Tag Archives: Margaret River

Nature at its Best – Canal Rocks, WA

26 Thursday Mar 2020

Posted by in Canal Rocks, Western Australia

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While staying in Margaret River we visited Canal Rocks with the 40 k’s trip taking us about 35 mins.

Canal Rocks is a series of granite rocks in the Indian Ocean in South-West Western Australia

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The rock formation takes its name from the narrow channel between the rocks that has formed from the coastal waters eroding the granite over time.

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Canal Rocks rock formation is amazing. The Indian Ocean has carved crevasses and channels into the rocks of the headland leaving a network of patchy rocky islands.  These channels can be observed from a raised wooden boardwalk which we walked along out onto the rocks. As the path reaches the rocks, a wooden path or footbridge took us around the north side of the rocks and brought us face-to-face with the canal, which is why Canal Rocks is named.

This is an area of great beauty. These rock formations, which have been hollowed out by the pounding sea are ancient and unusual

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I could spend hours here just watching the wave motion, which allows you to get a great perspective of the wild sea as it surges through the rocks. While we were there we were thrilled to watch 6 whales frolicking not far from the shore. They were breaching, and flapping their fins and tails for ages. What a glorious sight.

Over thousands of years the Indian Ocean has washed these rocks clean and yet they stand, cracks and all. Remarkable!!

Facing north towards Cape Naturaliste, the views from the car park are also spectacular, which was good for some of the ladies in our group who chose not to walk out to the rocks.

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Canal Rocks is unspoiled and offers stunning scenery. It was just lovely to take photos and sit and watch the waves roll in. Most definitely it is a photographers paradise any time of the day.

It is a great piece of natural scenery and it is free!

Out and about Exploring the Margaret River Region

18 Wednesday Mar 2020

Posted by in Leeuwin Lighthouse and Flinders Bay

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On our 2nd day in Margaret River, after breakfast, we headed down to Augusta with our first stop at Flinders Bay. This beautiful beach in Augusta which has a bit of everything is located to the north east of Cape Leeuwin, and to the south of the township. The white sandy beach has granite rock outcrops at the water’s edge, reef and boulders about 50 meters offshore, and a clear sandy bottom in between. There are two small jetties. The foreshore has grass, huge shady trees, picnic tables, a free gas barbecue, a fine children’s playground, outdoor showers and toilets.

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From Flinders Bay we drove to the Leeuwin Point lookout to spend time at the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse which is the tallest lighthouse on mainland Australia, standing 39 meters tall. This historic lighthouse is situated at the most south-westerly point of Australia, at the tip of a spectacular peninsula – where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet.

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We took a trip through maritime history and learnt how this famous landmark was constructed from local limestone in 1895, and is still a vital working lighthouse for vessels navigating the treacherous cape. It’s also one of the best land-based vantage points for spotting whales from May – September.

We visited the new Interpretive Centre, housed within one of the original lighthouses keepers’ cottages, which is an outstanding interactive experience that celebrates the history and lives of the numerous lighthouse keepers who were custodians of this rugged coastline.

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It was an incredibly windy and rainy day making it very difficult for us to even walk on the headland so we were all quick to return to the lighthouse café for hot coffees and delicious scones with cream and jam.

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Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is a must see. It has 176 steps but there are two rests on the way up. The base of the lighthouse is 2meters thick tapering up to 1 meter at the top. The history behind it is fascinating and although we did not actually climb the stairs I believe that the view from the top is amazing.

I could clearly see why the lighthouse is a necessity.   Certainly a great experience and well worth a look.

My Visit to the Ultimate Margaret River Region WA

09 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by in Margaret River, Western Australia

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We set off from Perth driving south towards Margaret River where we spent 4 wonderful days staying at the Margaret River motel in the heart of Margaret River. On the way, our first stop was Busselton for lunch and where we spent time at the Busselton historic jetty including a ride on the train to the end of the jetty to visit the underwater observatory.

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Busselton

Margaret River and its premium wine region is the place for indulging many passions. Situated at the tip of southern Western Australia, the Margaret River Region offers some of the best South West sights, attractions and experiences in one convenient location. From Perth, it’s an easy 2.5-hour drive to the region, which stretches from Busselton down to Augusta. The density of this part of the South West allows you to hop from award-winning wineries and bespoke art galleries, to stunning beaches, tall-timber forests, flowing rivers, world-class surf breaks and ancient caves – all in a single day

When we arrived at our accommodation we were all thrilled as the location was perfect, the rooms huge and the restaurant very suitable for all our needs. Although the weather was cooler than up north with some light showers it really was perfect for tripping around and exploring.

From our base in Margaret River we journeyed daily to see some remarkable sights including the Canal Rocks and Flinders Bay, Augusta and Cape Leeuwin lighthouse which is the most south-westerly point of mainland Australia.

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Point Leeuwin Lighthouse

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Point Leeuwin

We visited several wineries including Happs Winery which is a family run winey and then Zanadu winery where we enjoyed tastings of some delectable wines.

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Happs Winery

We spent a few hours in the delightful Cowaramup Village or affectionately known as Cow Town, with its distinct village atmosphere and very unique Cow theme showcasing statues of cows around every bend. The shopping here for local artisan products was outstanding with many of us finding some fab stuff to take home

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Cowaramup Village

Lunch one day was at the Margaret River brewery which has a fabulous atmosphere, great good and wonderful local beer samples.

We visited and explored the magical Prevelly Beach with its walking trails along the sand dunes, and spent time exploring Boranup Forest where we explored many of the trails and took dozens of photos of the stunning wildflowers.

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Prevelly Beach

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Boranup Forest

On our trip back to Perth travelling on the Bussell Highway we stopped for lunch at the Bunbury Dolphin discovery Centre and enjoyed a great lunch at the café/restaurant in the centre before spending a couple of hours in the discovery centre which was outstanding.

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Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre

Then we were back on to our coach for the easy 3 hour trip back to Perth, arriving early evening with plenty of time to get ready to go out to dinner.

Beauty and History – Busselton Jetty

26 Wednesday Feb 2020

Posted by in Busselton Jetty, Western Australia

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Enroute from Perth to Margaret River we stopped at the famous Busselton Jetty.

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The city of Busselton is about 200 kilometres South of Perth on the southwest tip of Western Australia.  It is known for its sheltered beach where we visited the 19th-century Busselton Jetty. This wood pier stretches nearly 2km to the Underwater Observatory, where life in a coral reef is on view. This is the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. It was built in 1864 and modified over the years and is constructed of wooden piles. The jetty has a rail line  with an electric train that took us out to the observatory.

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We settled in to the Stocker Preston Express for a very pleasant 15 minute ride along the jetty, including narration about the history of the jetty.  This electric jetty train which is powered by solar panels travels across the Indian Ocean to the Underwater Observatory, located at the end of the Jetty, where we were greeted by friendly volunteers. This Underwater Observatory is one of only 6 natural underwater aquariums in the world.

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There are six flights of ten stairs within the Observatory however there is a lift which allows access if the stairs are not for you. I was very happy to take the stairs as we stopped at every level to listen to our guide’s explanations and see through the large glass windows. We descended 8-metres below the ocean’s surface marveling at the natural wonders that lie beneath the Jetty where we viewed the awe-inspiring forest of vividly-coloured tropical and sub-tropical corals, sponges, fish and invertebrates.

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From the base of the observatory, the corals on the jetty pylons are gorgeous, and there are plenty of interesting fish to see – both small and large. I think one of the nicest aspects to this observatory is that the fish are ‘free’ – this is not an aquarium with captive fish. This is open sea and the fish are free to come and go as they please. I was fascinated watching a cute little seal frolicking and performing for us,  with a big smile on his face.

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This fantastic open sea observatory was a memorable experience. The guides/volunteers were knowledgeable and enthusiastic and so friendly.  I was so thrilled to see the abundance of sea life.

You can take the little train back however we opted to walk the jetty. It was a very easy walk with seats along the way and it only took about 15 minutes at a casual stroll.