← Perth Marathon·2 nights

Margaret River: Wine, Caves and the Whale Coast

Two nights in the south-west wine and forest country, with cellar doors, a cave with a level walkway and southbound humpback whales in spring.

Duration2 nights
TransitHire car or coach, about 3 hr by road from Perth
DepartsPerth

After the Perth Marathon: Margaret River

The Route: Perth → Busselton → Margaret River → Yallingup → Perth Logistics: Drive south about 270 km from Perth, roughly three hours without stops. A hire car is the practical choice. Coach and tour options run from the city, but check the current operators. Marathon Month: October Duration: 2 nights

Perth ──(about 3 hrs by road, Kwinana Freeway and Forrest Highway)──> Busselton ──(about 40 mins)──> Margaret River
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Perth Airport (PER) <──(about 3 hrs by road)──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The Perth Marathon finishes on a Sunday morning. Leave for Margaret River on the Monday rather than the same afternoon, because a three-hour drive with 42 kilometres in the legs is a poor idea. Get a rested driver, or share it.

October in Margaret River: spring. Days are usually in the high teens to low twenties Celsius, with cool evenings and a fair chance of rain on any given day. Wildflowers are in season in the bush and the road verges. Southern right whales have mostly left, but humpback whales travel south along the coast from spring, and the Augusta area is a known place to look for them. Sightings are never guaranteed, so treat any whale watching as a bonus.

On the Way: Busselton

Busselton sits about two and a half hours south of Perth by road and is the natural place to stop. Its jetty, at about 1.8 kilometres, is one of the longest timber-piled jetties in the southern hemisphere, and it is flat, wide and easy on the legs. A small train runs along it, and an underwater observatory stands at the far end. Check the current train fares and observatory opening times before you go. The end of the jetty is exposed, so bring a windproof. The Busselton foreshore is a level promenade with cafés, lawns and benches, and a 30 minute walk covers the best of it.

Nights One and Two: Margaret River and Yallingup

The region runs between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and its wineries follow Caves Road. The main town, Margaret River, has cafés, a bakery and a supermarket on the main street, and it is flat and walkable for a few blocks.

The most recovery-friendly cellar visits are the seated tastings. Vasse Felix at Cowaramup is the region's oldest winery, and Cullen and Leeuwin Estate are other well-known producers. Prices and booking rules vary, so check each producer before visiting. Do not drink and drive. Book a driver or a tour, or nominate one driver.

Mammoth Cave is the gentlest of the caves, with a self-guided route on a boardwalk, and you should check the current entry price and any access changes on the Parks and Wildlife website. Lake Cave has a long staircase down to the cave floor, and it should wait for another trip.

For a bed, Cape Lodge on Caves Road is a long-established country retreat, and Smiths Beach Resort at Yallingup has a beach setting. Both are a drive from Margaret River town, so choose based on whether you prefer bush or coast.

For a meal, the winery restaurants at Vasse Felix and Leeuwin Estate are well known, and the town has pubs and cafés for something simpler. Book winery tables ahead, especially at weekends.

Night Two: Yallingup, Caves Road and the Coast

The second night suits the coast side. Yallingup and Smiths Beach face the Indian Ocean, and the road from Margaret River town follows Caves Road through tall karri and marri forest, mostly sealed and gently rolling, about 40 minutes at legal speeds. Ngilgi Cave near Yallingup has guided tours with steep steps, so check the tour times and the effort involved before booking.

Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse is a short drive north and has a paved path to whale-viewing platforms. In October, humpback whales pass south along this coast, and a lookout is a reasonable place to watch for them, though sightings are never guaranteed. The lighthouse tours run at set times, so check the current schedule. The paths around the cape are level in places and steeper in others, so keep the walk short.

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, near Augusta, is about 45 minutes south of Margaret River. It marks the point where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet and is another whale-watching lookout. The drive is long, so only go if you have a spare morning and a rested driver.

Getting Home

Perth Airport (PER) is about three hours by road from Margaret River. Allow generous time on the day of departure, return the hire car with fuel in the tank, and avoid tight connections on an international flight.