9th and 10th October

Heading into Margaret River Town

We headed into the town of Margaret River in the morning to try some of the local food and to plan a few mountain biking adventures. Our first stop was the Margaret River Bakery, which had an incredible selection, including plenty of gluten-free options for Lauren.

Wooditjup Mountain Bike Trails

Jacob and I dropped into The Hairy Marron, a bike shop just a couple of doors down. The person serving turned out to be friends with — and once lived opposite — someone from Jersey. Small world. We’d planned to come back the next day, but excitement got the better of us and we decided to seize the moment and head out on the bikes straight away. We stocked up on pastries from the bakery and hit the trails.

It was only a short pedal down the tracks to reach the Wooditjup Mountain Bike Trails. Margaret River has become an increasingly popular spot for mountain biking in recent years, with purpose-built flow trails, family-friendly loops and more technical routes tucked into the forest. The climbs weren’t too bad for the two of us, and the place was really quiet. The runs were great fun, and our favourite was Pineocchio, which had a really nice flow and we found ourselves riding it faster and faster each time.

Jacob reckons these were the best trails he’s ever ridden — helped, no doubt, by being on a full-suspension bike for the first time. I’m not sure we’re ever going to get him back onto anything else again.

Skate Park Fun in Town

Meanwhile, the girls stayed busy in town, mostly at the excellent Margaret River Skate Park, with Ella testing out her new scooter.

Exploring Prevelly and Surfers Point

The next day, we took a short drive down the coast from Gracetown to Prevelly and Surfers Point — the surf break that hosts the annual Margaret River Pro. The kids played on the beach for a while before we headed off to visit some of the caves the region is famous for.

Discovering Margaret River’s Famous Cave

Our first stop was Lake Cave, where we joined a guided tour. The Margaret River region sits on an ancient limestone ridge, so it’s home to more than a hundred caves, each formed over millions of years by groundwater slowly carving out chambers and passageways. Lake Cave is one of the deepest, and you really feel that as you head down the 325 steps into the sinkhole. Cue the classic Stalactites vs Stalagmites conversation (the kids remember, I still don’t).

Inside, the cave is beautifully lit, with a permanent lake reflecting the formations above, and huge crystal-like structures hanging from the ceiling.

Lauren has a bit of claustrophobia, so this one wasn’t for her, but the staff were brilliant and suggested Mammoth Cave just up the road — a larger, more open cave with wide walkways and a self-guided audio tour that lets you explore at your own pace.

The features inside were incredible, and the open layout meant everyone was comfortable wandering through at their own pace. There was also a nice forest walk at the end which meandered through towering trees before getting back to the visitor centre.

Our Base for the Night: Fair Harvest

Our final stop for the day was our new campsite for two nights — Fair Harvest, still in the Margaret River area but a little closer to town. It’s a peaceful spot set on a working permaculture farm, with veggie gardens, fruit trees and wide open spaces for the kids to explore. The whole place has a strong focus on sustainability and community, and it feels a bit like staying on someone’s much-loved family property rather than a typical campsite. It was the perfect base for the next part of our trip.