Margaret River

The landscape on the way to Margaret River is beautiful! It's a great drive to a great town.

It's hard to be disappointed here, there is something for everyone, and it helps when the sun is always shining!

There is the beaches, a hot spot for surfers!

Amazing coastline!

Enjoying the afternoon sun.

The main street.

There is also the wineries! Margaret river is known for it's fine wine so we couldn't possibly visit without going to a few wineries just to make sure it's true. 

Our first stop was at one of the oldest wineries in Margaret River, Vasse Felix:

We also visited the Colonial Brewery and had a taste test and some lunch. We really enjoyed the beer here, all except the one we are testing in the picture!

Wood fire pizza, yummo!

Then it was back to the wineries.

Stella Bella is a newer winery, and Brenton and I both enjoyed the wine here!

I got to enjoy more as Brenton was the designated driver.

After a day of wineries and breweries we decided to venture out to Cape Leeuwin, the most south westerly place in Australia and where the southern and the Indian ocean meet. It's only about 50 kms from Margaret River.

The lighthouse grounds.

Once again we are not disappointed with scenery here, it's incredible.

Trying to spot some dolphins.

We booked in to do a tour of the lighthouse, you get to go all the way to the top! They run from 9:30am - 3:00pm.

It was the last tour of the day and we were the only ones on it, can't complain about a private tour!

Views half way up.

View from the top, Indian ocean on the left, southern on the right!

Inner workings of the lighthouse.

Brenton stepped out for a minute and then stepped back in and stayed in the doorway, don't think he was loving the heights.

Nice and windy up the top.

A random cow and even more random pose from me...

The next day we visited 3 of the caves that this coastline is also famous for, I have borrowed some of the text from the Margaret River website to best describe the caves we went to, it's all too complicated!

The first one we went to was Lake Cave;

Lake Cave is widely renowned for its treasured formation, the “Suspended Table”. The “table” a massive column of calcite weighing in excess of five tonnes that seems to hang precariously from the ceiling, defying gravity and hovering just a few centimetres above the lake.

 

The journey into the cave starts with a descent into a huge doline which was once the largest cavern of the cave. As you stroll down the 350 stairs you pass ancient Karri trees, some towering more than 20 stories high. The limestone cliffs of the doline are equally impressive - giant weathered stalactites are draped with spider webs creating the atmosphere of a primeval lost world – a stark contrast to the crystalline beauty which remains hidden and protected underground.

http://www.margaretriver.com/pages/stunning-caves/

'The table.

Scone break before the next cave.

Next we went to Jewel Cave:

Jewel Cave is Western Australia’s largest show cave and is home to one of the longest straw stalactites found in any tourist cave in the world.

The caverns of Jewel Cave sink to a depth of 42 metres and stretch 1.9 kilometres long. Your guide will take you on an incredible and informative journey following 700 meters of walkways and stairs through several large caverns. 

 

Inside the cave you will be bewildered by the colossal formations. The first descent takes you down a long, narrow tunnel which opens into a giant cavern. Jewel Cave creates the sensation of being under the ocean without the water. It has a soft golden glow and the sheer magnitude of its structure dwarfs its visitors.

And lastly we went to Mammoth cave, a self guided tour:

Mother Nature thought long and hard about creating Mammoth Cave. In this cave you can see all of nature’s fantastic forces at work. It is truly remarkable. At 500 metres long and 30 metres deep, you will observe many spectacular formations including the Mammoth shawl and the “Karri Forest” flowstone which resembles the unique karri trees of the region.

 

Mammoth Cave is a time capsule which reveals a fascinating amount of information about the local flora, fauna and climate. World renowned palaeontologists continue to visit Mammoth Cave to unlock its secrets about the region’s ancient past. As you journey through the cave lookout for the carefully lit animal bones and fossils and listen to the stories about extinct animals including the extraordinary Megafauna (giant mammals). Mammoth is home to many remains including that of a Thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger and a Zygomaturus, a huge wombat-like creature.  At the end of your journey through the cave you will climb the stairs up a magnificent doline and exit on the other side of Caves Road (which you have traversed underground). This time, surrounded by Marri forest, you will have the opportunity to return to your starting point either via a direct trail or a more scenic route that allows you extra time to appreciate the natural surroundings (in Spring you will also have the opportunity to spot delicate and beautiful orchids).

The caves were like nothing we have seen before, a must for any visitors to Margaret River.

We also caught up with a family friend for dinner who is lucky enough to live in this beautiful part of Australia, and then after staying a little longer than we first thought we would it was off, back on the road!