Margaret River Takes Summer to the FAR* Side
*FAR means Fun, Adventure, and Relaxation
Summer is that time of the year when getting away from the daily routines becomes a must. It is the brightest, most exciting season of the year. Summer is when Mother Nature’s beauty is in full bloom, when fishing seems more bountiful, and when tourists seek the fun, adventure, and relaxation that only Margaret River has to offer.
Now is the optimum time to gift yourself with a well-earned holiday and try something new. Whether that something new is a holiday of carefree fun, quality time with family and friends, or just a laid back few days set aside to recharge your mental and physical wellbeing. Whatever you have planned, you will find it in Margaret River, the best vacation spot in all of Western Australia.
Whether this is your first time in the area, or you are a regular holiday guest, whether you prefer rise and shine or dine and dance events, there will always be new activities and attractions for all age groups. To help you make the most of every visit, we offer the following recommendations for your consideration as you travel in and around your favourite holiday destination.
Fun is What You Make of It
Occasionally the best plan for having holiday fun is to have no locked in agenda. When you find yourself looking for a fun filled activity that’ll be a hit for the entire family, Margaret River has a smorgasbord of delightful and amusing recreational options available. One popular recommendation is to enjoy the wonder and awe of spending the day in the country on a family friendly animal farm.
Sunflowers Animal Farm
The novelty of this people friendly animal farm is in your ability to interact with over 350 farm animals and orphaned baby kangaroos. You can hand feed them, get into the pens with them, hug them, pet them, and talk to them. Only Pommy the talking bird will actually have a chat with you. Even though the rest of the animals don’t talk back, you’ll enjoy the occasional lick on the face or when they snuggle their face into your hand or along your pant leg.
There are two daily bottle feedings in the baby farm nursery when you have the opportunity to give a baby animal a bottle of milk. You’ll see the regular range of farm animals like cattle, lambs, pigs, chickens, turkeys, and horses. You’ll also be able to get up close and personal with kangaroos, ducks, rabbits, alpacas, an ostrich, a Shetland pony, guinea pigs, geese, and an assortment of wild birds roaming around the farm.
Other amenities include a BBQ area, tracker rides, and an elaborate pirate ship play area. The farm has a souvenir shop and they sell the most delectable, local, handmade Simmo’s ice cream. It’s easy to see how you can spend the entire day at this one location.
The Sunflowers Animal Farm is open every from 9am to 5pm, but they are closed on Christmas day. There is an entrance fee and they charge $3 for a full bucket of animal food. The farm animals enjoy being around people and they quickly come to love the most those people with the animal food buckets.
For information about the farm or to purchase entry passes, you can call the Sunflowers Animal Farm directly on (08) 9757 3343 or view their website at https://www.sunflowersfarm.com/. The farm is located at 5561 Caves Road, Margaret River, Western Australia 6285.
Adventure Happens When the Lure to Explore is Calling Your Name
Is the energy of the summer season pulsing through your veins? Are you looking for one or more adventurous activities? If you answered yes, you’ll be happy to know that here in Margaret River we have many unique and irresistible outdoor venues suitable for all ages. We offer the following recommendations where you can turn your energy into some of the most memorable moments of a lifetime.
Adventure by Land
Eco Adventures Margaret River: Electric Quad Bike Tours
This is the only place on the globe where you get to explore 18kms of the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park in Margaret River on the exclusively built EcoBike. The bike tours give you an up close and personal experience with the natural wonders of our ancient forests.
You, or anyone in your group with a valid international or Australian driver’s license, can drive the 4WD quad bike as you travel the forest trails seeing natural wonders that few local residents have ever experienced. Each tour has a personal guide and each driver and rider is given a helmet, a helmet liner and a pair of goggles. Each bike has an iPad mini so that you have full exposure to the facts, history, and legends about your tour destination.
There are two tours daily that need to be booked on the Eco Adventures Margaret River website at https://ecoadventuresmargaretriver.com/, or by phone at 0498 654 588. If you have any questions or need additional information, you can send an email to lee@ecoadventuresmargaretriver.com. While there is no upper limit on the age of participants, there is a minimum 4 years of age for riders on the quad bikes.
Eco Adventures has a starting location at the intersection of Caves Road and Vlam Road in the heart of Margaret River. You drive south on Bussell Highway to Forest Grove Road, about 6 kms past Witchcliffe, and turn right. Stay on Forest Grove Road to the end of the road and turn left onto Caves Road. Vlam Road is 10kms down Caves Road. You will see your guide and the quad bikes on your right. Come for the adventure and leave with a richer understanding of nature’s origins and beauty.
Adventure by Sea
Margaret River Surf School: Surfing Strategies for Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced Surfers
When the warm weather rolls around do you dream of learning to surf or about improving your current surfing skills? Are you eager to hear the cry of Surfs Up?
Well, dream no more. The Margaret River Surf School has the teachers, the equipment, the certifications, and all the water you could ever need.
The surfing school has special classes for the very young between the ages of 5 and 12, and a variety of skills qualifying classes for everyone over the age of 12. You can join in a group class or sign up for an individual class. In addition to surf lessons, stand up paddle classes are also available.
The school is locally owned and managed by Jarrad and Domanie Davies and classes are available daily from 7am to 7pm. The majority of the classes are taught at the Redgate Beach location. If, for any reason, the classes need to be taught elsewhere, you will be notified of the alternate location.
To enquire about or sign up for a class, you can visit their website https://margaretriversurfschool.com/ or contact them direct on 0401 616 200. You will be given directions on where, when, and how to get to your surfing class. Now is the time to turn your dreams into reality. All you need to do is take the plunge.
Adventure by Air
Scenic Helicopters: Margaret River Scenic Flights
If riding in a helicopter is on your bucket list, now is the ideal opportunity to check off that goal. Scenic Helicopters has a range of custom designed flights to accommodate first time riders to those seeking a 5-star romantic getaway on a deserted stretch of a beach.
Flights can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as you want them to be. You’ll experience an aerial view of the wider Margaret River region that is more majestic than anything seen on the land. The longer flights give you the option to design a personalised ride or to accept the pilot’s choice of flyovers.
You also have the choice of an adrenaline ride with the doors removed or a more relaxing ride with the doors in place. You bird’s eye views include crystal beaches, renowned wineries, historic homes, cliff faces, national forests, farmlands, Lake Cave, and the full glory of the Margaret River itself.
Flights can be planned out to fly over lighthouses or to enjoy a unique wine tour in the air. Flights are also available to locate a school of seasonal Salmon swimming in the South West, where the pilot will land nearby so you can exhilarate in your best fish catch ever.
Want a romantic lunch on a pristine secluded beach? That can be arranged. And once you have reached your destination, the pilot will set the scene for your lover’s meal while you take a leisurely stroll over magnificent white sands. Truly an adventure of a lifetime.
Scenic Helicopters is located at the Margaret River Airport in Bramley, Margaret River. They are open daily from 6am to 6 pm and closed on public holidays. You can arrange for your helicopter flight by calling them direct at 0428 058 157, book online at their website https://www.scenichelicopters.com.au/margaret-river-scenic-helicopter-flights/.
Relax and Rejuvenate Your Mental and Physical Well-being
One of the main reasons that people go on holidays is to get away from day to day stressful routines. You expect to have a wonderful time full of exciting experiences while still managing to relax and enjoy every moment of your special getaway. The most relaxing activity is the non-activity of a personal massage.
Hana Mobile Massage
Nothing is more relaxing after a day of outdoor activities than having a full body massage and spa treatment in the comfort and privacy of your own Forest Rise chalet. Hana Mobile Massage is available by appointments only and will custom tailor your massage or spa treatment for your personal relaxation and physical rejuvenation. They come to you so that after your treatment you get to luxuriate in the glow of renewed physical stamina and mental stimulation.
Your masseuse is skilled in both Eastern and Western therapeutic techniques that will both relax and recharge your total body well-being. Hana Mobile Massage uses a combination of pressure points and warm compresses to improve circulation while relieving stress and tension. You can also request a refreshing exfoliating back and foot scrub.
You can request either a one hour or a one and a half hour session for either one or two people. You can contact Hana Mobile Massage by calling direct at 0449 155 374 or by sending an email to hara@aapt.net.au.