What’s new this autumn?

Quirky new cafes, crisp new beers, a wine shop, paella on the Cape Track, ice creams at an animal farm, sound meditation and a gallery featuring life-size ocean art are just some of the new offerings in the Margaret River Region.

Here are 16 awe-inspiring new experiences to inspire your autumn adventures.

Busselton Pavilion at Busselton Central opened its doors in the height of summer, with a gastro pub and wine shop taking centre stage. Chef Brendan Pratt pulls together an ever-evolving menu, paying tribute to fresh seafood, local produce and an imported speciality rotisserie. On the drinks front you’ll find the best of the beer and wine scene, daily pours, and stay tuned for their distillery – a gleaming copper still is sailing from Europe right now.

Just around the corner, The Mermaid’s Cave has a new addition – a bright café where you can pop in for tasty snacks and drinks to dine in or take away. The team is also bright and bubbly; they take pride in employing neurodiverse superstars and ensuring that the café is an LGBTQ+ welcoming space.

Brekkie-brunch champions, Riversmith Café, are now also open for dinner Thursday to Sunday evenings. Gather the gang for dinner and drinks on the main street of Margs, often with live music. Love their generous breakfasts? Never fear, they still offer the classics such as a big breaky or pancakes plus a great selection of burgers, 7.30am – 1pm, 7 days a week.

Rivendell Winery has expanded its offering to now include a full restaurant menu – lamb twice cooked in their Cabernet sounds particularly tempting – and pizzas will be added soon. Enjoy with a glass of wine grown here on the estate or pick a pint of local beer (three on tap, plus tins in the fridge). They still have the delectable High Tea featuring patisserie from Maison Lassiaille.

Olio Bello – much loved for scenic glamping, delectable lunches and golden olive oil – just made their first-ever Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. With just a tiny quantity made you’ll have to join the waitlist to buy the first bottles, due for release in 2025.

Just landed at Shelter Brewing Co. is a crisp Italian Pilsner “refreshing as a dip in Lago di Como or a Capri cliff jump.” We’re sold. The red-checked can is reminiscent of a tablecloth, laden with salumi, burrata and Nonna’s torta. Can’t make it to Italy this year? Head to Shelter instead for a molto bello brew.

Scoops Farm is a new ice creamery and animal farm, that recently opened on Caves Road near Margaret River. Pick from 32 flavours of Mai Tardi Gelato and relax on the lawn while the kids play. There are chooks, cows, goats, aplacas and guinea pigs waiting to meet you. Entry is free with the purchase of an ice cream or coffee.

REDSEA Gallery celebrates the abundant creativity of our local artists alongside East Coast and international talent. The gallery opened its doors with superb new sculptures and paintings by Leon Pericles, Lauren Wilhelm and Alice Linford Forte (to name a few) and a schedule of upcoming exhibitions to be announced soon. Chris Churcher opened the new space in early March, bringing over 20 years’ of experience as owner and founder of REDSEA Gallery Singapore.

Ian Daniell’s fascination with whale sharks drew him to Western Australia from London, and he’s set to open the new Ian Daniell Art Studio & Gallery at Easter. It’s within this Cowaramup space he creates Life-Size Ocean Art, painting iconic marine species in bright block colours at 1:1 scale. See photos from Ian’s wild marine encounters, working drawings and buy signed prints, scaled down from the life-size original.

Into wine, but not sure why and how Margaret River wines have such a world-class reputation? Waves of Wine will introduce you to some fantastic new wineries and give you the take-home knowledge to analyse a wine and articulate what you appreciate most in your favourite drops. Jeremy is your charismatic guide with plenty of wine and touring experience and local knowledge. Choose from a 6-hour wine tour or private charter for up to 13 guests.

Longboard Horizons are ready to teach you the basics of longboarding, freestyle longboarding and longboard dancing, all at the Margaret River Skatepark or Recreation Centre, or Busselton Foreshore. Experience the exhilaration and pure fun, build your fitness, skills and balance, and – bonus – find an eco-friendly new mode of transport.

Ever wanted to hike the incredible Cape to Cape Track, but haven’t quite got all the ultra-light gear and bandwidth for organising and planning? Cape2Camp just launched its self-guided but fully catered hike and tent experience. “Walk on track, sleep on track” is their mantra, and autumn hikes commence March to May. The food and drinks are said to be delicious, with an awesome Spanish Paella the star attraction.

Frequency of Light is a new holistic hub offering ancient sound therapy, energy balancing, mindful meditation and pulse electromagnetic field therapy. They invite you to manifest your own wellness and to find bliss in a pure environment.

Uniquely Balanced just added a new bell tent sound space to their Kilcarnup studio, specially prepared for group sound meditation sessions. Visiting with a small group? It promises a tranquil and cosy experience, whereby soothing sounds guide you into a state of deep relaxation and inner peace, leaving you feeling rejuvenated.

Curious to experience hempcrete and passive solar design in action? Indica Hemp House is a new luxury home built from locally grown industrial hemp formulated into hempcrete. Its eco-friendly and sustainable features include high raking ceilings, double glazing, an EV charger and burnished polished concrete floors, helping the home achieve an excellent 8.7/10 energy efficiency rating. Situated in the Wilyabrup Vineyard Estate, there’s plenty of room for friends – 4 master bedrooms each with an ensuite.

We eagerly anticipate Wayfinder, a hybrid cellar door/wine bar with food, set to open in Dunsborough any day now. They take a light-touch approach to grape growing and winemaking, caring for their vines organically and sustainably to make “clear conscience wines”. We can’t wait.