Experience an Awesome Autumn in Margaret River

When the days are shorter, the sun is softer, the sunsets are more brilliant, and the weather is cooler, that is the perfect time for a fall getaway. And nowhere in all of Western Australia is the beauty of nature on display in all of its vibrant colours before taking a winter’s rest than in the Margaret River region.

After all of the summer heat, fall is a fabulous time for a romantic holiday, family vacation, or a quiet getaway from all the hustle and the bustle of the daily grind of life in the city. Whether you are visiting Margaret River for one day, one week, or some other length of time, you’ll find an endless number of outdoor autumn activities just waiting to be explored.

Whether you want to try your hand at fishing, or you long to go walking or hiking along coastal beachlines or through the ancient forest trails or you have a desire to experience some of the most magnificent sunsets on earth, this is where those wish lists come true.

While the awesome autumn weather may have sparked your Margaret River visit, you will find our variety of dining and dessert cuisine offerings prepared by the region’s top chefs, our vast selection of world-class wines from our local vineyards, and our diversity of palate-pleasing creative craft breweries to be amongst the best in all of Western Australia.

Choosing the best-of-the-best locations and adventures was a demanding challenge with so many fabulous must-see main and hidden gems to be found in the area. The collective vibrancy of the region will certainly meet the recreational expectations for visitors of all ages. We aim to suggest a range of holiday escapes that will match our seasonal treasures with the expectations of our valued guests.

We have divided our recommendations into daytime outdoor activities, sunset extravaganzas, daytime indoor adventures, and dining delights. We will gladly assist you with driving directions and contact information should you select to visit any of the following recommendations. Please do let us know if you have discovered a local marvel that you want to share so that we might include this location on one of our future best-of-the-best lists.

Daytime Outdoor Activities

Driving: Caves Road is a long scenic route that reaches spans 111 km and covers the distance from Yallingup to Cape Leeuwin. Just about every type of outdoor attraction in and around Margaret River is located along Caves Road. As you drive along Caves Road, you’ll encounter art galleries, manicured mazes, bushlands, the Karri Forest, most of the area’s ancient underground caves, plus world-class wineries you must visit for a tasting, and craft breweries that are open to the public for touring, cellar door sales, and dining. Whatever your desire is for outdoor activities, you will most likely find it or an unexpected new activity along this road. When driving on Caves Road you can expect to encounter the unexpected ever-changing vista that calls out for a car park stop to thoroughly enjoy the surrounding scenic views.

Walking/Hiking/Biking: Take the opportunity to tour the scenic sections of our Margaret River, often an attraction missed by many visitors passing through the area. Start your outing at Margaret River’s northern end at Rotary Park to locate the off-road paths that wind along the river’s edge. The further you travel through the forest, the more amazing the scenery becomes. Nature is most beautiful in its natural setting. There is a 15km walking/biking trail that follows a route from Rotary Park to the Ten Mile Brook Dam. A full day’s outing to experience many of the area’s awesome autumn foliage.

Marine Life Watching: Enjoy the cooler autumn weather with an early morning walk on the Hamelin Bay wooden jetty to watch our local group of friendly stingrays as they hunt for food along the bay’s shoreline. While the stingrays are generally friendly and accustomed to visiting humans at the edge of their waters, they are wild creatures that can inflict harm with the barb on their tails. It is best to view these marine animals from the safety of the jetty.

Sunset Extravaganzas

The evening skyline throughout the Margaret River region is ablaze with sensational colours. You can be amazed by the Technicolor displays of our sunsets from the comfort of your personal, private Forest Rise lanai while seated next to your warm grill enjoying a bottle of one of the area’s best wines or craft brews and a sampling tray of local cheeses and seasonal fruits.

If you prefer a coastal beachfront view of our brilliant sunsets, we recommend the cozy sands at Castle Rock Beach in Dunsborough. If you do go to this location, you may even be entertained by the humpback whales or bottlenose dolphins that frolic along this coastline. If you are in the Dunsborough area during a full moon, you have the opportunity to watch the alluring magnificence of the moon as it rises over the ocean at Meelup Beach. This is only one of a few places in all of Western Australia where you can experience this moon rising event.

For a spectacular sunset that descends behind vibrant waterfalls, you’ll want to visit Injidup Beach in Yallingup. An unbelievable natural performance that you’ll want to record for timeless viewing far into the future.In addition to awesome sunsets that burst forth with a flash of brilliance to delight the most ardent nature lovers, there is another evening skyline adventure that comes out once the sun has set. That is the beauty of stars. Sunsets and stargazing are two of nature’s most enthralling scenarios.

To experience an upper atmosphere so full of blazing, twinkling, diamond-coloured stars that the background of the darker evening sky almost disappears, you need to visit the Sugarloaf Rock located 2 km south of Cape Naturaliste. The Sugarloaf Rock is a massive crag that emerges from the ocean exposing spectacular points that are continuously pounded by the surrounding waters. This is an astonishing view of the evening sky over an enormous rock that needs to be seen to be believed.

Daytime Indoor Adventures

When the autumn weather is too cool for a full day of outdoor activities, take your adventures indoors. If you have a sweet tooth and chocolate is what sates this taste, be sure to visit the Gabriel Chocolate Factory in Yallingup. For handmade ice cream, Simmo’s Icecreamery in Dunsborough is a must-visit shop where they offer over 100 different flavours. Stroll through the many art galleries and studios located along Busselton Highway in Margaret River where you just might find that perfect piece of jewellery, tapestry, ceramic, pottery, painting, or fine furniture to complete your wardrobe or home décor.

Take advantage of the fall season to visit the Wardan Aboriginal Cultural Center in Yallingup to learn about the history of the original Western Australian people and their traditions. Browse through the gift shop for souvenirs to take home as a reminder of your visit to the area. Children will have an amazing story to tell their schoolmates when they return home.

Dining Delights

Wineries: Margaret River is home to many renowned world-class wineries. Whether you are a first-time visitor to the area or a returning guest, you’ll find more than 100 big and small vineyards producing an abundance of different wine types that will surely please the taste buds of all wine-loving guests. To tour several wineries, to take advantage of their fall selections available at their cellar doors, and to savour a wine-and-dine tasting or lunch at the wineries, we recommend that you take advantage of a Margaret River wine tour. Many wineries also have play areas and non-alcoholic offerings for children to enjoy while their parents tour the wineries.

Craft Beer and Cider: Margaret River has seen the largest growth in creative craft breweries and cideries during the past decade. These refreshing beverages are available in most eating establishments and main production locations throughout the area. Be sure to sample a few brews while out and about in the area.

Restaurants/Cafes/Eateries: Without any doubt, Margaret River is home to a wide variety of culinary delights crafted by locally based, world-class chefs featuring local seasonal produce, meats, and seafood. One shopping area with a selection of different ethnic and local cuisines is in the heart of Margaret River near the Visitors Center on Busselton Highway. There are coffee shops, bakeries, and breakfast nooks located throughout the central downtown Margaret River Township along Busselton Highway. If you have a desire for a specific dining venue not readily found in the local shopping areas, please ask any of our Forest Rise staff for assistance in locating an appropriate dining establishment.

Have It All

For our guests that have only a weekend or a couple of days and want to experience all the beauty of autumn while visiting the area, there are two Margaret River Discovery Company tours we highly recommend.

One outing, led by a celebrated local guide, is the Wine and Adventure Tour for your daytime excursion amongst off-the-beaten trails and tracks that are frequently missed by most visitors to the Margaret River area. The full tour takes you on an exceptional outdoor and wine tasting exploration that highlights:

• wildlife spotting
• canoeing along a serene section of the Margaret River
• a relaxing coffee break at a popular beach breaking site to admire the active surf
• a stop at an ancient waterhole that exudes 50,000 years of Aboriginal history
• a wine tasting and lunch amongst barrels of aging wine at an up-and-coming superstar winery
• and a grand finale of a drive and walk along the Wilyabrup Cliffs with striking clifftop views of the Indian Ocean

You can make reservations for this once-in-a-lifetime experience by calling the Discovery Company at 0439 910 064 or by visiting https://margaretriverdiscovery.com.au/

The other outing is an exceptional Sunset Canoe Tour that offers you the golden opportunity to participate in a guided canoe adventure that launches from a hidden river location where you will paddle upstream with a majestic vista of limestone cliffs basking in the glow of the late afternoon.

Your canoeing route takes you to the pristine sands of a deserted beach where you are served a refreshing drink and canapes while serenely watching a dramatic West Coast sunset as the sun slowly descends into the Indian Ocean. An awesome sight that will be etched in your mind’s eye forever.

With a maximum limit of 6 people, you can make reservations for this once-in-a-lifetime experience by calling the Discovery Company at 0439 910 064 or by visiting their website at https://margaretriverdiscovery.com.au/

Yes, Margaret River is a world-class tourist destination for all seasons. But, when it comes to the beauty of nature during the fall season, our region reigns supreme for all autumn vacation activities. Whether you arrive at Forest Rise with a long to-do list or come with a blank slate that is open to spur-of-the-moment explorations, we will work with you to fulfil your tiniest details or largest expectations. Your awesome autumn holiday is just one reservation away. When you contact us to secure your private chalet, your getaway plans begin to become a reality.