Margaret River Photo Diary

One of the perks of living on Australia’s west coast is that the incredible Margaret River region is only a few hour drive away. To me and Hassan it has become the ultimate escape when life gets too stressful or when we simply need a break from everything, including wi-fi(!). For good reasons, these getaways always make me return to Perth with a re-energized spirit. Today I’m sharing my personal photo diary of the trip and you’ll find a post with my top 10 recommendations on what to do while in Margaret river on FashionContainer soon.

It comes as a surprise for some, but the truth is that I love nothing more than going back to basics every once in a while. Sleeping in a tent with the sound of waves and eating fresh fish from the barbecue, of course with a glass of wine, is something I utterly enjoy. It’s been our third time at Yallingup beach holiday park and I can honestly say nothing but good things about this place. Located on a hill overlooking the ocean (you’ll be at the beach in a minute!), I have to pinch myself each time I’m staying there.

After arriving in Yallingup, we went straight to Shaana cafe to grab some lunch. If you have a thing for healthy and fresh food like I do, you’ll definitely love this spot. The green smoothie and quinoa salad I ordered were terrific and the laid back surfers-vibe is really enjoyable too. Located only a few metres from the holiday park, it’s also the ultimate spot to take a break of camping life with a decadent cappuccino and pastries for breakfast. It’s all about the little luxuries in life, if you ask me. That afternoon we went for a walk on the cliffs around Yallingup, the waves were massive and it was surprisingly chilly for the time of the year. You’ll not hear me complaining about that though, when the weather is a little colder you just get to do a lot more compared to when it’s warm! And surely, those warm days are coming soon enough. To finish off the day, we went to the beach to watch the sunset with a glass of wine (don’t you just love the semi-fancy plastic wine glasses?) and we had a barbecue too.

When at home, I never sleep before 11pm but I get into a completely different routine when we’re camping. Sleeping at 9 and waking up at 6 when the sun rises just makes sense suddenly. Anyway, we started our next day very early with fried eggs from the barbecue, after which we made our way to Hamelin bay. A colleague of mine recommended a visit here, one of the reasons because a group of stingrays make their way to the shore each day begging fishermen for some fish left overs. It was hard to capture on camera since the ocean was quite wavy but they’re absolutely gorgeous. And so big! Check out this picture. Even though they look so elegant and gracious floating around, a sting from these creatures can kill you at an instant. This is sadly also how the very famous Steve Irwin died. A lady who was fishing there, kindly offered us some of the fish heads to feed to the stingrays, incredible. Australia’s nature and wildlife never fails to impress me! Hamelin bay is also worth a visit just for its scenic views while going for a walk above the cliffs. That day we also visited Boranup forrest, which truly is one of those places that makes your mouth drop open. If the endlessly high trees don’t convince you that you’re in an actual jungle, the extreme loud volume of the birds will. Oh, and mosquito bites come as bonus too. For lunch we decided to head to Gracetown, because I heard about ‘Sunsets cafe’ that’s supposed to be really good. And god, no regrets about that at all. The food is absolutely gorgeous, with lots of attention to detail and you just taste the quality with every bite. If that doesn’t convince you, have a look at photos 4 and 17. That night we repeated our barbecue-and-wine-on-the-beach ritual, this time eating the most delicious chicken kebabs that we bought in Dunsborough that afternoon. It’s funny how being outdoor makes you want to eat so much more than usual!

On my first trip ever to Margaret River two years ago, we visited Redgate beach and I’ve wanted to go back ever since. The combination of red rocks, the clearest blue water and super duper high waves just has something that sticks. I remember swimming there and being completely overwhelmed by the strength and height of the waves. It’s key to be very careful there because there some dangerous rips that can easily make it hard to get back to the shore. This time it was a little too cold to swim, but we did have a nice walk on the beach. On the same day we visited Sunflower animal farm (which sounds like it’s made for kids, but it really isn’t!). Any way, it’s the cutest little farm with animals varying from lama’s to emu’s, goats and kangaroos. They also function as a rescue centre for kangaroo orphans, which is the main reason I fell in love with the place. Like some of you might know, a lot of kangaroos are getting hit by a car every day here in Australia. While the kangaroo usually dies, the baby in the pouch is often still alive. That’s also the story 4 kangaroo orphans we met at the farm, which are all less than a year old. Even though the reason they’re there is sad, they’re being taken care of very well. They get bottle fed and nap in pillow sleeves to imitate the pouch. These little fellows are super cuddly and oh my, they look so adorable (see photos below).

Like I mentioned above, a more detailed travel guide on the Margaret River region and my personal recommendations will follow soon. The mesmerizing and untouched beauty of Australia never fails to inspire me and I hope that through these pictures you get to experience it as well!