There’s a whole other side to the Australian coast that few see – but here’s how to get a scuba view with a difference worth diving for.
1. Underwater Photography Workshop, Port Stephens, NSW
Mastered the art of taking photos on land (or not)? Either way, you can now get snap happy underwater with this Dive 2000’s unique photography workshop.
Over a weekend at beautiful Port Stephens, you’ll improve your underwater photo skills as trained instructors teach you practical knowledge and techniques on capture styles, equipment, composition and lighting plus more. The quality ‘selfies with the fish’ you’ll bring back will impress the kids to no end… Suitable for intermediate divers; from $395 per adult.
2. Project Manta, Lady Elliot Island, Queensland
In the waters of Lady Elliot Island of the GBR, you can combine your love of scuba diving with doing good, contributing to the world’s first manta identification database (while frolicking with them in the water).
Glide along with the elegant manta rays.
Over eight days, you’ll photograph the mantas, study their habitat and help out leading scientists, in between unwinding at the very lovely Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort. See Earthwatch. Suitable for intermediate divers; from $3595 per adult.
3. Freshwater cave Diving, Mt Gambier, SA
Never heard of this experience? Good – the locals want to keep it that way! Diving Mt Gambier’s outrageously clear sinkholes is a truly unique experience: spot the rare pygmy perch and aquatic eels in Ewens Ponds, or head to the popular Piccaninnie Pond, where you can swim through the 30-metre-high, underwater limestone chamber aptly nicknamed The Cathedral.
Hopefully you’ll spot some tortoises on your way, too. Suitable for beginners, diving permits from $11 per adult; See Mount Gambier Point attractions
4. East Coast Dive Trail, Tasmania
It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Tasmania, but the east coast of this southern state offers 11 surprisingly great dive sites. From the northern town of Binalong Bay to Tasman Island, you’ll find shipwrecks, seahorses and everything in between in these turquoise waters; hire a car for a few days, make it a DIY scuba crawl and hop from location to location experiencing the sites (and sights) along the way.
Most are suitable for beginners. See Discover Tasmania for more information.
5. Dive with the wild sea lions, Baird Bay, SA
We just had to include this dive, which was voted one of our 100 Greatest Holidays of Australia. The wild Australian sea lions at Baird Bay are playful, cheeky and said to be more intrigued by us than we are of them.
Just sea lion around: Baird Bay, South Australia.
Play with them in the clear lagoons just off the Eyre Peninsula, experiencing their distinctive antics – and the local aquatic flora – at the same time. There are also bottlenose dolphins in the area, so you may get lucky and see both! Suitable for beginners; from $150 per adult, $75 per child; bairdbay.com
Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.
Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.
In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.
Day 1
Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.
There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.
Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.
Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.
Day 2
After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.
Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.
Day 3
Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.
With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.
Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.
Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.
For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.
Day 4
Elevate your dining experiences at Pair’d X Range Rover Beach Club.
Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.
Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.
If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.
Day 5
Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)
Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.
Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.
Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.
Day 6
Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)
After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.
Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.
Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.
Day 7
Farewell the Margaret River.
Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.
