In October, the whales migrate past Western Australia and it’s a direct flight to Perth from Jakarta, so we decided to head down there for our break. We had heard great things about the hiking, whale watching, and wine, and we were excited to check it out.
Fremantle is a suburb of Perth, and is a center for craft brewing, so we decided to check that out first. We had a great day wandering around town doing a little shopping and trying the local brews and delicious food. After Fremantle, it was time to head south to the Margaret River area. We stayed one night in Dunsborough and were lucky enough to happen upon Yarri. Our AirBnB host had recommended three restaurants in town, and Yarri was the only one that was open. So, after a stroll around the town’s beautiful coastal walkway, we wandered over to try their 6-course tasting menu. It was outstanding – one of the best meals we’ve ever eaten! What a treat!
Next up was whale watching. In the morning we headed to Busselton to catch the All Sea Charters boat tour. The tour was in a small boat, so we had great views of the whales. We were in luck – a mother and baby decided to hang out just off our boat so the mama could show baby how to be a whale.
We got to see a ton of tail flips, and the baby even stuck its head out of the water to look around! We couldn’t have asked for better views of the whales – the boat has to stay far enough away to not harm them, but we still saw so much. It was unbelievable how many whales were out there. We stood near the helm and talked to the captain for a while, and he could see whales off in the distance almost the whole time!
After whale watching on the boat, we couldn’t get enough of the whales, so we decided to check out the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse’s whale-viewing walk. From this short trail you can see whales passing by right offshore! We spent about an hour watching whales pass by. We probably saw 20-30, at least!
Another treat this week was that we stayed several days at Olio Bello Lakeside Glamping. It’s a working olive farm that has luxury tents grouped along a small lake. We loved being able to look out at the lake as we ate our breakfast in the morning, and having a fireplace in the chilly evenings was cosy. We couldn’t believe that our bathroom even had heated floors. Glamping guests are also allowed to walk around the olive farm, which was a delightful view into the olive production operation.
Mid-week we decided to do the Margaret River Discovery Tour instead of a traditional wine tour. The tour had only 6 guests on it, and we spent the day canoeing, seeing waterfalls and the beach, hiking, and having a delicious lunch in the barrel room at Fraser Gallop Estate. It was a magical day. We saw parts of the Cape to Cape track that are difficult to access, and had a tranquil paddle on the Margaret River. It was an ideal day for us!
For our last full day in Margaret River, we decided to do a bit more hiking. We drove over to Gracetown to do a recommended stretch of the Cape to Cape Track there. It was a windy and beautiful day for a hike, and we were the only people out. What an amazing last walk!
We had an amazing week in Western Australia. I’m so glad we took advantage of our location here to get to see this unique ecosystem. It was a beautiful week filled with whale and bird watching, hiking, canoeing, and of course great food and wine. We made one more stop to enjoy some local cheese on the way back to Perth. Thanks, Australia, for showing us a good time!
