The surprising South West WA

Posted 1 November, 2026 Andrew Rasch

World-class food and wine, turquoise water kissing white sandy beaches, fascinating flora and fauna, and whale watching.

Sound familiar? We could be describing our home state, but we’re in Western Australia’s South West region.

WA’s tasty corner

Margaret River is often the first place that springs to mind when you think of WA’s South West, and for good reason. This renowned wine region spans more than 2000 square kilometres, with sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, semillon and chardonnay among its standout drops. Founded in 1967, Vasse Felix is the region’s original wine estate. Order a cheese board at the award-winning restaurant and pair it with a glass of the flagship Tom Cullity cabernet sauvignon/malbec blend.

At Leeuwin Estate, join a gallery tour and admire fine artworks while sipping a glass of their popular Art Series chardonnay. With Margaret River home to more than 200 cellar doors, including Amelia Park Wines, Moss Wood, Devil’s Lair and Ashbrook Estate, you won’t go thirsty.

For something hoppier, WA’s South West is teeming with choice. Cheeky Monkey Brewing serves stouts, pale ales, hard ginger beers and more, while CBCo Brewing covers everything from IPA to zero-alcohol lager for the designated driver. There’s Ocean Beach Brewing in Denmark, Wild Hop Brewing Company in Wilyabrup and numerous others. Cheers!

Feeling peckish? Head to Hooked Up Fish and Chips at Surfers Point. Enjoy some of Margaret River’s best views while you munch on Cajun calamari, panko prawns and fish burgers. At Blue Manna Bistro in Dunsborough, you’ll find freshly shucked oysters and (if you’re lucky) rock lobster between November and June.

Elsewhere across WA’s South West, shop for fresh local produce at Margaret River Farmers’ Market, sample gooey fudge at Margaret River Chocolate Company or combine a tour of Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse with a cup of tea and a scone. If you want to treat yourself to a fancy dinner with seasonal produce, book a table at Voyager Estate.

Stand on the shoulders of giants

Don’t miss Gloucester National Park, home to the karri tree – a giant eucalyptus unique to WA’s South West that grows up to 95-metres high. In warmer months, the karris’ flower-covered canopies attract squawking, purple-crowned lorikeets. Feeling brave? Climb the steel pegs of the Gloucester Tree to the viewing platform 37 metres above the ground. Near Walpole, the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk is worth the detour for more arboreal adventures. Stroll along a suspended walkway through the canopy of ancient tingle trees.

Head underground at Jewel Cave near Augusta – WA’s largest show cave. A one-hour tour takes you through vast stalactite and stalagmite-filled chambers formed over millennia. Between late May and early September, Augusta is also one of the best whale watching spots in WA. Early in the season, male humpbacks head north, while between July and August, female southern right whales use the area as a nursery for their newborn calves. It’s the kind of natural event you never forget.

From the friendly stingrays that enter the shallows at Hamelin Bay, to red-capped parrots and bush stone curlews in Dryandra Woodland and stunning spring orchids, banksias and cowslips at Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park, nature is well and truly on display in this part of the world.

Art and soul

For an unforgettable cultural experience, join Wadandi custodian Josh ‘Koomal’ Whiteland for a twilight cave tour of Ngilgi Cave near Yallingup. The tour includes a bush walk, where you’ll learn about traditional medicinal plants, and Josh’s live didgeridoo performance.

In Busselton, stroll more than 1.8km across Geographe Bay along the longest wooden-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere, then venture eight metres below the surface to an underwater observatory teeming with coral and marine life. Divers and snorkellers will also find Australia’s longest artificial reef right on the doorstep, formed partly by 13 sculptures from WA artists.

As the region’s largest dedicated Indigenous fine art gallery, Yallingup Aboriginal Art is a beautiful space to appreciate and support Indigenous art from across Australia, including local Noongar artists.

If you’re in the area in November, don’t miss the Margaret River Gourmet Escape – one of Australia’s premier food and wine festivals. You’ll be among visitors from Australia and the world, enjoying long table vineyard feasts, gourmet beach barbecues and more.

Having previously hosted food identities such as Yotam Ottolenghi and Nigella Lawson, you may even find yourself absorbing cooking tips from a famous chef. For more maritime enjoyment, visit Augusta’s Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse – the tallest on mainland Australia. This lighthouse stands where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet and it’s guided ships along the rocky coastline since 1896. A tour takes you to the top of the tower, where you’ll learn more about the crucial role this lighthouse has played in the shipping industry and what life was like for the families who lived and worked there.

Whether it’s wine or waves, forests or food, WA’s South West will stay with you forever. But you might need more than one trip to do it justice.