From glamping tents that use solar power to farm stays that don’t cost the Earth, it’s time to book an eco stay in WA.
Quobba Station
Recycling initiatives, composting, energy-efficient lighting, rainwater tanks and solar panels are just a few of the initiatives that help you tread lightly on the Earth during a stay at Quobba Station , on the southern tip of Ningaloo Marine Park. Whales and whale sharks migrate past the remote eco camp and are easily spotted from the beach or clifftop, where you’ll find five hard-deck safari tents, two of which are luxury retreats. Surfers will also love the property’s low-fi beach shacks, which have uninterrupted views of breaking waves.
Stay at Quobba Station on the southern tip of Ningaloo Marine Park. (Image: Imogen Caldwell)
Barn Hives
You can test-drive that tree change you’ve been dreaming of at Barn Hives, where you’ll see the farm-to-fork, grape-to-glass philosophy in action. The luxury pods are part of the Barnyard 1978 conservation tourism concept, which includes a fully equipped restaurant, cellar door and honey store. While the Barn Hives tread lightly on the Earth, they are also deeply connected to their surrounds, situated moments from Smiths Beach in the midst of the Margaret River region. The two-storey pods include a fully equipped kitchen, dining area, cosy lounge and outdoor sun deck with barbecue.
You can test-drive that tree change you’ve been dreaming of at Barn Hives. (Image: Bianca Kate Photography)
Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef
All 16 luxury safari tents at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef safari camp are perched above the sand to prevent erosion, so you can kick back in good conscience from your hammock overlooking the fringing reef system. There is no Internet at Sal Salis, which encourages guests to connect with nature and each other in the communal lantern-lit lodge to swap stories about their day. Knowing that almost 100 per cent of the camp’s electricity and power is generated by solar makes a stay here even sweeter.
There is no Internet at Sal Salis, which encourages guests to connect with nature and each other.
Petit Eco Cabins
Petit Eco Cabin is positioned in a pretty pocket of Windows Estate, a certified organic vineyard in Yallingup. The 32-square-metre cabin was built from hand-milled jarrah and fitted out with Australian-made fixtures and furnishings, from bespoke glass wall lights by Soktas to custom-made furniture by Timber Grooves and tapware by Consolidated Brass. Enjoy a glass of Windows Estate Syrah in the outdoor antique French bath overlooking the estate’s expansive dam and see the night sky in a new light via the wonderful waterfall window, which cascades over the king-sized bed.
Petit Eco Cabin is positioned in a pretty pocket of Windows Estate, a certified organic vineyard in Yallingup. (Image: Rachel Claire)
Eco Beach Resort
This rustic retreat was designed to leave the smallest footprint possible on the surrounding landscape in Yardoogarra Country, an hour’s drive south of Broome. All up, there are 25 eco villas and 30 safari-style tents at the oceanfront eco resort , which are linked by elevated boardwalks on the pristine Kimberley coastline. The solar-powered resort has bamboo floorboards, composite eco decking, and an energy monitoring system that enables guests to check their own energy consumption. Each villa and tent faces the Indian Ocean and nothing is more luxurious (or environment-focused) than going to sleep to the soundtrack of soothing ocean sounds.
This rustic retreat was designed to leave the smallest footprint possible on the surrounding landscape.
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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.
