Welcome 2023 with these exciting new experiences.
While it’s tempting to spend your holiday revisiting the brilliant places you discovered last time, there are some great new offerings for you to check out.
Swap trusty old favourites for the Margaret River Region’s hottest new bars, bites and boutique distilleries this summer. Try a new sunset cruise or train ride, a walking brunch tour or craft workshop – there are plenty of recently launched experiences sure to give your friends FOMO.
Starting in Busselton, the famous jetty has long been a great place to catch a sunset. Now it’s even better, with Shelter Sunset Cruises and Busselton Jetty’s Sunset Tours and Train Rides. Two awesome ways to soak up the sunset, beach vibes and serenity.
A Shelter Sunset Cruise involves sunset beers and nibbles from the deck of the Cape Crusader, followed by dinner and another bevvy at Shelter Brewing Co. Watch for the flash of Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse as the light fades on Busselton’s foreshore.
If you’ve seen the starfish, weedy sea dragons and sea lions during daylight, check them out after hours on Busselton Jetty’s Sunset Tours and Train Rides this summer. Book the 5pm Underwater Observatory Tour on selected Fridays and Saturdays in January.
Finally, Busselton has Stand Up Paddleboard hire and lessons! The calm waters are the perfect place for a sunset SUP, a lesson or to hire and practice paddling. Check out SUP Life Busselton at the beach end of Gale Street.
And the coastal sunsets don’t stop there, check out more returning faves to get you out on the water this summer.
Need to leave the driving and decisions to someone else?
Let Up Close and Local Tours whisk you away on an all-inclusive tour, picking you up from Perth or your Margaret River accommodation. They’re Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) accredited wine educators, so expect to really make the best of your visit to our world-famous wine region.
The much-loved Walk Talk Taste Brunch Tour is back on Fridays after a Covid hiatus. It’s not just delectable sipping and grazing; host Kellie Tannock shares stories, secrets and surprises from the region’s fascinating history, industry and culture.
Mainland Australia’s tallest lighthouse, Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, is back in business after a major 15-month restoration which saw moss removed, mortar replaced, and metalwork and timber restored.
Climb the 43-metre-tall sentinel on a guided tour to feel the salty breeze and see where two oceans meet.
Love High Tea?
You’ll have a hard time choosing between the brand-new offerings at Maison Lassiaille and Rivendell Winery Estate.
Pastry Chef Romain Lassiaille brings Parisian-style patisserie to Maison Lassiaille Metricup, and just started serving a High Tea once a week. Think egg sandwiches embellished with gold leaf, petite pannacotta and tiny truffled quiche. BYO bubbles, bookings essential.
Rivendell Winery Estate puts on a sumptuous High Tea with a glass of sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Noir and a sunny spot on the deck overlooking glorious gardens. There are delicate sandwiches, fresh scones and local cheese with handmade crackers. It’s followed by jewel-like cake, chocolates and macarons from Maison Lassiaille.
Ooze & Tang is a new neighbourhood restaurant known among locals for impeccable French-influenced food and service. Just opened in Abbey by Emily and Isaac from Yarri and Side Street Project.
Pies & Ale serves up handmade pies “worth driving from Perth for” in the quiet surrounds of Boranup Forest. There’s classics like pork pies, pasties, mash and mushy peas, and left field options such as chicken katsu curry pies or Burger Boy featuring a whole cheeseburger patty encased in shortcrust.
Rosie’s Café Deli opened on Cowaramup’s main strip, next to The Servo Taphouse (another newcomer). Serving brekkie, lunch and dinner look out for lovely French toast, chilli scrambled eggs and grilled polenta topped with asparagus.
At long last, Yarri courtyard sessions are back in 2023, with Yakitori every Friday and Saturday arvo. And in other good news, they’ve also added Friday lunches back onto their dining roster.
Culinary adventurers Fervor are in the region for three events this summer.
First up a collaborative 5-course dinner with natural farmers Si Vintners on 21 January 2023. Then a degustation dinner at Mr Barval to launch the Cabernet Sauvignon Riserva on 10 February, followed by a Sunday Sundowner with standing canapes and a live DJ on 12 February 2023.
Looking for an easy in-house dining option?
Look no further than breakfast, lunch and food hampers by The Little Farm. Ingredients are lovingly sourced from local growers, chefs, winemakers and artisans – think organic eggs, seasonal fruit and veg, hand crafted relishes, pickles and cheeses.
A handful of cocktail bars, a traditional tap house and several distilleries have popped up in recent months.
Pearl’s Bar at the top end of Margaret River town is a charming little spot for a classic cocktail and a few small plates to share.
Rhum Burgundy is set to open its doors any day now, a nautical themed den by cocktail king of Margaret River Billy Phillips and LS Merchants.
The Servo Taphouse brings 15 taps of joy to Cowaramup, with local breweries plus beers from Denmark (Europe), Sweden, New Zealand and England on the menu. Theakstons Old Peculiar, Garage Project, Omnipollo Anadrome and ToOL Hazy IPA representing just a few of the guest pours as this goes to print.
West Winds Gin has been crafted in the region for over a decade, and their Cowaramup Distillery opened just before Christmas. Taste their unique gins, vodkas and whiskey right where they’re made. The Tavern is set to open soon.
Heading down Caves Road, feeling thirsty?
Dune Distilling Co just launched a Gin Tasting and Cocktail Making Experience. Snack on a grazing platter while you learn about the distilling process, taste a variety of gins and experiment with cocktail shaking. Make sure to book ahead online.
Talking about new tasting experiences, we can’t help ourselves but flagging the intimate Amato Vino’s new wine tasting experiences “Flavour Flight” and “Savour Flight”. If you haven’t visited Amato Vino’s cellar door in the historic, lovingly restored, and heritage-listed building Darnell Trader’s in Witchcliffe, strap yourself in for a beautifully eclectic, artistic and immersive experience. To keep it fresh, weekly wine selections change each week. Meaning you’ll find yourself going back. And back. And back.
Hidden in the Vasse light industrial area is Light Heart Collective, a groovy studio space designed to bring people together with creative workshops. Sarah Roberts runs craft parties, kids classes and workshops in basket making, macrame and weaving.
Pop into Drapery Co for a spot of retail therapy. You’ll find summery clothing for men, women and kids, hats, colourful gifts and cute homewares. On the main street of Margs.
Another great addition to the local shopping scene is Marritree Fine Art & Books in Witchcliffe. Set within the historic Darnell’s Trader alongside Amato Vino’s Urban Cellar, it’s a magical space brimming with books and art, and the promise of writing workshops, music and poetry events to come soon.
