The journal

Day trips, walks and gift runs across the South West. Every line on this map is one of them.

24 guides

  • Lighthouse to lighthouse in five days

    Two lighthouses, 125-odd kilometres of cliff, beach and karri forest, and not much in between but the Indian Ocean.

    Five days, six makers on the way

  • Which market's on, day by day

    The regular markets from Busselton to Margaret River that we could confirm from the organisers' and the council's own pages, sorted by the day they run: Busselton's Sunday market on the foreshore, the indoor one that opens four days a week, the Saturday farmers market, the Sunday square and Dunsborough's monthly Saturdays.

    Four stops, 10 makers on the way

  • The soap and skincare trail, from goat's milk to olive oil

    Hand-cut bars and goat's milk soap at a Busselton market, a Dunsborough maker whose first soaps set in milk cartons, an olive oil soap factory at the end of a tree-lined drive, and hemp on the main street.

    Four stops, six makers on the way

  • The sweets trail, from the foreshore to the fudge window

    Chocolate made behind an orange wall on the Busselton foreshore, ice cream on Commonage Road since 1993, nougat you can watch being made, and fudge poured behind a window on the main street.

    Four stops, five makers on the way

  • The food trail, from market stall to pantry shelf

    Hemp from a North Jindong farm, olives and jam from a Metricup property, a Cowaramup kitchen shop and a hot sauce stall at the Saturday market.

    Four stops, five makers on the way

  • What to bring home from Margaret River (that isn't wine)

    Chocolate, honey, olive oil, tea, soap, fudge and handmade ceramics: what to bring home from Margaret River that isn't wine, who makes it, where to buy it in person, and which makers post Australia-wide.

  • Flying home with South West honey, oil and jam

    On most domestic flights in Australia, honey, olive oil and jam can go in your cabin bag.

  • Bringing the dog? Here's where they're welcome

    Dogs aren't allowed on the Cape to Cape Track or Busselton Jetty, and national parks are off limits apart from a few designated dog areas.

    Six stops, eight makers on the way

  • Margaret River, planned in one, two or three days

    Two days covers the town, one cave and a stretch of coast.

    Three days, eight makers on the way

  • Where the land runs out between two oceans

    Augusta is where the Blackwood River meets Flinders Bay and the mainland runs out of south-west.

    Three stops, two makers on the way

  • Six caves down south, and which one is yours

    Six caves are open to the public between Yallingup and Augusta, and they are not the same cave six times.

    Six stops, three makers on the way

  • Two whale seasons, one coast

    Tourism WA says whale-watching tours run from Augusta between May and August, and from Dunsborough and Busselton between September and early December.

    Four stops

  • Truffle country, and a tree you can climb again

    The Gloucester Tree is open again.

    Three stops, two makers on the way

  • Bay side, ocean side, and a cave in between

    Dunsborough sits on the bay.

    Six stops, three makers on the way

  • Walk the jetty, then meet the makers

    Every list of things to do in Busselton starts with the jetty, and so does ours.

    Five stops, six makers on the way

  • Christmas gifts made in the South West

    Nougat in red and green, a chocolate bar its maker compares to Christmas cake, olives for whoever's hosting lunch.

    43 gift picks, five stops

  • Skip the queue, buy the beans

    Busselton has no shortage of cafes.

    Four stops, four makers on the way

  • The good oil, straight from the grove

    Four stops on the Capes, from a family grove with donkeys at Eagle Bay to a Margaret River business whose olive oil went into soap years before it went into bottles.

    Four stops, four makers on the way

  • The chocolate trail, from bean to bar to fudge

    A factory that starts with raw cacao, two chocolatiers on the highway, nougat you can watch being made and a fudge shop with a window onto the kitchen.

    Three stops, six makers on the way

  • Caves, a jetty train and a fudge window

    This family guide skips the cellar doors altogether.

    Seven stops, three makers on the way

  • The Cape to Cape, a few kilometres at a time

    You don't need five days and a tent.

    Five walks, four makers on the way

  • The coast road south, in one good day

    A jetty with a train on it, a lighthouse, a cave you climb down into, and makers' shops the whole way.

    Six stops, eight makers on the way

  • When it rains down south, head underground

    July is the wettest month down here: 194 mm on average at Witchcliffe, over 19 days.

    Seven stops, nine makers on the way

  • Take the South West home with you

    Chocolate ground on stone, honey from one kind of tree, a soap scented with Boranup Forest in mind.

    39 gift picks, five stops