Meet the Margaret River

“Maybe we shouldn’t have had a beer at lunch” he smirked as we approached the edge of the cliff. The waves crashing against the red rocks a good forty metres below us. A guard rail? Nope. A warning sign? Nah. A parks and wildlife officer telling you to stay back? God no, we’re in Western Australia now.

With only a few days and a list that spanned the south coast I’m still not sure how we fit it all in. Probably a combination of my severe case of #FOMO and his fondness for being behind the wheel. Either way, it worked. And with a cottage on a small property with a wood fire as our base while we were there, coming home was always appreciated.

However long it takes you to do it, this is where you should go.

Hamelin Bay //
Known as the ‘beach with the sting rays’ make sure you check the tides before you head there if you don’t want to be disappointed. We didn’t and we were. But not after we discovered a secret little hidden beach around the corner that was encased in the most incredible rocks. A nice reminder that there’s always something around the corner to look forward to.

Caves Road //
This one really is more about the journey than the destination #blessed. An aesthetic stretch of asphalt if ever I did see that takes you through the Boranup Karri Forest where the trees loom overhead and the caves run deep beneath. Plus a quick left right left will get you to Colonial Brewing for lunch, where it’s $5 bucks to hit a bucket of golf balls into the dam and only a little bit more to sink a few brews.

Wilyabrup Sea Cliffs //
Now these were special. Having done a few beaches already, a deep trawl of the world wide web revealed this little hidden gem near Wilyabrup Beach. Not well known at all (in fact you had to climb a fence and walk 2km through a private property to get there) the cliffs are most frequented by abseiling and climbing pros. And now all of you.

Canal Rocks & Injidup Natural Spa //
These two go together like no reception and road trips. Only a minutes drive apart, they are two examples of what makes the rocks really rock in Western Australia. Boulders that look like they’ve been placed by the gods that stretch far enough for the people climbing over them in the distance to look like ants.

When we visited the Injidup Natural Spa we were met with a sign warning us not to swim as a whale carcass had washed up on a nearby beach which meant a higher risk of sharks. Yeah, this is Australia. But the real danger in the spa was the waves crashing over the rocks leaving a foamy wash in the rock pool, not too dissimilar to when I miscalculate my bubble bath measurements at home. He loved it, I scratched my knee. Clearly not the thrill-seeker I like to make out to be.

Sugarloaf Rock //
This rock is made for sunsets. And proposals. But if you’re twenty-four like us, just sunsets. And a few bevvies. Climbing over the small wooden fence and walking down a well-trodden path that many others have clearly done before, you can find yourself a spot to watch the sun set behind this shard of rock that sticks out of the ocean like it’s reaching for the sky.

Beaches //
The image that flicks to mind when someone says Western Australia. The whitest sand that sticks to your skin, only washed away with the crystal clear water that trickles across you like thousands of tiny diamonds. And trust me, there are plenty of them. Eagle Bay, Meelup Beach, Bunker Bay, the list goes on. Any and all will do, thank you.

Plus when you make the promise like we did to take every ‘tourist drive’ detour we came across, you never know what other treasures you might find. Like the 2km long Busselton Jetty. I couldn’t tell you where else we found even if I wanted to though. It’s called exploring. I highly recommend it.

• 

Phewww, that was almost as exhausting to write as it was to fly home at midnight and arrive back in Sydney at 6am. Almost. But a million and a half times worth it. Pop into Riversmith for a coffee on the way though and you can do anything.

E x