Margaret River must-dos
Caving, surfing, fine food and wine – and all in one day – makes for a southwest Australian destination that is truly diverse, writes Nyree McFarlane.
THERE’S PLENTY to adore about the coastal wonderland that is Margaret River. The Mediterranean climate hovers around 20 degrees, world-famous surf breaks emerge from turquoise water and hardy grape vines cling to granite rock.
Hugh Jackman once said it’s the best place he’s ever been to, and Hugh knows best.
There’s so much to take in around the region that stretches 100 kilometres from north to south so, to help you plan your trip, here is our pick of the must dos.
Cullen Winery
The region is home to around 150 wineries, and while only producing 3 per cent of Australia’s wine grapes, it makes up 20 per cent of the premium market.
There are plenty of vineyards, but the one we’d go back to is the biodynamic, carbon-neutral Cullen (it also happens to be Heston Blumenthal’s favourite). It may not have the fanciest cellar door, but it was the vineyard’s approach to winemaking that made it so memorable: it operates chemical free, listening to the timings of the tide and moon with the belief that nature has a solution for most viticulture issues.
‘‘The great wines for me are about the plants . . . allowing the wine to naturally come,’’ explains Vanya Cullen – the vineyard’s chief winemaker (and daughter of its founders, the late Diana and Kevin Cullen, who planted an acre of trial vines in 1966).
While the Diana Madeleine cabernet blend and the Kevin John chardonnay (each named after the vineyard’s founders) are considered the pinnacle of the winemaking at Cullen, every wine we sampled had a wonderful primary quality – actually tasting of the grape, and even the earth. So, a good way to experience Cullen is to book a vineyard tour (Monday-Friday 11am-12pm, A$25/NZ$26) and then a wine and food flight, which samples four different drops. 4323 Caves Road, Wilyabrup; cullenwines.com.au +61 8 9755 5277
Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park
This immense natural park stretches over 19,000 hectares and along 120km of coast, boasting a technicolour landscape that feels, and is, truly ancient – the gneiss rock that dots the sand is over 1400 million years old.
Diversity is the park’s true drawcard. In just a day you’ll see looming karri trees, stark cliffs, empty white beaches and wildflowers galore (blooming particularly in October and November, which is a good time to spot breaching whales and racing dolphins too).
There are many ways to experience the track, from halfday trips to seven-day ones. We opted for a half-day with Cape To