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

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

Australia is known for its diverse wine regions that produce top drops in droves. We’re home to the best shiraz in the world and some of the coolest oenophile-approved experiences you can find. But this WA venture is taking it to new depths – literally. Welcome to Australia’s first underwater winery.

Underwater wine: how it works

It may be situated among Western Australia’s famed Margaret River wineries, but Subsea Estate doesn’t resemble your typical vineyard. Instead of unfolding across verdant hills, its cellar door can be found off the coast near the town of Augusta, where the Southern and Indian oceans meet.

Augusta in Western Australia
The winery is hidden underwater off WA’s coast. (Image: Ryan Murphy)

A 20-metre dive below the ocean’s surface, the 413-hectare estate comprises specially crafted wine barrels anchored to the sea floor. It’s an intricately designed production process that is painstakingly adhered to by the team at Subsea, made up of leading wine pioneers from both Australia and abroad. But why? And what is the result?

The technique was first introduced by French company Winereef , which has spent over 17 years perfecting its world-first subsea winemaking operation. The concept posits that the ocean’s current and natural sway stirs the wine and keeps the yeast in suspension, which creates a secondary fermentation process.

Subsea Estate in Augusta, Western Australia
The wine barrels are secured to the sea floor by specialist divers.

Hydrostatic pressure, the weight produced by the water column pressing down on an object due to gravity, allows the yeast to produce flavour notes not available on land.

But it doesn’t stop there, because the ocean’s energy is constantly changing, and each batch produced is completely unique. The wines all have their own character, touched by Mother Nature in a different way and offering the truest expression of each season.

How to experience it for yourself

If you’re intrigued, you’re not the only one. Subsea Estate’s innovative winemaking process has attracted attention from across the country – which is why its cellar door is open to the public seven days a week. And no, you won’t be pairing your wine with a scuba suit.

Subsea Estate in Augusta, Western Australia
The Subsea cellar door sits on Augusta Boat Harbour. (Image: Lauren Trickett)

Sitting pretty back on land in Augusta Boat Harbour, Subsea Estate invites guests to sip its one-of-a-kind creations with views of the ocean that nurtured them. While walk-ins are welcome, the best way to explore Subsea’s range is with a guided experience. Join a member of the team for a 90-minute Subsea Estate & Rare Foods Abalone and Wine Tour.

That’s right – not only is Subsea home to some of the world’s most innovative wines, it’s also in one of Australia’s top seaside towns for seafood. Your tour starts in the on-site abalone facility, where you’ll witness firsthand how these premium seafood delicacies are prepared for export. Guests can get up close to the tanks and even hold a live abalone if they wish.

Ocean-stirred wines are paired with fresh abalone. (Image: Lauren Trickett)

From there, you’ll be led to Subsea’s cellar door, where you can watch local fishermen return with their catch across Flinders Bay from the sunny deck. Not only will your host walk you through the entire winemaking process, but you’ll enjoy the results firsthand – paired perfectly with the fresh abalone from earlier.

The details

Subsea Estate is located in the town of Augusta, around a 3.5-hour drive south of Perth. The cellar door is open from Monday to Sunday, 9am–4pm. Bookings for the Subsea Estate & Rare Foods Abalone and Wine Tour are essential. The experience is priced at $89 per person and can accommodate groups of up to 15 people. While the tour allows for up to 1.5 hours, guests are encouraged to linger for as long as they please.

Taylah Darnell
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
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6 reasons the best way to experience the Kimberley is by cruise

    Kate BettesBy Kate Bettes
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    This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

    Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

    The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs.
    Adventure starts where the road ends.

    1. Discover Broome, and beyond

    Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

    At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

    If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

    Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea.
    Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

    2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

    Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

    At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

    Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

    Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

    A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters.
    Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

    3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

    You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

    Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

    4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

    These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

    If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

    Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

    A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs.
    Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

    5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

    Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

    A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance.
    See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

    6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

    You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

    Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

    If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

    aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia
    Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

    Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .