Coast, Cave & Karri Trees

Margaret River isn’t only about wineries. I mean, it’s mostly about wineries, obviously, and if we were here for longer I would have done my damnedest to visit as many as possible. I can’t tell you how hard it is to pass signs announcing wonderful sounding wineries and not enter their hallowed grounds. Each time we sped past the rows of vineyards, manicured lawns and welcoming signs, I had to fight the urge to scream, “stop, turn in, turn in!” But, as I said, there is more to the Margaret River area than wine. There are hundreds of kilometres of pristine coastline to explore which, at this time of the year, is alive with pinks, purples, blues, yellows and reds as the wildflowers explode with colour. We drove to lookouts over waves crashing onto rocks and the shoreline, pounding the beach and anything in its way. The sea was treacherous, and it is clear how so many surfers catch their last waves in these waters. I certainly wouldn’t want to be out in it.


If the coast was full of drama, with an orchestra of sound bellowing about you, the Karri forest was quiet and almost mystical, the only sounds being the chirping of birds and an occasional rustle in the undergrowth. The tall, thin Karri trees reached up to the sky as shafts of sunlight gently floated through them. Wild lilies peppered the ground and the fresh smell of eucalyptus permeated the air. The caves were also quiet but this time echoing with the sound of tiny droplets of water falling from the straws on the roof. Stalactites and stalagmites made for jagged sculptures and the underground lake reflected its crooked teeth. Margaret River really is a spectacularly beautiful area and a couple of days don’t do it justice but we will be back. We’ve got a lot of wineries still left to visit and a lot more drinking to be done.