Top Towns for 2022: A mouthwatering journey in Margaret River

Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
hero media
It might be a gateway to a majestic wine region, but it’s a worthy destination in its own right. Chloe Cann shares how to eat your way around Margaret River town to discover why Margaret River landed in at no.9 on your list of Top 50 Aussie towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

While the low-rise streets of Margaret River town have their draws – a smattering of walls streaked with murals; pavements draped with a canopy of foliage; and chunky benches crafted from locally sourced timber to perch on as the sun warms your back – there’s little that’s particularly twee about this town.  

verdant vineyard in Margaret River
Margaret River is world-famous for its wines. (Image: Jessica Wyld)

No chocolate-box heritage buildings, or sweeping scenic backdrop worthy of a screensaver. Part tourist town and part local workhorse, it’s where the region’s population of surfers, vintners, artists and chefs all converge to fuel up on coffee and cocktails, fix their mountain bikes, or pick up a new wetsuit.

You can feel the buzz just by strolling the main street. And of course it has all of the Margaret River region’s headline acts at its toes: towering karri forests, untouched bushland, a rugged coastline that marries arcs of bone white sand with Tiffany-blue waters, and row upon row of grapevines that course down into lush valleys.  

lush greenery along Margaret River
Take a scenic walk along Margaret River’s lush greeneries.

But most of all, this cruisey quasi-beach town knows how to sate an appetite. Eat your way around town at these four heavy hitters that all capitalise on this fertile pocket’s bounty of produce. 

Top foodie things to do in Margaret River

Farmgate experiences

Start your Saturday morning right with a leisurely stroll around the town’s award-winning Farmers’ Market , perusing the array of fresh local produce, a brioche doughnut plump with yuzu lemon curd in hand from Harlequin Dessert.  

Margaret River Farmers’ Market
Drop by the Margaret River Farmers’ Market. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Buzzing brewery scenes

A local institution, dog- and kid-friendly Margaret River Brewhouse yields a modern rustic vibe, and a leafy aspect on the cusp of town. It’s nearly as famous for its craft beers as it is for its well-executed Asian-leaning food menu (hello red duck curry with papaya salad, and masterstock braised beef brisket). 

tacos served at Margaret River Brewhouse
Visit Margaret River Brewhouse for some tacos. (Image: Jessica Wyld)

Flavourful pastry tasting at Margaret River Woodfired Bread

Few bakers come close to commanding as much of a cult local following as Margaret River Woodfired Bread. Only stoneground, WA-grown, certified biodynamic flour makes it into the handmade sourdough loaves here, which are served warm, fresh out of the wood-fired oven every day at 3pm.  

bakers at Margaret River
Bakers prepare handmade sourdough in the open kitchen at Margaret River Woodfired Bread.

Gastronomic escapades at Miki’s Open Kitchen

Hiding behind a rather nondescript entrance in a shopping arcade, expectations might run low for Miki’s Open Kitchen , but the culinary calibre of Miki and his small team is sky-high. Purveying modern Japanese cuisine using hyperlocal ingredients, the restaurant’s eight-course seafood-centric degustation menu is as refined as they come. 

Explore more of Margaret River in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
Chloe Cann
Chloe Cann is an award-winning freelance travel and food writer, born in England, based in Melbourne and Roman by adoption. Since honing her skills at City St George's, University of London with a master's degree in journalism, she's been writing almost exclusively about travel for more than a decade, and has worked in-house at newspapers and travel magazines in London, Phnom Penh, Sydney and Melbourne. Through a mixture of work and pleasure, she's been fortunate enough to visit 80 countries to date, though there are many more that she is itching to reach. While the strength of a region's food scene tends to dictate the location of her next trip, she can be equally swayed by the promise of interesting landscapes and offbeat experiences. And with a small person now in tow, travel looks a little different these days, but it remains at the front of her mind.
See all articles
Pair'd Beach Club
Margaret River

The ultimate Margaret River road trip itinerary for food & wine lovers

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.

Read more
Australia’s first and only underwater winery is hiding in WA
Margaret River

Australia’s first and only underwater winery is hiding in Margaret River

This is wine redefined, from the sea floor to your glass.

Read more
Things to do in Margaret River
Margaret River

A local’s guide to the top things to do in Margaret River

From the latest to the greatest, here’s how to make the most of Margaret River.

Read more
an aerial view of the Busselton Jetty, Geographe Bay
Margaret River

Our insider’s guide to the top things to do in Busselton

This not-so-secret Western Australian coastal town will have you wishing you could linger longer.

Read more
hero media

Your Mandurah guide: art, dining & dolphins await in WA’s coastal gem

    Monique CeccatoBy Monique Ceccato
    Continue
    Discover the perfect road trip stopover between Perth and wine country.

    Western Australia punches above its weight when it comes to coastal hot spots, but no other town or city has seen a tourism boom quite like Mandurah. Named Australia’s Top Tourism Town in 2023 , it’s the relaxed, beachside break you’ve been searching for. And it’s perfectly placed, sitting between Margaret River and Perth, as it’s just a 55-minute drive from Perth’s CBD. Which is why we’ve put together your ultimate Mandurah guide.

    Aerial view of Mandurah.
    Plan your perfect coastal escape to Australia’s Top Tourism Town of 2023.

    The best things to do in Mandurah

    Wetlands and rivers, ocean and inlet; Mandurah’s laid-back lifestyle centres around the aquatic. Its waterways cover twice the ground of Sydney Harbour – measuring some 134 square kilometres in total – and form a unique environment for oceanic and estuarine flora and fauna to thrive.

    In the city’s estuary lives perhaps the region’s most famed inhabitants – a resident pod of 100 bottlenose dolphins – and the inlet’s silty bottom is home to the prized blue manna crab. Spot the former breaching and playing on an hour-long dolphin cruise through the channels, or try your hand at catching the latter by wading through the estuary’s shallows with a scoop net in hand.

    While swimming at the circular Kwillena Gabi Pool, chance encounters with the local wildlife aren’t uncommon. The sheltered estuarine pool takes its name from the traditional custodians of the land, the Bindjareb people, and directly translates to ‘dolphin waters’. Jutting out of the eastern foreshore, it’s enclosed by a ring of net-free floating pontoons, which allow the dolphins to swim freely through the attraction.

    If that’s a little too close for comfort, book a kayak tour with Down Under Discoveries . The dolphins have been known to cruise beside the paddle-powered crafts, which are a fun, family-friendly way to explore the city’s inner waterways.

    Dolphins swimming in Mandurah.
    Watch dolphins glide by as you explore Mandurah.

    You don’t have to be on the water to appreciate the coastal city’s aquatic beauty, with 600 kilometres of cycleways and scenic walking trails traversing Mandurah’s estuary, inlet and coast.

    Follow the 30-kilometre coastal trail and you’ll come face to face with one of Thomas Dambo’s headline-making ‘Giants of Mandurah  sculptures, Santi Ikto, along the way. There are five sculptures around Mandurah in total, hidden among gum-filled reserves or sitting sentry over the water.

    Head to the Mandurah Visitor Centre to pick up a map to pinpoint their exact location and download the traveller’s companion to learn more about the sights along the way. Or join a three-hour e-bike tour from The Bike Kiosk and you’ll stop by two of the giants – Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone – as you sightsee central Mandurah.

    The towering Santi Ikto, one of Thomas Dambo’s iconic Giants of Mandurah.
    Meet Santi Ikto, one of the legendary Giants of Mandurah.

    Where to eat in Mandurah

    Mandurah’s culinary scene reflects its laid-back lifestyle, with large, honest meals and locally brewed beer. After visiting Lake Clifton’s 2000-year-old thrombolites, head to the peppermint and gum-shaded beer garden at Thorny Devil Brewery . Tuck into a platter of house-smoked meats and an ale pulled fresh from the tanks. Closer to town and right on the waterfront is Boundary Island Brewery ; here, woodfired pizza, pub-style seafood dishes and easy-drinking brews are centre stage.

    On a Murray River Lunch Cruise , the focus is as much on the environment around you as the food you’re filling up on. Help yourself to the colourful salads and freshly cooked meats on the buffet as you meander up the winding, jarrah tree-lined waterway, stopping at the heritage Cooper’s Mill for a quick walking tour along the way.

    Keep your eyes trained on the Creery Wetlands as you pass – you’ll spot much of the region’s migratory birdlife, and, as always, might see the playful bottlenose dolphins in the inlet.

    The most memorable meals aren’t necessarily always the fanciest, and lunch aboard a self-skippered Mandurah BBQ Boat is a testament to that. All food and beverage prep is left up to you as you cruise through the canals, sausages and steaks sizzling away on the central hot plate.

    If seafood is more your kind of fare, board the Wild Seafood Experience , where dolphin cruise meets long table lunch. Eight courses of crab, crayfish and scallops await.

    A table filled with plates of crab, crayfish, and scallops.
    Dine on the water with eight courses of ocean-fresh fare.

    Where to stay in Mandurah

    With so many waterways comes abundant waterside stays. Like the self-contained Seashells Mandurah on the shores of Comet Bay. The calm, oceanic outlook from the one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and villas is as close to Maldivian as Mandurah gets. Families especially enjoy the property, bouncing between the protected cove and the beachfront pool for endless hours of fun.

    Seashells Mandurah; on the shores of Comet Bay.
    Stay right by the sea.

    The Sebel Mandurah , just a hop, skip and jump from the Mandurah Ocean Marina, has a different outlook entirely, overlooking the estuary and lively foreshore on the other side. It’s also within walking distance of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre , cinema and a swathe of waterfront bars and eateries.

    But you can’t get any closer to the water than on a vessel from Mandurah Houseboats . You don’t need a skipper’s ticket to hire one, nor do you need comprehensive boating experience; just a full driver’s license and your undivided attention during the pre-departure tuition will do. Then you’re free to take to the estuaries and tributaries for a few nights of peaceful rest, surrounded by the very element that makes Mandurah so special.

    A houseboat cruising in Mandurah along the river
    Captain a houseboat to explore Mandurah at your own pace.

    Plan your next WA getaway in Mandurah.