Epic alternative tours in the Margaret River Region

For over 60,000 years, the Wadandi People of the Busselton, Dunsborough and Margaret River areas have walked this ancient land. Koomal Dreaming is your opportunity to follow in their footsteps and experience Wadandi country through their eyes. Wadandi custodian Josh “Koomal” Whiteland will introduce you to the world’s oldest living culture with his authentic, personal interpretation of the region’s native flora, fauna and traditional stories. Choose from tours where you’ll taste native bush foods and experience traditional fire lighting, or head down to Ngilgi Cave for a memorable Didgeridoo performance.

There’s nothing like having your own little slice of paradise when on holiday. Jump out on the water with Sailing Charters WA, and you won’t be able to wipe the smile off your face for the whole day. Whether you go for a sunset cruise, a swim and lunch cruise or a private day-long charter, you’ll be sailing, swimming and sipping on the Indian Ocean right beside the region’s gorgeous coastline.

Enjoy a cruise of Augusta’s beautiful Blackwood River with local tour guide and skipper Graeme Challis, whose grandparents first settled along the river in 1923. A totally unspoilt wetland, this area is a hotbed for wildlife and Graeme will be able to tell you all about it on one of his Augusta River Tours. For total serenity and true immersion in nature, this alternative tour is the go.

Scenic Helicopters offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour the entire stretch of the Cape to Cape coast by air. For those looking for the ideal romantic treat, book a flight to your very own secluded beach and treat your loved one to a gourmet picnic hamper and champagne on ice. There are plenty of alternative tour options to pick from.

Combine your experience of the Margaret River Region with a unique tour of the broader South West pocket of WA with Untamed Escapes. Offering six to ten-day journeys from Perth to Adelaide, encompassing the Margaret River Region, Albany, Denmark, Esperance and even South Australia’s Nullarbor and Eyre Peninsula, these guys really are the go-to for a full-blown Australian adventure. In Margaret River, enjoy wine tasting, surfing, and pristine beaches, all wrapped up in their 100% carbon-neutral tour packages. You’ll finish the journey with a more complete perspective of what makes this part of the world so incredible.

If you’ve always wanted to give mountain biking a go but don’t know where to start, On Track Mountain Biking is the answer. Offering tailored and private mountain bike tours for the trail enthusiast, they take care of pickups from accommodation, trail uplifts, skills instruction for local conditions, and transport back to your accommodation. You’ll love the local experience stopovers on the way, introducing you to the exceptional wine, craft beer and food the region has to offer. Don’t want to get too sweaty? Opt for an eBike tour instead!

Experienced rider or not, you’ll want to get out on a Jester’s Flat horse. It’s a completely surreal way to experience an alternative tour in the region, whether it’s through the bush, along the coast, or across the countryside at twilight.

The tour for people who don’t do tours! That is, if you can manage to nab a spot on one of Sean Blocksidge’s blockbuster adventures with the Margaret River Discover Co. One of the region’s most in-demand experiences, Sean’s tours have you paddling down the river, walking the cape to cape, tasting wine, and dining in a barrel hall – all with one of Margaret River’s most recognisable and lively personalities in your ear. You’ll be guaranteed some photos for the mantlepiece too.

One of the newest tours on offer, Passel Estate’s Nature & Wine Walk is perfect for wine lovers who would also like to explore and learn more about the region’s native habitat and the flora and fauna that live within it. The Estate’s nature sanctuary has been protected and rehabilitated to encourage the survival of the critically endangered Western Ringtail Possum. You’ll enjoy a private guided tour, before stopping by the vines to learn about the terroir and why it is the perfect spot for making award-winning wines. Finish up with a wine tasting and cheese platter, and of course, the heart-warming knowledge that you have helped the Estate’s efforts in conservation. 50% of the proceeds for every booking go directly towards further conservation work.

There is no other wine tasting experience that is like the Pick + Sip experience at Whicher Ridge. It is an immersive wine tasting experience in the wine sensory garden adjacent to their cellar door. The experience is guided by the winemaker and gardener herself, Cathy Howard. The garden was planted in 2014, and is Australia’s first wine sensory garden. The garden is planted with a huge range of different fruiting trees and bushes, herbs, flowers and seasonal vegetables. By joining this tour, you’ll discover where wine flavours come from, how the style chosen by the winemaker introduces extra flavours and texture into the wine, and how soil and seasonal weather conditions also impact the taste of a wine.

Filefish Sea Experiences makes your childhood fantasies come true. Transform your aquatic adventures by learning to glide through the water with grace and elegance, just like a real mermaid. PADI Mermaid Courses offer a unique opportunity to learn the art of mermaid swimming, combining fun and fitness in a magical underwater experience. Perfect for all ages, their courses provide a safe and supportive environment to explore this enchanting skill.