We took the kids to Perth and Margaret River over the September holidays a couple of weeks ago. The last time we were in Margaret River was in 2022, so after a 2 year break, it was nice to get back to this lovely destination.
For those of you who like to drive around during your holidays, and have never been to Margaret River, you totally should. It is Western Australia’s wine region, and is also very well known globally for it’s beaches, surfs, and fine dining.
How to get to Margaret River from Perth?
On previous trips, we would touch down at Perth International Airport, immediately jump on our rental car, and proceed to drive 3.5 hours to Margaret River. It can be rather tiring to go on a 3.5 hour road trip, immediately after a 4.5 hour flight, so this time, we actually bookended our trips with nights in Perth instead.
The road trip from Perth to Margaret River takes around 3 to 3.5 hours by car. If you need a rest stop somewhere, I’d recommend stopping over at Busselton. That’s roughly 2/3 of the way there, but you can stop over at Busselton for a bite, and check out the Busselton Jetty.
There’s a train line along the jetty, that you can take to bring you all the way out to the end of the Jetty, where an underwater observatory awaits.
As you can see from the map below, the drive is fairly straight forward, and some portions of it sea-facing as well, so you do get quite a view at times.
Where to stay in Margaret River?
Well, in terms of accomodation, we have the perfect holiday cottage to recommend! That’s the Margaret River Holiday Cottages! Situated a mere 5 minute drive from town, this lovely farm and its occupants, human and otherwise, will have you longing to come back for more.
Margaret River Holiday Cottages, or MRHC for short, houses around 9 cottages of different sizes to cater for different family units. Within the farm itself, there are already many things to do, including getting yourself acquainted with the animals like donkeys, chicken, sheep, cows, kangaroos, alpacas and goats.
There’s a playground, a heated indoor pool, a hiking trail, and lots of green spaces for the kids to run around.
70% of Andrew’s (the owner of MRHC) customers are from Singapore, so he’s really gone all out to ensure we’re comfortable. (There’s usually a stash of 3-in-1 kopi and instant noodles somewhere if you ask him nicely)
Things to do in Margaret River
Now that we’ve gone over the drive and the accomodation, what are some of the things you can expect to do in Margaret River?
Off the bat, let’s get something for the adults! Come on, the biggest reason anyone goes to MR is to go winery hopping!
Most of the wineries have tastings and flights available, so go knock yourselves out! Some of the wineries we recomend are:
- Voyager Estate
- Leeuwin Estate
- Xanadu Wines
- Vasse Felix
For those travelling with young children, below are some proposed itinerary that can entertain both you and your young ones:
Yallingup Maze and Mini Golf
Yallingup Maze is a nice spot to chill and grab a bite even if you don’t wish to pay for the maze or mini golf. There’s a nice open area littered with cut down logs where children can play catching or floor is lava.
We’ve been to the maze in previous trips, so we decided to try out the mini golf this time round. Not as easy as the mini makes it sound!
Explore some caves
There are several caves you can go visit in Margaret River region. There’s Mammoth cave, Lake cave and a self-guided Calgardup cave. We had intentions of going to one of the caves during this recent visit, but unfortunately, the little one caught a cold, and so we had to give it a miss.
Below is an older photo of when we went to the Calgardup cave back in 2019.
The Berry Farm
Visit the berry farm, where you can try out various jams and even dessert liquers. (This was taken from an older trip)
Voyager Estate Discovery Lunch
Something that’s stayed with us every trip to Margaret River, is our tradition of making a lunch reservation at Voyager Estate for their magnificent discovery lunch. Do a wine flight with it, if you can. It is divine.
As a discovery menu, you go into it blind, not knowing the dishes that will be coming your way, but we sure left Voyager Estate with our bellies appreciative of the delectable meal that came after!
Swings & Roundabout
Swings & Roundabouts is another lovely place to park yourselves for a meal and a drink, while your kids go crazy over the huge playground and grassy fields to expend their energy.
Just be careful you’re going to the right one, cos there are 2 venues for Swings. You want to choose the cellar door at Yallingup.
Stingrays at Hamelin Bay Beach
A perfect day at the beach should include pristine white sand, clear waters… and potential stingray sightings? Yes, at Hamelin Bay, there’s a pretty good chance of spotting some rays, as we managed to do so via the video below!
Nobu Perth Signature Omakase
Our highlight of this trip, is definitely the signature omakase at Nobu Perth. This meal deserves its own article, which I will be writing at a later time.
The financials of the trip
Given that this is afterall a personal finance blog, let’s take a look at the financials of the trip.
If you have any questions about Margaret River, feel free to hit me up!