Prevelly Margaret River's beachside playground

Prevelly Park is the favoured swimming and surfing venue for people living in the township of Margaret River, which is a ten minute drive away. Established near the meeting of the Margaret river and the sea, it affords breathtaking views that raise the spirits of first time visitors and also locals who have lived there for decades. There's nothing quite like rounding the road that leads down to Prevelly from atop the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge and being confronted by the wide expanse of sea and the wonderful coastline. Right there is one of the biggest and nastiest of the local surf breaks, The Bombie, and if the surf's up it is roaring there. In the distance are other breaks like Boatramps and as you wander down towards the village you can see the famous Surfers Point. It is here that the cream of international surfers meet once a year, usually in Autumn when the surf is awesome, to take part in the Margaret River Masters. It's a week-long event that has been happening for more than a decade and legends have been forged there. The Point draws visitors like a massive magnet and on days when the surf is huge a strange quiet comes over Margaret River township because so many people are out there watching the odd madman tackling the monsters. Off to the right is the rivermouth where most of the local surfers learn their skills before venturing out to The Point. During Winter the river empties into a tight little bay, adding a wildcard to the already frenetic surf. It's a beach break and as the waves surge into the narrow bay they bank-up and cause erratic backwash that erupts like aquatic volcanoes in the middle of the bay as the departing water and the waves meet. Boogie boarders and surfers swarm among these conditions like so many seals, killing the sharp and punishing conditions and creating entertainment for land-based spectators that equals anything at The Point. Only a short distance away from all this activity are several peaceful beaches for those who like to paddle and float. They are the beaches at which local kids learn to swim and mums spend countless hours sunning themselves and watching the lessons, a cappuccino only an arm's stretch away! Prevelly Park became a household name throughout Western Australia in the 1950s through the efforts of one man, Geoff Edwards. Mr Edwards, who owned the local caravan park and much of the land surrounding it, erected signs all over the countryside telling motorists how far it was to Prevelly. It was as though it was something all motorists should know at all times! He named Prevelly after a Greek monastery where he was sheltered from the Nazis in the second World War. The Greeks so cared for him that he felt a life-long debt and built a chapel on the hill overlooking the sea in their memory. He also gave the streets of the subdivisions he undertook the names of Greek families to whom he owed his life, names like Vatos Way and Papadakis Road. Today Prevelly is the home of a small close-knit community for most of the year, but their numbers are swelled many times over in the summer as people from all over come to enjoy the weather and the beaches. As for facilities there are two cafes, one right on the beach at Gnarabup (at the southern end of the town) that opens just for the season and usually closes after Easter. It has one of the best locations and guests feel they could be anywhere in the world. The other cafe is in the centre of the village and opens all year. Right next door is a general store that is also the office for the adjoining caravan park. The store has a liquor licence and is the obsession of a young man known locally as Elvis of Prevelly. Not only are local wines well represented, but Elvis has a penchant for French wines. You have to see the collection to believe it. There is also a range of accommodation, some of which are listed in the Cruising the Cape accommodation section. To the south of Prevelly is a new subdivision called Gnarabup Beach Estate. After a community debate that lasted for over a decade a local syndicate won approval for the subdivision that extends part-way up the Ridge. The subdivision in essence doubles the size of Prevelly, but is separated by a buffer strip. The land at the top of the subdivision offers panoramic views of the coast and land there is fetching over the $200,000 mark. There is a big range of blocks and zonings and as yet the full potential of the area has not been revealed. A lodge overlooking the Gnarabup bay has been approved and already a backpackers establishment and a variety of short-term accommodation has been built.