🖐 In this travel guide we’ll share all our experience travelling to Margaret River Wine Region (WA), located in the South of Western Australia. If this is your first time on Dronemade, we're a community of drone pilots around the world and thus like to share our travel experiences and how we see things from up there. Give a 👍 at the end of this post & feel free to share your experience or any updates you might have in the Australia Discussion Group. Keep in mind that the content below is updated to the best of our knowledge & does not replace official sources & your research.
Where is Margaret River and how to get there?
Margaret River Wine Region is located in Western Australia (WA), about 3hours drive south of Perth. The region is famous for its white wines and is a great gateway for locals and explorers keen to visit and taste a little more of WA. There are several activities to enjoy onsite and you could easily take a whole week off to do them all. This is a great place to combine outdoor sightseeing with the option to treat yourself every day.
Where is Margaret River Wine Region and how to get there?
👍Margaret River is easily accessible by road from all nearby cities. Located about 300kms south of Perth, you can combine it with several other city visits on your way. To the North are the cities of Dunsborough and Busselton whilst to the South you can combine your trip with a visit of Augusta.
🚗From Busselton: drive through the Bussel highway heading south, you will reach Margaret River within 45mins
🚗From Augusta: drive through the Bussel highway heading north, you will reach Margaret River within 30mins
What to do in Margaret River Wine Region?
🥾 Hiking
The area hosts outstanding hikes, including parts of the Bulburry hike and the Cape to Cape Walk Track
Cape Naturalist: Most visitors go there to visit the lighthouse but the site also offers you three hiking options, all under 5kms. You can choose for instance to do a small loop around the light house for about an hour. Getting there in Spring will give you the most amazing sights of wildflowers and southern whales migrating to warmer waters. The lighthouse is also the starting (or ending) point of the famous Cape to Cape Walk Track.\
Cape to Cape Walk Track: 123kms long, this exceptional hike follows the cliffs and passes nearby several vineyards. If you enjoy walking and have a week to spare, this is a unique experience for you, just make sure the weather will be fine then as strong winds occur.
🍷 Wine tasting
Probably what the region is most famous for really. There are dozens of small vineyards in the region and we’ve been lucky to taste a few along our way and will share our findings with you. ⚠️Disclaimer: we purposely chose to go to small independent producers selling mostly from their cellar doors. The below vineyards are listed based on their location from Margaret Region’s North to South independently from our findings and tastings.
Windows Estate: A small family owned vineyard offering a very small range of whites and reds (less than 10) located nearby a small pond and featuring a giant chess board on the grass nearby. A small local produce shop is available offering you all the gourmet treats you will need for a great picnic there.
Stormflower Vineyard: Family owned here too, we got welcomed by their French team member who clearly loves working there. We opted for the samples’ $10 option (refundable upon any bottle purchase). This vineyard focuses on organic wines and has a lovely dog onsite to welcome you. A few treats can be purchased onsite to complement your wine tasting.
Gralyn Estate: The oldest cellar door open to public in Margaret River Region. This small estate focuses on high end red wines and is well known for its sweet wines. If you’re lucky and its not too busy ask politely if you can see the original cellar door hidden behind the new one, its outstanding to see how far they’ve come since.
Cape Grave Wines: A couple’s business, where everything is made with love. You will enter their cave and storage facility to access their 6 seater cellar door. A true gem, where the owners will take to share their story with you. You can also enjoy a taste of their other passion onsite which is art and birds, with a cheeky cockatoo able to say ‘hello’ to you as you pass by.
Brown Hill Estate: you will most likely be welcomed by the eldest family member who will make sure you get well filled tasting glasses each time.Here again the cellar door is located within their main building offering you these high ceiling sensations while sipping your glasses wondering if you’re above the legal alcohol limit after your fourth tasting.
Glenarty Road: our southernmost vineyard tasting stop, this place stood out to us by offering a great range of red, whites and more original combinations such as their bubbling rose. Wine tasting options start from $10 refundable upon purchases of 3 bottles or more. They also run a gourmet restaurant for you to enjoy the full experience and spend a couple of hours in pure indulgence.
💡Travel Tip: Small producers have teamed up to help you send your bottles at once. You can purchase a few bottles in each, combine them all at the end to be sent home or to your loved ones. Just make sure you send them by 6 or 12 to maximise the service which cost $25/12 bottles Australia Wide.
🍽️ Eating out
There are hundreds of places to enjoy a quick bite and we can’t even start thinking of how long this list will be. Here are few places we trully loved and will return gladly.
Tiny Coffee on Clark: only the best coffee we’ve had in the last 3 months, this tiny corner shop located in Dunsborough is a true gem and you can see how much locals love it by seeing their accounts on the wall behind your barista. Please treat yourself a morning and head there before 12.
BeerFarm: As its name suggest this operating farm, has expanded into offering local craft beers on the tap. Their genereous menu offers a wide range of food options including vegan for meat savers.
Pies & Ale: Having just opened doors in September 2022, they won’t be long until making a bang online. Choose your base pie for $10 with original combinations such as Katsu Curry or Cheeseburger and add some toppings as you like such as prok crackling or pickes.. simply delicious on a cold day.
🥽 Swimming
You can swim in most bays along the coast but our favorite is by far Granny’s Pool south of Augusta.. Naturally sealed off the main ocean, a true little gem
🏕️ Camping
There are heaps of campsites in Margaret River Wine Region. Sasfly none are free and we recommend you book your site early ahead, espceically during school holidays and summer weekends.There are two that trully standed out to us:
Yallingup Caves Tasman Park a great place with a huge outdoor kitchen and private ensuite bathrooms with hot high pressure rewarding showers to enjoy after a long day of hiking.
Big Valley Campsite: a cute farm that welcomes you and sells fresh farm produce onsite. Here again lovely team making you feel right at home and plenty of space for big caravans.
Ellis Creek State Forest: We've scored a free night in one of the rest areas far away from anyone else and enjoying a different scenery being in a forest, a little away from the vineyards.
Can I fly my drone in Margaret River Wine Region?
✅ Yes, you can fly your drone pretty much anywhere in Margaret River Region, but just keep in mind that there are three regional airports operating in the towns of Busselton, Margaret River and Augusta and you cannot fly nearby these urban areas.
Drone Fly Map Margaret River Wine Region
When it comes to vineyards and private estates, always make sure to enquire permissions from the owners before flying above their property and avoid crossing roads. See here for more information about Western Australia's drone rules.
What to think of Margaret River Wine Region?
Well we don't like to write this part of the story so we've put together some of our coolest pics. If you don't feel like seeing them before heading there, we get it and won't be sad.
✅ Please leave a comment or update the Australian Drone Forum when you receive news and/or gain experience in Margaret River and around! Have fun over there and make a lot of good memories! #travel #experience #margaret #river #wine #region #western #wa #australia #australian
Disclaimer: Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information researched, we take no responsibility for any loss, harm or damage caused as a direct or indirect consequence of relying on this information. It is your responsibility to seek advice from qualified local & relevant authorities for needed information about local drone regulations
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