9 things to do in south west Western Australia that aren’t Margaret River
When you think of Western Australia, most people think warm, sunny weather and beautiful coastal locations. And they’re not wrong! However, that’s also not nearly the whole picture. South west Western Australia has some truly beautiful spots that are often overlooked for couples travel. Yes, for the cooler months, the popular holiday spot, Margaret River, is perfect for romantic couples holidays. But if you’re a fan of eco-tourism and beautiful landscapes, there’s plenty of other southerly spots to visit outside of Margaret River. So why not skip the crowds at Margs?
Here’s 9 things to do in south west Western Australia that aren’t Margaret River:
Historic Whaling Station, Albany
There’s a reason it’s called Albany’s Historic Whaling Station: it’s the world’s only intact whaling station tourist attraction. Located in Albany on the southern coast of Western Australia (5 hours south of Perth), the station is open every single day except for Christmas and is loads of fun for all ages. However, you might want to avoid the whale harpooning videos and photos if you’ve got little ones with you, they’re a bit gruesome!
There’s SO much more to see and do than just run around a whaling ship and check out giant whale skeletons! While you’re there, make sure you visit the Regional Wildflower Garden, and be sure to check out the Australian Wildlife Park (say hello to the very friendly cockatoo Pepe for us!).
All of the sections are included in your entry price, and you should allow half a day (3-5 hours) for the whole experience if you want to take your time and read/watch everything. Be prepared for quite a bit of walking.
Pro tip: visit the wildlife park mid-arvo and you’ll catch feeding time! The usually shy or nocturnal animals come out!
2. The Valley of The Giants Tree Top Walk, Tingledale
Not for the faint of heart, the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk is located in Tingledale. Located 40 minutes west of Denmark (roughly 5 hours drive from Perth) , the tree top walk lets you walk through the tingle forest a staggering 40 metres up in the air. If you’re afraid of heights, you might want to skip this one!
Even if you’re not afraid of heights, it can be a bit hairy, particularly if you visit on a wet and/or windy day. The walkways do sway, even with just another person walking on them, so be prepared for that. If you can handle all of that, it’s a breathtaking view from above and well worth a visit. If you can’t handle that, you can walk around the Ancient Empire and gaze up at the giants from a much steadier platform!
Pro tip: Visit early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid the crowds (and not have to wait for photos standing inside of the giants).
3. The Blowholes, Torndirrup National Park
Located about 15 minutes outside of Albany (5 hours south of Perth), the Torndirrup National Park is a stunning spot. Home to the blowholes, it’s a short 1.6km return walk (with beautiful views along the way) to visit this natural phenomena, just be aware that you will have to deal with some rocky terrain and a section of rather steep stairs to get to the blowholes. You’ll also have to pay a small entry fee to visit as it’s inside the Torndirrup National Park.
Pro tip: check out the swell forecast for the day before visiting to see if the blowholes are active. The bigger the swell, the more impressive the blowholes!
4. The Gap and Natural Bridge, Torndirrup National Park
After you’ve hit up the blowholes, on your way back towards Albany just 5kms down the road is The Gap and Natural Bridge, also located in the Torndirrup National Park. It’s a quick 30 minute visit, an hour at most, to see both. It’s a truly insta-worthy location with the viewing platform sitting 40 metres above the Southern Ocean below.
Pro tip: Heading back towards Albany, pop Sharp Point Lookout into Google Maps. It’s 9kms from The Gap, about 15 mins drive, and we didn’t see any mention of it in our Albany research! We pulled over when we saw the sign to check it out. It’s a bit of a bumpy road out there, but we were able to see spectacular views of the wind farm, back towards the Torndirrup National Park lighthouse, and we even saw whales!
5. Busselton Jetty, Busselton
2 and a half hours south of Perth is the coastal town of Busselton. It’s well-known as the home of Busselton Jetty, the longest jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. At 1.84kms, it’s not only quite the walk, it’s also home to one of only six Underwater Observatories in the world. You can take a stroll down the jetty (or ride the jetty train that runs the length) and read the historical plaques along the way. Or, if you prefer, you can check out the museum, go for an under sea helmet walk, scuba or snorkel, or partake in a range of seasonal activities including cruises, canoeing and more.
Pro tip: Wear comfy shoes. I ended up with massive blisters, it was a bigger walk than I expected!
6. Denmark Dinosaur World, Denmark
An unexpected delight! We just happened to pass a sign for Denmark Dinosaur World and thought it sounded like fun. So off we went, and we’re so glad that we did! It was a drizzly, wet day in winter, when we visited which meant that everywhere was pretty quiet, and there were only a handful of visitors.
The owner was absolutely lovely and we got to hold a snake, then had two colourful birds placed on our shoulders. While we walked around the bird enclosures we had two friendly winged guides that accompanied us. They were obsessed with Aaron’s shoelaces!
I recommend doing Dinosaur World (which you really only need maybe an hour or two to do, it’s quite small) and the next spot on our list in one day…
7. Denmark Animal Farm, Denmark
Just half an hour down the road from Denmark Dinosaur World, you’ll find Denmark Animal Farm and Pentland Alpaca Stud. Here you’ll have the opportunity to pet and feed a range of animals. There’s everything from adorable baby joeys to slightly terrifying but friendly emus, ready to peck pellets right from your hand.
You can get up close and personal with many of the furry faces and take as long as you like wandering around. We went on the same day as Dinosaur World so it was nice and quiet, I’m not sure how busy it gets during the warmer months.
Pro Tip: Stay at Torbay if you want a great home base around halfway between Denmark and Albany. We stayed at Beaumaris Escape in the Eagle’s Nest House and cannot recommend it highly enough. It sleeps 9, is pet friendly, and is on 46 gorgeous acres. Brekky on the veranda watching the sheep graze in the paddocks in front was BLISS!
8. Quinninup Falls, Yallingup
Located in Yallingup, just over 3 hours South of Perth between Dunsborough and Margaret Rivers, you’ll find Quinninup Falls. Best seen in winter when the water is flowing, it’s described as a ‘physically challenging’ hike that should take around 45 mins there and 1 hour back. There is a verrry steep sandy dune that is much more challenge to get back up than it was to get down, so keep that in mind!
Despite that, there were still smaller kids when we visited (maybe around 10 or so). The falls themselves are quite small, but it’s a very pretty spot if you happen to be passing by, or staying nearby. I wouldn’t go out of my way just to visit here, though.
Pro tip: Make sure that you head in the right direction and do NOT follow the Cape to Cape Track signs like we did. See number 9 for more explanation on this one…
9. Cape to Cape Track, Yallingup
If you’re feeling extra energetic after checking out Quinninup Falls, why not do a section of the Cape to Cape Track? Aaron and I accidentally hiked 6kms of it trying to find the waterfall track, which was on the other side of the carpark! The whole track is 123km long and runs along the coastline from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin. Along the way, you’ll be treated to stunning coastal views. Even though it intermittently poured down with rain along the way, we still had a lot of fun with it!
Pro tip: If you have a 4WD, there are so many paths off the beaten track that you can take to explore the area further, we just used Google Maps to keep us roughly on track!
We hope you enjoyed reading about these 9 things to do in south west Western Australia that aren’t Margaret River.
Let us know in the comments if you have any favourite spots in south west Western Australia that weren’t on the list, or if you have any questions!
Love you, bye!