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Margaret River Travel Tips: What To See, Eat And Do

Heading To The Margaret River? Here's What To See, Do, Eat (and Drink!)
aimie rigas

It's easy to look at the five-hour flight time and think 'Why wouldn't I just go to Bali' but the Margaret River region, or 'Margs' as it's known to locals, is definitely worth the travel.

Boasting beach views with a side of beautiful wineries, it's every bit as pretty as it is relaxing.

If you're into food, wine and chilling on the beach (i.e. all of us) it's a must-visit -- and you don't even need to pack your passport!

WHERE TO STAY:

Sitting on its very own vineyard, Cape Lodge is old-school luxury at its finest. Voted Best Australian Boutique Hotel, Cape Lodge has 22 luxury suites and a stunning lakeside restaurant that boasts a pretty spectacular breakfast view. We can personally recommend the French toast with fresh figs, fig cream and vanilla labna for breakfast (pictured below).

And, let's be real, if it's good enough for Katy Perry, Sting and Bill Clinton, it's good enough for us.

Listed as one of the Small Luxury Hotels of The World, Smith's Beach is beachfront living at its finest. The best part is, despite the incredible beach views, fireplace, infinity pool and top notch breakfast spot it never feels crowded. The roomy beach houses are definitely a winner for family and group holidays.

The view from this place is MAGIC. Perched high above the Indian Ocean with limited mobile phone reception, it's the perfect spot for pamper time. It also feels romantic so honeymooners and couples will get a real kick out of the private villas which have their own dipping pools.

WHERE TO EAT (AND DRINK):

Wine on tap. Need we say more?

There's also delicious pizza, so let's leave it at that.

Located right on Gnarabup Beach boat Ramp, the breakfast here is next-level amazing. This reporter can personally recommend the brioche French toast, maple panna cotta, fresh banana, cinnamon sugar, roasted hazelnuts and coffee mascarpone (pictured above).

Lamont's has you covered from a casual breakfast, a relaxing arvo with your mates or an intimate dinner for two. The food is as delicious as it is Insta-worthy, so enjoy.

WHAT TO DO:

Cape-to-Cape walk with Walk Into Luxury

After all that eating, you'll need to do some exercise. The views on this trek are so incredible you'll forget you're working at it. The guided tour also comes with a backpack filled with snacks and a fancy baguette so it's basically a walking meal -- win!

It's like an Easter egg hunt only way, way tastier. Oh and a really clever dog (ours name was Bella) will guide you to the buried truffle goodness. Truffle hunts are only held during the winter months from late May to late August. But if you're keen for a truffle experience you can always swing past and book a table in the Truffle Kitchen for lunch. The truffle ice-cream is worth the visit.

Executive chef Michael Elfwing has a pretty impressive resume -- think Heston Blummenthals' Fat Duck and Cheong Liew's The Grange -- and the cooking school package at Cape Lodge sees you get some face-to-face time with him so you can steal his tricks. The best part is you get to eat it all afterward.

Olive Oil tasting at Eagle Bay Olives

Sure, you don’t normally look at olive oil and think ‘Yummm I’d love to swig some of that’ but it’s a good lesson for anyone confused about the difference between quality Australian olive oil and some of the nasty foreign stuff. Plus this place is absolutely stunning -- and you can buy a picnic platter to eat on the property!

Learn how to pair wine with food at Voyager Estate

Enjoy a guided tour around this stunning property (and taste wine straight from the barrel!) before enjoying a tasting of the full wine range along with a six-course dining experience. It’s every bit as delicious as it sounds.

Eagle Bay Olives and Voyager Estate products are now available as part of Qantas epiQure’s new gourmet food range.

GETTING THERE:

Qantas operates daily services from all Australian capital cities to Perth. You can find the best fare of the day on Qantas.com.

This reporter can personally recommend flying business if you're looking to really #treatyourself. For starters, the newly renovated business class lounge in Perth serves WOODFIRE PIZZA. Also, there's a flatbed in business which makes catching the redeye comfortable.

GETTING AROUND:

The Margaret River region is quite large and there's a lot to see which means a hire car or driver is the best way to travel.

Perth Luxury Tours specialise in small, private customised tours and you can choose half or full days depending on what you need. They also offer airport tours for those coming from interstate.

Aimie Rigas travelled to Margaret River as a guest of Qantas and Tourism Western Australia.

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