Margaret River to Wave Rock in Western Australia: Part Two of 45 Days Around Australia

Part Two: Margaret River to Wave Rock in Western Australia

The second part of our 45 days around Australia were spent in Perth & surrounds. If you missed our first part in Adelaide, you can read about it here. During our 3 years in Australia, we’ve spent a little time here and I was very excited to get back to the area.  Perth is a lovely city.  We’ve done a kayak tour in the city, and spent time in Rottnest Island previously.  So this time, I wanted to hit up Margaret River (yes more wine) and to make the drive out to Wave Rock.  Enjoy these photos of our time here! In case you missed our trip outline, you can check it out here.

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Margaret River

Much like Barossa Valley, we wanted to be able to really enjoy the wine, so we did a tour so neither of us had to drive. However, this time we did a wine and 4×4 tour.  We then spent an extra day in the area as well on our own.

Where We Stayed: Margaret River Tourist Park

Favorite Part: There is great diversity to Margaret River. Around Australia, most people know it for wineries. However, there is so much more. We did a great tour with Margaret River Exposed.  Our guide, Hank grew up in the area and knew all the places to take us.  From caves, to lighthouses, off-road driving to hiking, he knows it all. I would highly recommend him.  It’s also a completely private tour for no more than a group tour.  He tailors it to what you want to do.

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Things not to miss:

• Start the day watching surfers catch a wave

• Then head to Lake Cave, something I wouldn’t have done without a tour but was quite spectacular.

• Join an off-road tour that will take you to hidden places.

• Finish the afternoon hiking part of the Cape to Cape walk. If you’re really into hiking, this seemed like a great 5 day walk along the coast from one lighthouse to another.

• Finally, cap off the day by visiting wineries.

Least Favorite Part: On the way to Margaret River we stopped a the Busselton Jetty because my tourist book said it was great, and so did several brochures from the visitor centre. It’s the longest jetty in Australia and maybe the world, but friends, it’s a jetty. That costs. Just to walk down. It’s completely over-rated, and I should have known.

Biggest Tip: Give yourself time to explore the area.  We did a tour one day then were on our own the next and it was great.

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Wave Rock

This was a long drive, but I was determined to see this phenomenon. It didn’t disappoint. It’s hard to justify or describe driving 5 hours out-of-the-way for a rock, but it’s just special.  The aboriginal culture is so special and you really get a feel four it out there. There’s also “hippo rock” which is either a short walk or even shorter drive from Wave Rock.

Where we Stayed: Lake Grace Saltbush Inn

Favorite Part: We found that there’s more than just the rock itself.  There are a couple of other rock formations as well and amazing aboriginal artwork, definitely worth seeing.

Least Favorite Part: There’s not many places to eat in the area, so be sure to plan for that. We essentially had a dinner at a petro (gas) station. However, they did have good burgers.

Biggest Tip: It’s definitely worth doing Wave Rock but I would certainly advocate spending the night. There’s more than just a rock and you’ll really get a sense of the outback if you do. There are heaps of day tours from Perth, but if you spend the night, you’ll see more.  Also, some of the oldest aboriginal artwork int he world are found here as well, which I didn’t know before hand.

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Have you been to Perth, Margaret River, or Wave Rock? If so, let me know in the comments. What was your favorite part?