The entry to Margaret River

Margaret River The big name little town

Margaret River is a small town with a mighty reputation. Twenty years ago you could not sell a block in the main street. Now you need several hundred thousand dollars in your hand before you even start looking, and there's not much available. Before the suitability of vineyards was discovered Margaret River existed as a service town for the dairy and timber industry. It was the classic sleepy hollow, complete with private homes in the main business area and numerous old wooden buildings. But, the success of the wineries changed all that. The town rubbed the sleep out of its eyes and while the rest of Australia was having a recession, Margaret River and its surrounding district was booming. Following the fame of the wines came the tourists, and they continue to come from all over the world. The pressure was on, and so too was the battle to control the growth. The local authority in its wisdom set a policy of low-scale tourism development and the community applauded and started to build. Rather than create high-rise resorts the community built a range of accommodation from so called chalets on farms to bed and breakfast in suburban homes, beachside apartments, rural lodges and motels. The number of accommodation establishments that popped up in the past decade were equivalent to several big high rise hotels, but rather than one or two owners, many people shared in the tourism dollars. This growth is continuing and while some establishments call themselves resorts, they are still using this low-key development philosophy, and subsequently Margaret River is retaining much of its small-town community feel. From a local point of view the attractions are obvious. Just 10 minutes from the town centre is the coast, and the famed Surfer's Point. This is where they hold the Margaret River Masters, the four-star event which attracts a host of pro-surfers every year. About 3000 people live in Margaret River, with another 3000 in the outlying district. The town has a drive-in theatre, three service stations, a newsagency, a small library, a tavern, a couple of English-style pubs, a big tourist bureau, a supermarket and a host of specialty shops. It also boasts several superb restaurants and cafes. Whatever you fancy for dinner, Margaret River can cater for you. As well, there are art galleries, weekend markets, a local newspaper (the Augusta-Margaret River Mail), and a superb Cultural Centre and sporting venues, with a heated indoor swimming pool under construction. In the outlying district itself are the superb caves, many of them open to the public and displaying awesome underground features. Then there are the wineries for which Margaret River is famous. Again, they cater for every taste. If you're into dry reds you're in for a real treat when you come to Margarets, but if chardonnay is more your taste you won't be disappointed there either. The first wineries spread up Caves Road, which is a secondary road that traverses north-south along the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge. Land that once supported dairy farms were bought-up and planted with grapevines, the first being planted only 30 years ago. Now the push in on through the dairy heartland east of Bussell Highway and the price of vineyard land is sky-rocketing. In the popular Caves Road area sales of $12,000AUS an acre have been achieved and out in the east $5000. Like Dunsborough and Yallingup, Margaret River is visited by thousands of tourists every year. They each come for different things, and the beauty of Margaret River is that it caters to so many people. Whether you surf, drink wine, love walks through the trees (did we mention the bush walk along the Margaret River to the 10 Mile Brook Dam?) or simply enjoy driving along winding roads before snuggling up in front of the fire with a good book, Margarets is the place.