The South West of Western Australia is the part of the state that surprises people who expected the whole of WA to be red desert and empty coastline. It's not. It's tall karri forests that block out the sky, Margaret River producing wines that beat French Bordeaux in blind tastings, surf breaks that draw competitive surfers from around the world, and a coastline from Bunbury to Esperance that has more good beaches per kilometre than almost anywhere in Australia.
It's also green in a way that catches people off guard. The south west corner of WA has a Mediterranean climate and it shows. In spring the wildflowers are extraordinary. The forests are ancient. The food and wine scene in Margaret River has been punching well above its weight for decades. It's a genuinely different side of Western Australia and one that people consistently underestimate.
What South West Australia Tours Cover
Margaret River is the centrepiece and justifiably so. The wine region covers about 50km of coastline south of the town of Margaret River and has over 200 wineries and cellar doors. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the flagship varieties. The region also has some of the best surf breaks in Australia (Margaret River Pro is one of the Championship Tour events), sea caves, ancient karri and jarrah forests, and a town centre with good restaurants and a food culture that takes local produce seriously.
The Busselton Jetty is the longest wooden jetty in the Southern Hemisphere at 1.84km. It has an underwater observatory at the end and a train that runs the length of it (because walking 1.84km each way is optional, not mandatory). The marine life around the jetty pylons has been colonising the structure since 1865 and is genuinely impressive for snorkellers and divers.
The karri forests near Pemberton are some of the tallest trees in the world. Karri trees grow to 90 metres and some of the trees in the Pemberton area are centuries old. The Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree has a spiral of metal pegs hammered into it to the top, 75 metres up, and people climb it (voluntarily, there's no harness). It's one of those activities that's either exhilarating or absolutely not happening depending on your relationship with heights.
Esperance and Lucky Bay sit at the far eastern end of the South West region, about 7 hours from Perth, and are worth the drive. Lucky Bay has been measured as having Australia's whitest sand (it's an actual measurement, not marketing) and wild kangaroos that lie on the beach like they own it, which to be fair they do. The waters around Esperance and the Recherche Archipelago are a shade of blue that makes people accuse their own phone cameras of filters.
The Stirling Range National Park has the only mountains in the South West, rising sharply out of the flat surrounding farmland. Bluff Knoll at 1,099 metres is the highest peak in the south west and on clear days has views across to both coasts. It's about 4 hours from Perth and an excellent day hike if you're in the area.
How Long Do You Need?
Margaret River and the immediate surrounds can be done in 3-4 days and feel like a complete trip. A South West loop from Perth including Busselton, Margaret River, Pemberton, the Stirling Range, and Esperance takes 7-10 days and is a genuinely excellent self-contained trip. Tours operate on various itineraries depending on what you want to cover.
Pair the South West with Rottnest Island and the Pinnacles for a full Perth region stint, or check the things to do from Perth page for more options. Back to the West Coast Australia hub for everything.
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