The gods of wine and the sea, Bacchus and Neptune, have certainly smiled on the northern part of the Margaret River region, generally called 'Naturaliste' in honour of Cape Naturaliste, at the western edge of Geographe Bay. It's also the northernmost point of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge that separates the sheltered waters of the Bay from the southern Indian Ocean. We stayed at the sea-side village of Yallingup and ventured outwards from that point to experience the beautiful Margaret River wine region, the fabulous coast along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park and the bustling towns of Dunsborough and Busselton.
Coastal Beauty
The coast in the Naturaliste region is a feast for the senses! We watched people playing on famous Prevelly Beach, near the township of Margaret River and went swimming and snorkelling in a number of pristine, calm, shallow bays protected by an offshore reef, with plenty of fish, rocks and undewater gardens. The waters are warm due to a mix of certain ocean currents and so, are full of wonderfully striped and colourful fish species. For raw, natural beauty, the beaches in the National Park, including Injidup Beach, Canal Rocks and Smiths Beach were sensational. Our little beach at Yallingup was also lovely as the water was deep, calm and crystal clear. A daily afternoon dip in the sea became a regular routine during our stay. At the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse, we did a great walk along the headland and visited Bunker Bay, which was also very beautiful.
Bustling Busselton
We visited the town of Busselton to view the famously long jetty and have some lunch - seafood of course! We also spent some time at Dunsborough, which is quite trendy with lots of nice shops and cafes. A bit like the Noosa of southern WA.
Wine
Margaret River is famous for its wines and fresh organic produce, so we combined the two in a long lunch at a boutique winery called Wills Domain. The food, wine, service and scenery was excellent! Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.
Next stop - Wellington National Park, east of Bunbury
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