. this event is remarkable taking into consideration the limit equipment and lighting used at the time of the discovery.
The Cave is open to the public every day from 9am to 5pm every day and the tickets for adults are 25 AUD, Children 12.5 AUD and seniors 23 AUD
Margaret River Town
You can also go to the town Centre and have a look at the shops and restaurants. The town is quite small, with about 7.500 people, however, it offers lots of entertainment options. There are amazing local boutiques and jewelry stores. Everything looks really clean and original. There is also a few surfing shops for the water lovers.
We had some time to try tasty cheeses, sausages and crackers at the Charcuterie Margaret River. We bought some of our favourite hats at Ripcurl and enjoy of a delicious gelato at Mai Tardi.
Markets and Street Food
There are different local markets in the Margaret River Region. They all include home made foods and gifts, as well as skin care products, cold drinks and more. We particularly love to try any kind of food that they have to offer.
The markets are usually in display every Sunday or Saturday in most of the towns, however they might be for longer trading hours during the holiday seasons.
Final thoughts
Margaret River is such a fantastic place, 3 hours south of Perth WA. It offers lots of nature to explore, sea and wildlife. There different options to stay including Luxury stays or Camping, ideal for backpackers. The best leisure activities in Margaret River were the Wine Tasting Tours, Going to the beach, Surfing, Jet-ski and watching the Stingrays at Hameling beach.
There are different activities to do depending on the time of the year but their wildlife, people and landscapes are always welcoming.
Can’t wait to go back!!
If you want to discover more about WA, keep reading and discover our adventure crossing the Nullarbor plain
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