March 22, 2023

Gorgeous weekend in the South West

Chiara Di TRAVEL, WESTERN AUSTRALIA Australia's South West, Margaret River Region, Travel, Wander, Western Australia 0 Comments

I recently enjoyed a very wholesome long weekend in our beautiful Margaret River region with mum.

I must admit living with mum (temporarily) and holidaying with her was a bit much. We definitely needed time away from each other by the end of it.

I took the Friday off work and made it an extra long weekend. We left after peak hour and made our way down to Dunsborough for lunch, followed by a relaxing pale ale at Eagle Bay Brewing Co.

It was a beautiful autumn day so it was hard to resist a quick dip in one of the beautiful bays of Dunsborough. It’s wild to think I have never been to the paradise that is Castle Rock Bay for a swim, and I’m so glad we chose it. It was pristine with calmness, crystal clear water and a little rock pool. The neighbouring beaches of Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay and Bunker Bay are just as stunning.

We stayed in one of the 11 sweet cottages that make up Waterfall Cottages in Margaret River, a short 7-minute drive from the town centre. The cottages were fully self-contained with Vasse Virgin products, and a little courtyard to sit out and enjoy the sounds of nature – everything we needed for our little escape. It’s always nice staying a little closer to town as well for dinner options.

We treated ourselves to Miki’s Open Kitchen’s ‘Miki’s Trust’ degustation, a dining experience I’ve been wanting to try for a while. We were greeted by the famous Miki himself on arrival which was a welcoming first impression and set the scene for the night.

The seven-course degustation was a Japanese inspired menu showcasing local ingredients. We savoured the likes of nori tempura, banana prawn, masago goldband snapper and panko crusted pork belly. Top tip, request to sit at the bar surrounding the open kitchen to see the chefs in action and it all unfold – we missed this opportunity.

We also enjoyed the sweet side of the region with an indulgent cinnamon scroll at Margaret River Farmer’s Market on every Saturday morning from 7.30am, scones and tea at The Berry Farm and our chocolate fix at Yallingup Chocolate and Margaret River Chocolate.

I was also mum’s wine tour guide for an afternoon of tastings at the likes of Howard Park, Juniper, LS Merchants, Vasse Felix to name a few. Yes there were more… way too many for mum, I should have cut her off sooner hah!

But it wasn’t all wining and dining and we need some moderation afterall, so one of the main reasons for the trip was to take mum along the Cape to Cape Track for a couple of hikes as she has recently started hiking. The first walk was a very picturesque 8km return walk from Smiths Beach along the track to Wyadup Rocks with a mix of granite, rocky and sandy terrain. We had a quick dip at the natural Aquarium on the way back. It’s such a stunning coastline!

The next day we did the 3.8km return hike to Quinninup Falls. It’s a great one to do early morning as we got to enjoy the serenity all to ourselves.

We both enjoyed a full body massage at Margaret River Massage in town. It was a very calming place and enabled us to fully unwind. Exactly what we needed after our busy schedules of late.

Our last day was spent with a relaxing coffee from Combi Coffee overlooking the surf at Surfers Point. We then headed for Quindalup for brunch at Goanna Bush Cafe before the journey home. Another beautiful setting surrounded by nature.

We always have a great time visiting the Margaret River region, it really is a beautiful part of the world with always something new to discover. And don’t worry mum and I are doing just fine – back to enjoying each other’s company.

I have a little work travel coming up to get me through until my Europe trip which is coming together very nicely 🙂

Until then…

LWL xxx