New Year, New Experiences

From exhilarating cruises to getting off the beaten track, here are some of the new experiences in the Margaret River Region worth getting off the sun lounger for.

The sight of ‘Willie’, a 67-foot pearl lugger, sailing across the bay is unmistakable. Breathe in the fresh air and relax as the experienced crew expertly hoist the sails and navigate the bays of Busselton or Dunsborough. Morning or afternoon cruises are available, with canapes included and drinks available to purchase from the on-board bar.

A memorable day for salty sea dogs and landlubbers alike. Willie is spending the summer months in the south west, before heading up to Broome for the rest of the year.

The crew at Shelter Brewing Co have really made the most of their prime Busselton Foreshore possie with new Sunset Cruise experiences available. Start with a drink at the venue to get in the swing of things, then head across the grass to the Busselton Jetty and jump aboard their boat laden with drinks and snacks. Enjoy bobbing along Geographe Bay while the sun sets, then it’s back to Shelter for dinner.

Truly the quintessential Busselton holiday experience. Available Thursdays and Fridays until the end of February, bookings essential.

Prefer your cruise to be a little more… luxurious? South West Cruises have recently introduced their Taste of the Bays experience, with a 7-course progressive dinner served as you serenely navigate the sapphire waters of Cape Naturaliste. Perhaps a sunset dip between courses? Or if you prefer, lounge on the upper sun deck with a glass of Margaret River wine in hand.

The menu is distinctly local, with fresh seafood the hero. Available between now and April, dates are filling quickly – bookings essential.

For a different perspective of the region, you can’t beat taking to the skies. Step aboard KAS Helicopters and live out your Succession fantasies, albeit with better views and less drama. There are a range of different experiences available, from a 30 minute joyride over Busselton Jetty and along Geographe Bay, through to full day excursions stopping for a winery lunch.

Special occasion coming up? Talk to the team about getting dropped off in style, you’d be surprised at where their experienced pilots can land!

Just the right amount of exciting, Eco Adventures have just launched a new tour taking you through 18 kms of the magnificent trails of Forest Grove. It’s educational, exhilarating, and eco-friendly – what more could you want!

iPads help to illustrate the stories told by your guide, as you navigate private tracks not usually accessible.

When visiting Fraser Gallop Estate you could easily be forgiven for thinking you had been magically transported to a (highly Instagrammable) English manor, complete with delightful parterre style formal garden. Their new ‘Taste the Vineyard’ tour is a behind the scenes peek into how their awarded wines make it into your glass, with tastings happily included, all while being chauffeured between locations on a solar powered EV buggy.

With a cap of just seven guests per tour this is an intimate and entertaining way to get to know the estate.

Bigger is better! As the most accessible show cave in the Margaret River Region Mammoth Cave is ideal for families, and as its name suggests it’s also one of the biggest. Visiting is a great activity all-year round, as the temperature in the cave is consistently comfortable. The surrounding Marri forest is currently recovering from recent bushfires but expected to produce some incredible, lush regrowth over the next few years.

In the meantime, the route as you explore the cave has been slightly amended to support the forest in its regeneration.

The Lentedal cellar door is perfect for families, with room to run around and friendly farm animals. This summer they have introduced outdoor movies every Saturday night, with tickets priced at just $8 for adults and $4 for kids. Arrive early to nab a good spot and take advantage of their gourmet DIY BBQ packs, featuring produce from their neighbours. Or if you don’t feel like flipping burgers, they also have woodfired pizza available to order.

Bring a picnic blanket, pour a glass of their new release Chardonnay, and enjoy one of their family friendly movies – it doesn’t get much better than this.

As far as family friendly venues go The Colony Concept is right up there, with a nature playground, outdoor games, an educational bee room with glass-sided hives, and of course lots of delicious honey! In an exciting development the on-site restaurant has just been taken over by the legends at Foodlosophy, who are incredibly passionate about their paddock to plate ethos and connection with the local community.

Expect Mediterranean flair and a simple menu served with care.

Everyone loves a fun day at the beach, but sometimes the idea of packing up all your gear (and remembering everything) then lugging it from the carpark and across the sand sounds like a bit too much. The Beach Collective understand this predicament, and have introduced a new service at the iconic Bunker Bay beach that will have you relaxing and enjoying the pristine shore in style – and with zero effort. Each package includes an umbrella and two sun loungers, plus beach games, snorkelling gear, water and sunscreen.

Available Friday – Sunday, bookings can be made online.

Established in 2014, Walsh & Sons have now officially set up a cellar door in partnership with artisan small goods producers The Farm House. Relaxed and rustic, it’s designed to be a place to come together and wile away an afternoon. On weekends popular food trucks Feelin’ Chippa and Nortena will be parked up and ready to sling some tasty treats, or try one of the grazing boards on offer featuring local produce.

Seated tastings of their current release wines are also available (bookings recommended), and if the scrumptiousness of the wine doesn’t convince you to take home a bottle or two, the stunning label artwork will definitely do the trick.

Have you ever wondered what life is really like as a winemaker? Or perhaps you would love to dive a bit deeper into the world of wine than simply a standard cellar door tasting. Earn Your Vino is the providing a new way to enjoy wine travel throughout Margaret River and Western Australia’s wine regions. Kicking things off is Pick n’ Sip – a four day winemaking experience running from 20-25 February. Join wine and travel journalist Cassandra Charlick along with one of Margaret River’s highest accoladed winemakers in this intimate and intensive four-day winemaking immersion during Margaret River’s white vintage season. There are just a few spots left on the February, with May and July dates opening up soon; jump onto the website to sign up to book or reserve a spot for future dates.

The new kid on the main street in Margaret River, Rio’s is a cruisy spot for an afternoon bevvy on the balcony. But as the sun goes down the beats turn up, and a rotating cast of DJ’s jump behind the decks to get the party started. Drinks are their speciality, with a very solid cocktail menu featuring all the classics and a local-centric wine list.

The doors open every afternoon from 2pm, with food available Thursday to Sunday.