Holidays down here are expensive, we get it. When we aren't at work we live a pretty simple life, most locals do, and to live down here you get pretty good at finding the things to do that don't cost a crazy fortune... or tourist tax, as we all refer to it!
So we've compiled a list of what we like to get up to on some of our days off.
1. Visit Margaret Rivers only Organic Brewery and Winery-
We reckon the newly opened Bar Nature @Blind Corner is going to be the place not to miss this summer. Open December to Easter for the Season, Euro style!
Sip a glass of wine or a schooner of beer in the middle of a vineyard, all brewed made onsite by us. Grab some snacks from the shelves to fill the gaps after a morning of adventure. We have sourced the very best and interesting snacks from round the world for our shelves-Organic pot noodles, french crisps, cheeses and more, and yep we've created the sort of simple, relaxed place that we want to visit on our days off.
2. Margaret River mountain biking-
Ride through the forest trails on a selection of course graded the skill levels, always shady and cool riding through the beautiful Karri trees. Bit of a slog on the way back up, but good exercise and fun. If you don't have your own bike, you can hire them here which is a short riding distance to the trails.
Check here at the Hairy Marron for Bike Hire.
3. Laze on a white sandy beach with crystal clear Idian Ocean water-
Relax on one of the beaches of the Cape Naturaliste from Yallingup to Meelup, depending on the wind, one side or the other is always sheltered and offshore
4. Take a stroll on a world class hiking trail-
Walk part of the Cape to Cape on the cooler days, there's over 100km to choose from so matter where you are staying, all of it is pretty accessible off the main coast roads. Each part of it is equally stunning. The easiest part is sealed track from Cape Naturaliste to Sugarloaf. Plenty of great whalewatching north of the lighthouse from June to Sept as they round the Cape for their overnight stop in the Bay.
5. Fill your picnic hamper with the finest-
Saturday mornings at the Margaret River farmers market-local produce, great characters, and the freshest food around. we always stop by to grab our weekly veg and a few treats for the drive home, and anything beats fighting over fresh bread at Coles in the busy summer months.
6. Best After sun treatment-
Elski Danish Icecream, Dunsborough- a weekly treat as a family, the best made icecream around, no compromise on ingredients, seasonal, local and fresh.
7. Romance with your mates-
Sunsets over looking the west coast, drive down any beach road facing west and you'll watch sunset over the Indian ocean, pack a picnic and some drinks in your cooler and you have yourself one hell of a romantic and memorable experience. Even our teenagers get pumped about watching for the green flash.
8. Jump on in-
Find a hidden rockpool, our coast has an abundance of rockpools lining the shore at low tide, be captain of your own adventure and explore the nooks and crannies of our ever changing shoreline southwest coast..chances are they wont be there next year.
Or just visit the obvious, Injidup Natural Spa, the rock pool not the retreat. Cant miss it, its on google maps, guaranteed to be pretty crowded. But hey, if you really need that Selfie so you can let all your followers know you have discovered something that hundreds of hashtags before you have discovered, then go for it!
9. A swing and a stroll-
Play 9 holes of Golf... the Augusta Golf Course and the Old Dunsborough Golf Course have some pretty spectacular views out over the capes, both courses are $15 per person for 9 holes,(bit of a bargain we reckon), fun for the whole family for a couple of hours. Walk amongst the friendly Kangaroos (we dont recommend trying to pat them though) and enjoy the bush surrounds and ocean views. We always enjoy a cold beverage at the bar in Duns CC. Check their websites for closed days etc
10. A cheeky mid afternoon beer or cocktail at Bungalow Social-
While everyone is still at the beach, shopping or visiting the wineries and breweries of the region, we find a bit of calm here at Bungalow Social, in the outdoor garden, summer or winter its one of our favs. Sometimes we even order a sneaky mid arvo pizza to share as a snack before we head on home and finish our day on our deck away from the crowds.
We hope you have plenty of fun here during you visit, and you discover a few hidden gems for yourself.
Thanks for reading
Cheers
Ben and Naomi
