Busselton to Margaret River 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. Here's the long way from Busselton to Margaret River, stop by stop, with a plan for when it rains.
- The quick road
- 48 kmBussell Highway, straight down, under an hour
- The good road
- Caves RoadThrough Dunsborough and Yallingup, past the coast
- Stops
- 6Pick three or four if there are kids in the back
- Made here
- FoodThis one's about the food makers and what they make
Swim where there are flags
The west coast beaches look like postcards and swim like the open ocean: rips, reef and waves that come out of nowhere. Most of them aren't patrolled at all.
If you're swimming, pick a beach with lifesavers on duty in season and stay between the red and yellow flags. Anywhere else, keep it to a paddle. Meelup, on the bay side, is usually much calmer than the west coast. Calm water still needs care, so keep a close eye on children.
Six stops, bay to river mouth
Caves Road south, with a detour or two inland, and Bussell Highway home. Scroll down and the line drives it with you.
-
STOP 1
Busselton Jetty
Start at the jetty. It runs 1.841 km out into Geographe Bay, the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. If your legs are saving themselves for later, a little solar train will take you out and back in about 45 minutes.
At the far end, the Underwater Observatory takes you 8 metres down a spiral staircase to look at the fish looking back at you. Tours depend on the wind and the sea, so go early and book ahead.
TrainAbout 45 minutes returnObservatory8 m below the surface, up to 44 people a tourParkingCar parks along the foreshore. Check the signs for time limitsIf it's blowing a gale
Tours stop when the sea gets up. Duck into Origins Market on West Street instead: a permanent indoor market where Obison Coffee Roasters and Capricopia both trade. Check which days it's open.
-
STOP 2
Meelup Beach and Eagle Bay
Round the bay past Dunsborough, Meelup is the calm one. It sits in Meelup Regional Park, with shaded grass, barbecues, showers and a coastal walking track. With kids or a picnic, it's the easiest beach stop of the day.
Castle Rock is at the reserve here too, if you want a short walk before you get back in the car.
FacilitiesBarbecues, shade, toilets, showersWaterBay side, calmer than the west coastWalkCoastal track from the car parkOn the way to the lighthouse
Eagle Bay Olives is on Cape Naturaliste Road: a family-run grove planted in 1998, with more than 1,200 trees. Pick up a bottle of oil or a jar of dukkah for the car.
New makers, once a month
One short email a month: the makers we have added, what is in season, the odd gift list.
-
STOP 3
Cape Naturaliste and Sugarloaf Rock
The lighthouse tour is 59 steps to the top, and the ticket gets you into the museum and grounds as well. Book through the Capes Foundation.
From the lighthouse, a 3.4 km sealed path runs to Sugarloaf Rock, suitable for assisted wheelchairs and prams. It's the first stretch of the Cape to Cape Track. Look at the rock from the lookout and don't try to cross to it: the ground is dangerous, and red-tailed tropicbirds nest there from September to February.
Lighthouse59 steps, museum includedPath3.4 km sealed to Sugarloaf RockWildlifeTropicbirds nest Sept to FebIf it rains
Stick to the lighthouse tour and the museum. Skip the walk to Sugarloaf and keep the day moving.
-
STOP 4
Yallingup: a cave and Canal Rocks
Ngilgi Cave is the one you explore yourself. Allow about an hour and a half for the whole thing, or half an hour if you stay above ground. Inside there's an optional crawl tunnel for kids, and a nature play area waits at the end.
About 4 km south, Canal Rocks is a run of granite with a timber footbridge across the channel the sea has cut through it. The Cape to Cape Track passes the lookout, so it's worth ten minutes on foot.
CaveSelf-guided, about 1.5 hoursKidsOptional crawl tunnel, nature play areaCanal RocksFootbridge and lookoutAbout 12 minutes inland
Gabriel Chocolate makes bean-to-bar chocolate at its own factory in Metricup, with a cafe attached. It's a good place for a hot chocolate if the wind has come up.
If it rains
This is your stop. The cave is the same inside whatever the weather, and the chocolate factory is just inland.
-
STOP 5
Gracetown and Cowaramup
Gracetown is a small town on Cowaramup Bay. Take the turn-off for a look at the bay, then head inland to Cowaramup for the shops.
Cowaramup is where this trip turns into shopping. Seven Seas Tea blends loose-leaf by hand on site, Temper Temper makes chocolate on the same stretch of highway, and at Bettenays you can watch the nougat being made.
TeaSeven Seas Tea, blended on siteChocolateTemper Temper, hand-temperedNougatBettenays, a kitchen you can watch- Bettenays Visit Bettenays (opens the maker's own site in a new tab)
- Seven Seas Tea Visit Seven Seas Tea (opens the maker's own site in a new tab)
- Temper Temper Visit Temper Temper (opens the maker's own site in a new tab)
Watch it being made
Bettenays makes its nougat on site at a family property in Cowaramup, with a kitchen visitors can watch at work. The 180 g bars travel home well.
-
STOP 6
Margaret River and the river mouth
Margaret River town is 48 km from Busselton the direct way. Parking is free in all the Shire's towns, with a few timed bays on the main street. The Fudge Factory has a window onto its kitchen, and Vasse Virgin has a store in the township.
Finish a short drive west at Prevelly, where the river meets the sea. This is serious surfing country, so watch the surf from the shore rather than swimming. If there's light left, Boranup Forest is about 25 minutes south on Caves Road. Its karri trees grow further west than anywhere else, and Boranup Drive is fine in a normal car.
ParkingFree, a few timed bays on Main StreetFinishPrevelly, where the river meets the seaBonusBoranup Forest, 25 min south- Margaret River Fudge Factory Visit Margaret River Fudge Factory (opens the maker's own site in a new tab)
- Vasse Virgin Visit Vasse Virgin (opens the maker's own site in a new tab)
On the main street
The Fudge Factory has been making fudge by hand in Margaret River since 1999. Grab a slab for the drive home up Bussell Highway.
If it rains
Stay in town. The Fudge Factory, Vasse Virgin and Margaret River Hemp Co's store are all here, and Olio Bello has a tasting room on its olive farm nearby.
Day trip questions
How far is Margaret River from Busselton?
About 48 km by Bussell Highway, the direct road, which takes under an hour. The coast way along Caves Road through Dunsborough and Yallingup is longer, and that's the point of it.
Can you see Busselton to Margaret River in a day?
Yes, if you pick your stops. All six in this guide make a full day. With kids, choose three or four, and put the jetty train and Ngilgi Cave on the list.
What is there to do between Busselton and Margaret River when it rains?
Head underground or indoors. Ngilgi Cave near Yallingup is the same whatever the weather, and the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse has a museum. Origins Market in Busselton is indoors, and the maker shops in Cowaramup and Margaret River are good places to wait out a shower.
Is parking free?
In Margaret River and the other Shire towns, yes: the Shire says parking is free, with a few timed bays on the main street. Around the Busselton foreshore and jetty, check the signs on the day for time limits.
Which beaches are safe to swim at?
No beach is safe every day. Your best bet is a beach with lifesavers on duty, between the red and yellow flags, in season. Meelup on the bay side is usually calmer than the west coast, but it still needs care. Check Beachsafe before swimming anywhere unpatrolled.