Planning a trip to Western Australia’s Margaret River area? There’s an easy trip out to Wave Rock you can take, if you have the time. It is a long drive out to the rock, but personally I found it worth it. Yes, we are talking about a rock here, but stay with me.
It’s an unique part of Australia, and well worth the visit. Just plan to spend the night out there. Here’s how to plan your trip from Margaret River to Wave Rock.
Margaret River to Wave Rock in Western Australia
Margaret River
Much like Barossa Valley, we wanted to be able to really enjoy the wine, so we did a tour so neither of us had to drive. However, this time we did a wine and 4×4 tour. We then spent an extra day in the area as well on our own.
Where We Stayed: Margaret River Tourist Park
Favorite Part: There is great diversity to Margaret River. Around Australia, most people know it for wineries. However, there is so much more. We did a great tour with Margaret River Exposed. Our guide, Hank grew up in the area and knew all the places to take us. From caves, to lighthouses, off-road driving to hiking, he knows it all. I would highly recommend him. It’s also a completely private tour for no more than a group tour. He tailors it to what you want to do.
Things not to miss:
- Start the day watching surfers catch a wave
- Then head to Lake Cave, something I wouldn’t have done without a tour but was quite spectacular.
- Join an off-road tour that will take you to hidden places.
- Finish the afternoon hiking part of the Cape to Cape walk. If you’re really into hiking, this seemed like a great 5 day walk along the coast from one lighthouse to another.
- Finally, cap off the day by visiting wineries.
Least Favorite Part: On the way to Margaret River we stopped a the Busselton Jetty because my tourist book said it was great, and so did several brochures from the visitor centre. It’s the longest jetty in Australia and maybe the world, but friends, it’s a jetty. That costs. Just to walk down. It’s completely over-rated, and I should have known.
Biggest Tip: Give yourself time to explore the area. We did a tour one day then were on our own the next and it was great.
Wave Rock
This was a long drive, but I was determined to see this phenomenon. It didn’t disappoint. It’s hard to justify or describe driving 5 hours out-of-the-way for a rock, but it’s just special. The aboriginal culture is so special and you really get a feel four it out there. There’s also “hippo rock” which is either a short walk or even shorter drive from Wave Rock.
Where we Stayed: Lake Grace Saltbush Inn
Favorite Part: We found that there’s more than just the rock itself. There are a couple of other rock formations as well and amazing aboriginal artwork, definitely worth seeing.
Least Favorite Part: There’s not many places to eat in the area, so be sure to plan for that. We essentially had a dinner at a petro (gas) station. However, they did have good burgers.
Biggest Tip: It’s definitely worth doing Wave Rock but I would certainly advocate spending the night. There’s more than just a rock and you’ll really get a sense of the outback if you do. There are heaps of day tours from Perth, but if you spend the night, you’ll see more. Also, some of the oldest aboriginal artwork int he world are found here as well, which I didn’t know before hand.
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