It may just be a five-hour flight away, but Perth isn’t always the obvious choice when you think of a holiday in Australia. For many, the bordering town of Margaret River is known simply for being a richly endowed wine region. But there’s so much more to Margaret River than that. Come June, the scenic town transforms into a wintry paradise not just for wine connoisseurs—temperatures dip to a cool 16 to 17 degrees Celsius (at their highest), once-a-year exclusive events throw open their doors to all, and the entire region takes on an enchanting air of wintry festivity.
It combines the best of its neighboring states—wildlife, beaches, and a thriving gourmet scene—for a well-rounded vacation away from the Singapore diet of sun and muggy rain. For your first trip to Margaret River, you can’t go wrong planning your itinerary around these five highlights.
Unique winter festivals you can’t experience anywhere else
Truffle Kerffufle (Jun 22-24)
Photo credit: Jessica Shaver
Truffle Kerffufle is a weekend-long celebration of one of the world’s most luxurious ingredients: the black truffle. The event takes place in the neighboring town of Manjimup, making the Margaret River region an excellent launching pad for a scenic 100km drive through the idyllic Southern Forests, where truffle hunts and world-class dining experience await. If you miss the festival, you can join a truffle hunt throughout June to August with Australian Truffle Traders—a family-run business with the best truffle dogs in the Southern Hemisphere, and impressive knowledge on the truffle trade.
Cabin Fever Festival (Jul 14-23)
The annual Cabin Fever Festival is Australia’s newest winter festival, but has already garnered a reputation for its warmth and vibrancy in the cooler months of the year. In a nutshell, it’s 10 days of gourmet food, wine and bonfires; over 30 events that include coffee appreciation workshops, degustation dinners, and even a cozy fondue fest by the fire, all showcasing the best of Margaret River produce at iconic venues throughout the region. There’s live music and good vibes—and most importantly a common love from all attending for great locally produced food. You’ll want to grab a blanket and get comfy.
CinefestOz Film Festival (Aug 22-26)
Not long after the foodie-madness comes to an end, CinefestOz Film Festival takes over as the reigning festival in August, with a jam-packed line-up of Australian and international cinema. Now in its 11th year, the festival features over 200 free and ticketed events in its short five-day run. Unlike in Singapore, where most film festivals take place in one venue, CinefestOz premieres feature films and events in the region’s cinemas, wineries, bars and galleries—making for an even more colorful cinematic experience. It’s also your only chance to go straight from a red carpet premiere to an intimate film screening in a local bar, all while surrounded by the region’s incredible natural landscape.
World-class wineries and home-grown craft breweries
Leeuwin Estate Art Series
There’s nothing that precedes Margaret River’s reputation more than its wine production, with the region best known for its premium cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay; though the experience extends far beyond these two grapes. If you can’t make it for Cabin Fever Festival, what you can do is visit any of the 90 odd boutique wineries in the region almost any day of the week. Here, you can take part in quintessential wine country activities—vineyard-strolling, cellar door tours, and tastings straight from the barrel. Make a date with Australia’s top wineries like Leeuwin Estate and Voyager; though it’s well worth a home-visit to the independent vintners too.
And beyond wine, a growing scene worth watching is that of the local craft beer. Easily one of the fastest growing microbrewery destinations in Australia, Margaret River now boasts more than 11 breweries—a dense number for the region. Pop by Cheeky Monkey for globally imported pilsners and ales on tap, head to Colonial Brewing Co for a scenic day of wheat beers on the microbrewery’s grassy lawn, or check out Bootleg Brewery, one of the pioneering breweries that in the late ‘90s dared to bring hops into a region best known for its wine tourism.
Endless stretches of gorgeous coastline
The beaches of Bondi can’t quite compare to Margaret River’s coasts that are blessed with approximately 200km of unspoiled coastline. Start by walking, or catching the train, two kilometres out to sea along the longest wooden jetty in the world, Busselton Jetty. Get some fresh air along the Cape to Cape Track, bookended by Cape Naturaliste in the north and Cape Leeuwin in the south—two picturesque capes hiding secret turquoise beaches, hiking opportunities, and incredible views. Sure the water’s a little chilly in winter, but that never stopped a good photo op–did you even go to Margaret River if you didn’t get a sunset shot at Sugar Loaf Rock?
Wildlife and nature activities aplenty
Winter means hibernation—but luckily only for Margaret River’s snakes. The region’s forests, national parks and river gullies remain open to anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of the rich wildlife. The region boasts one of the world’s longest whale-watching seasons, with an estimated 35,000 whales passing by each year; twice as many as the east coast of Australia. You can get up close and personal on a whale-watching tour, or spot them from solid ground at the myriad spots along the Cape to Cape Track. Animals aside, you can trek through underground caves, sail in a canoe down Margaret River itself, and even traverse sand dunes in a four-wheel drive.
Serene farm life—without the dirty work
If you’re just looking to get away from it all, there’s nothing like unwinding at an authentic farm stay. Farm Stays in Margaret River are less about milking cows and churning butter (though certainly if you asked, you might be obliged); a stay here is more about enjoying the countryside atmosphere and taking in the fresh air. A variety of cottages are available for your peaceful stay, where you’ll be almost guaranteed the chance to hand-feed kangaroos, peacocks, alpacas, emu, cows and more from the comfort of your rustic home. A highlight of many of these farm stays is the opportunity to walk through and forage in their farm gardens; citrus fruits grow in abundance at this time of year. If you ever start to tire of the simple life, you’re always free to drive out and do any of the things above.
At a glance:
Stay and play packages available at singapore.margaretriver.com
More information at margaretriver.com
