Presented in partnership with Tourism Western Australia
If you're a fan of world-class wine, incredible food and surreal landscapes guaranteed to take your breath away, there's nowhere better to feed your appetite for adventure than Western Australia.
Picture this: towering forests casting shadows over clusters of fragrant wildflowers; a 12,500-kilometre coastline of cream-coloured sandy beaches nudging against an ocean so clear you can see your face in it, plus the warming rays of up to 3,000 hours of sunshine per year. Combine that with some of best wine tasting experiences on the planet and a world-class food scene and you've found yourself in one of Australia's most desirable destinations.
Ahead of the reveal of The World's 50 Best Vineyards 2025 in Margaret River, here are ten ways to make the most of a trip to Western Australia.
1. Go on a grape escape
Visit some of the region's top wineries, such as the Leeuwin Estate (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Home to six distinct wine regions with more 100 cellar doors to discover (and stop for a glass to sip, naturally), Margaret River in Western Australia is the place to be for the budding oenophile or grape connoisseur alike. Many of the region's wineries also have renowned restaurants on site, serving up some of Australia's best 'paddock to plate' produce – think fresh marron, trout, venison, chocolates, cheeses and cherries as well as rare black truffle.
With an on-site art gallery, seasonal events including jazz nights and art-themed dinners, Leeuwin Estate is the perfect wine retreat. The best bit? The epic arrival, which involves a privately chartered flight an hour's cruise from Margaret River airport.
If you like your wines biodynamic, head to Cullen Wines in Wilyabrup to try its 'self-guided spiral-garden biodynamic tour', designed to teach visitors the vineyard's philosophy and techniques through touch, sight and smell. If you indulge too much at the tasting table after, extend your visit overnight at the self-catered homestead.
2. Learn about the area's first in habitants
Venture into the bush to connect with the ancient land (Image: Frances Andrijich)
Western Australia's Aboriginal history dates back more than 60,000 years – making it one of the world's oldest living cultures. Ensure you honour the original custodians of the land by finding out more about their rich history and traditions, from foraging for traditional bush foods and medicine to taking an Aboriginal-led tour of ancient artwork or experiencing the magic of a live didgeridoo performance inside an underground cave on Wadandi Country (the land encompassing the coastal areas around Geographe Bay, extending inland to Nannup, and including the towns of Busselton and Augusta).
3. Spend the night in Perth
Visit the region's capital city for an urban getaway (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Prepare yourself for more outback adventures with a restorative stay in the region's capital city. Not just your typical sprawling cityscape, Perth is home to a plethora of lush, green spaces, including the stunning Kings Park and Botanic Garden – one of the largest inner-city parks in the world. At 400 hectares, it's bigger than Central Park in New York, and home to more than 3,000 endemic species of flora, which you can sniff to your heart's content with a guided tour of the botanic gardens and spring wildflowers.
When you need to rest your weary head, seek out the sleek comforts of one of the city's premier hotels, The Ritz-Carlton Perth. Set on the banks of Swan River, this towering feat of architecture is imposing on the outside, inviting on the inside, with a nature-inspired palette of warm wood tones, lofty ceilings and soft golden light courtesy of the floor-to-ceiling windows. While away the hours admiring the view from the fifth-floor infinity pool (or neighbouring bar), before breaking bread at Hearth, the hotel's flagship dining room dedicated to spotlighting regional flavours and producers with fare that's cooked on an open fire and paired with local wines.
4. Go beach hopping in the city
Perth is also home to 19 beaches (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
As well as skyscrapers, museums and galleries galore, Perth is home to 19 pristine metropolitan beaches. Head to Scarborough for an action-packed programme of surfing and water sports or to take advantage of the beach's recently renovated skate park and bouldering space. For your own piece of paradise relaxing on white sands while witnessing one of the best sunsets in the world, make your way to Cottesloe Beach in time to watch the sun dip below the seascape.
5. Spot some local wildlife
Grab a picture with a friendly quokka (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
If you've ever wanted to take a selfie with a quokka a la Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Roger Federer et al, Western Australia has you covered. Famous for their furry smiling faces, these friendly Aussie marsupials can be found on Rottnest Island, just 19 kilometres offshore from Perth. Just remember – no touching and no feeding, only smiling allowed!
If you prefer your mammals water-bound, head to the South West shoreline between June and November to witness the annual migration of humpback, southern right and blue whales, or get up close and personal with these gentle giants by hopping on a whale watching cruise.
6. Get wet
Swim alongside aquatic life (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Speaking of sea life, Western Australia is renowned for its spectacular coastlines, which include sheltered lagoons made for snorkelling, a surprisingly consistent surf for keen boarders and some sensational swimming beaches complete with postcard-perfect powdery sand and azure water.
If you only choose one place to dip your toes, make it the World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Reef on Western Australia's Coral Coast, which offers the opportunity to see endemic marine wildlife such as manta rays, sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins and hundreds of fish species. Each year from March to July, you might be lucky enough to swim with whale sharks; visiting from August to October ups your chances of taking the plunge alongside humpback whales.
7. Go for gold
Experience otherworldly surrounds and unique sculptures in Lake Ballard (Image: Tim Campbell Photo)
Discover historic townships, a spectacular desert wilderness of undulating brick-red sands and a taste of gold-rush history in the Golden Outback region. The natural landscape here presents an otherworldly display of rugged rocky outcrops and wild woodland, studded by naturally occurring salt lakes in shades of rust, teal and marigold.
Visit Lake Ballard in the Goldfields region, home to the world's largest outdoor gallery created by UK sculptor Antony Gormley, to spot the 51 steel human statues scattered around the lake, the designs of which are based on residents from the nearby town of Menzies.
8. Follow the trails
Venture out on one of Western Australia's many picturesque hikes (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Whether you prefer to travel by foot, two wheels or four, Western Australia has myriad trails, hiking routes and coastal tracks to keep even the most intrepid explorer engaged.
Hike: Strap on your walking boots to stride along the spectacular coastal Cape to Cape Track that winds the 130kms from Cape Naturaliste to the Cape Leeuwin lighthouses, taking in the sweeping cliff-top views and sugar-sand beaches of Ngari Capes Marine Park along the way.
Drive: Pack up the car for a day trip winding through the towering karri trees of Boranup Forest. Just 25-minutes' drive south of Margaret River along Caves Road, this dreamy trail is best experienced at golden hour, when the sun streams through the silvery trunks of the karri to touch a forest floor carpeted with wildflowers, orchids and seasonal funghi.
Bike: Keen offroad cyclists are spoilt for choice with a series of mountain biking trails crisscrossing through Collie, Margaret River and Nannup. Serious peddlers with time to spare can also tackle the Munda Biddi off-road cycling trail – the longest continuous off-road cycling trail of its kind in the world at more than 100 kilometres-long.
9. Go underground
Explore many of the region's striking caves (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Live out your lingering Indiana Jones childhood dreams at some of Margaret River Region's most magical caves, all of which are between 15-35 minutes' drive from the town centre.
Jewel Cave: Be bedazzled by this crystal-encrusted cave, which also contains one of the longest stalactites in the world.
Lake Cave: Take the plunge at Lake Cave by descending the 350 steps of its sinkhole entrance.
Giants Cave: Scramble, squeeze and scale Giants Cave kitted out in torches and helmets – take note, the cave is unsuitable for children under six years old.
Mammoth Cave: Traverse this gargantuan, 500-metre-long cave to find the 50,000-year-old Australian Megafauna 'zygomaturus' jawbone embedded on the cave wall. This is one of the more accessible caves in the region, with wheelchair access to the first chamber.
Ngilgi Cave: Discovered in 1899, this has remained one of the region's most beloved destinations. Embark on the Koomal Dreaming tour to the centre of the cave or discover the Ancient Lands Experience, which takes visitors on a journey to discover 600 million years of stories associated with the land and its people.
10. Feast and be festive
Get a taste of local flavours at the Pair'd food festival in Margaret River (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
Tourism Western Australia's site helpfully lists a number of ways to discover the very best produce the region has to offer via a series of local-producer-driven food and wine trails – try the Blackwood River Valley food and beverage trail, for example, to taste your way from small batch liqueurs and ports at Birdwood Fruit Winery in Bridgetown to handmade farmhouse cheese from Cambray Cheese in Cundinup. In addition, they have a listing of dedicated festivals to celebrate the region's wine producers.
Make sure you're in Margaret River from 20-23 November 2025, as the region will host Pair'd – a food-and-wine-centric festival consisting of 30 events spread across four days, each curated to showcase the best of the region's wine, food and culture.
Discover more incredible experiences in Western Australia.
The list of The World's 50 Best Vineyards 2025 will be revealed at a live awards ceremony at Amelia Park Wines in Margaret River, Western Australia on 19 November. Bookmark the 50 Best Vineyard's website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for the latest content on the best vineyards in the world.
