Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine

Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine

Kayaking Margaret RiverImage: Tourism Western Australia

Ask anyone what they think of first when you mention Margaret River and the likely answer is wine and surfing. If you’re a surfer, don’t bother to keep reading. You’ll be kept busy with the world-class surf breaks in the region.  For everyone else, wine lovers included, read on. Here’s a list of things to do in Margarete River that will let you indulge guilt-free in wine, cheese and chocolate later on.

Things to do in Margaret River

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Image: Tourism Western Australia

Margaret River Mountain Biking

One of the top things to do in Margaret River is exploring the excellent mountain bike trails. Some of the WAs best and most accessible mountain biking trails are located near Margaret River. The Pines, off Carter Road, offers a network of trails suited to all levels of mountain bikers including plenty of single tracks and obstacles for experienced riders.

For a more leisurely alternative, try the Trail to Rails. The former railway line has been converted into an off-road walking and cycling trail and runs from Witchcliffe to Cowaramup and passes through Margaret River township.

Dirty Detours organises biking tours and will take you to some of the best spots that only locals know. See this blog post for more details.

Bike hire can be arranged from Margaret River Cycles.

Margaret River Horse RidingHorse riding in Margaret River

If you’d rather see the sights on a horse than on a bike there are plenty of opportunities to get in the saddle and go horse riding in Margaret River. The very friendly team at Jesters Flats offer a range of tours suited to all level riders. Choose from the twilight rides, country lane tours or the more exhilarating Bushman’s ride. If you love the idea of being a Jackaroo, try the Drover Tour where you get to experience Australian farm life and ride around cattle.

The Mirvale Riding School near Yallingup also offers horse-riding lessons, pony rides for small children like we did here and Twilight Rides.

 Margaret River Hiking

Things to do in Margaret River

Image Tourism Western Australia

Hiking through the southwest’s incredible scenery is one of the best things to do in the Margaret River region.

There’s no better hiking trail than the scenic Cape to Cape Track. The 132km track is Australia’s longest coastal trail and meanders along the spectacular coast from Cape Naturaliste in the north to Cape Leeuwin in the south. Along the way, the trail offers the best views of the natural wonders of the region, including world-class beaches, forests, rock formations, cliffs and wildflowers.

You can do the whole trail and camp along the way, or do a section at a time. You’ll easily find the trail markers at most beach carparks between the two capes.

For more walking and hiking suggestions near Margaret River read this blog here.

Margaret River Stand Up Paddle BoardingThings to do in Margaret River

There are plenty of opportunities for Stand Up Paddling along Margaret River’s coastline and on the river. The protected waters around Gnarabup, Dunsborough and Gracetown are great for beginners and those who prefer flatwater to gnarly waves. Alternatively, have an adventure and go paddle boarding along the river.

SUP hire, lessons and guided tours are available at Gnarabup Beach, in front of The White Elephant Café and at the Dunsborough foreshore during the summer months.

Margaret River Abseiling and Rock Climbing

West Australia may not be known for its huge mountains, but there are still a few opportunities to get vertical. The cliff ranges at Wilyabrup offer some of the region’s best climbing. Other options are Moses Rock, which is shorter and smaller than Wilyabrup and great for beginners, Wallcliffe, Gracetown Crag and Bob’s Hollow.

Guided tours can be organised with the Margaret River Climbing Co.

Skydiving in the Southwest Things to do in Margaret River

For the most thrilling thing to do in the Margaret River area, go skydiving. For the ultimate birds-eye view of the spectacular coastline, jump out of a plane with Skydive Geronimo.

Flights take off from Busselton with a  with the option of landing on the beach. You also get a 20-minute flight to altitude with views of Geographe Bay, Cape Naturaliste and the Margaret River wine region.

Find out how to go on a tandem skydive here.

Margaret River Caves

Margaret River caves

The caves in the southwest region are one of the best things to see in Margaret River. The region has a sophisticated network of caves with more than 150 Caves under the Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge stretching from Yallingup to Augusta.

Depending on the cave, these can be explored on tours or at your leisure. Ngili Cave, near Yallingup, offers torchlight tours and adventure caving. See my article here on the best caves to visit in Margaret River.

Margaret River Kayaking

Kayak hire is available at Margaret Rivermouth, Prevellly and offers one of the best ways to discover the tranquillity of the river.

The very popular Bushtucker Tours continue to be one of Margaret Rivers most popular tours and let you explore the natural diversity and ecosystem of the region.

Have I missed anything? What’s your favourite thing to do in the Margaret River region?

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Things to do in Margaret River

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18 Comments

  1. Love the hiking picture – the forest looks so beautiful and majestic. Makes me want to go there someday.

    • Nina B says:

      Hi Leaf, thanks for the visit. The picture is from the Boranup Forest, just south of Margaret River and if you ask me, this is one of the prettiest places in the southwest.

  2. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  3. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  4. Casey says:

    So many great activities! I really need to plan another trip south. Thanks for the great post Nina 🙂

    • Nina B says:

      Hi Casey, thanks for the visit. Plenty of things to do in this beautiful part of WA. Best of all you can reward yourself with a great glass of wine afterwards 🙂

  5. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  6. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  7. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  8. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  9. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  10. […] and of course those legendary beaches and gigantic Karri forests. Here are some other options for Margaret River which don’t involve […]

  11. […] Things to do in Margaret River that don’t involve Wine […]

  12. […] Margaret River is known as an award-winning winery and brewery region, there’s a bunch of things you can do that don’t involve wine, perfect for new drivers. Get amongst nature with some mountain biking, horse riding or hiking. Or […]

  13. […] I know. When I told them of my plans, they were confused as to why I didn’t plan to visit Margaret River […]

  14. Brad says:

    Thanks for this amazing guide. We just got back from an amazing holiday in Margaret River. I can highly recommend a private tours from The Margaret River Experience WA. Jye’s tours are fun and relaxed, allowing you to visit just about destination you like within the region.

  15. Brad says:

    Hi Nina, we recently spent a few days hiking on the Cape to Cape Track and I can certainly agree that it’s one of the most beautiful hiking tracks in Australia. The entire track can take up to 6 days so we didn’t see it all, but still had an amazing time. We were lucky enough to come across Terry from Star Class Tours Margaret River, who met us at our finishing point each morning with our vehicle and then drove us to the starting point, so we could drive our vehicle home (and even stop off at a winery or brewery on the way for dinner).

    • WA Explorer says:

      Thanks so much for the comment, that sounds like a wonderful way to enjoy the Cape to Cape. It’s a challenge figuring out how to get the vehicle from point to point so using Star Class Tours is certainly a good option. Hope you had a great time on the west coast.

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