Travel interests: active holiday, wine area, coast, lime stone caves

Activities: hiking, swimming, wine tasting, watching wild animals

Important: Please remember to apply for your Visa before your departure.

The address of the Australian Embassy for a German citizen is as follows:

If you book your flight “over the counter” at your travel agency, you can also ask to obtain an electronic Visa. All you are required to do is present your passport, which needs to be valid at least for the length of your stay in Australia.

Please do not hesitate to contact us, if you need any additional information

The length of your visit at each individual place is flexible. You can stay longer at one place and shorten your visit at another. This plan is meant to show you the attractions according to your personal interest and also leave you the greatest possible flexibility

We wish you a safe journey and beautiful impressions of this country!

The area Southeast of Perth is popular for it’s huge variety of natural attractions.

In the coastal cities of Rockingham and Mandurah you can swim with dolphins or you may prefer to just watch these fascinating creatures from the beach. You also have the opportunity to watch seals, penguins, whales and much more. Enjoy a swim in the Indian Ocean, a stroll along the beach or a picnic on one of the many coves along the coast around Busselton, Bunbury and Dunsborough.

Many vineyards of the Margaret River wine area invite you to taste one or more of their awarded wines, which are well known for their excellent quality.

Augusta, another little coastal village, offers the rare opportunity to watch the sunrise over the Southern Ocean and the sunset over the Indian Ocean. To add to the variety of attractions in this area you can also visit excellent lime stone caves.

Margaret River Wine Region Festival (8. – 17. November)
The whole region from Dunsborough to Augusta celebrates with music, wine, markets and many events. More information with a detailed events calendar is under
http://www.mrwinefest.org.au

Attention: Due to this festival, we advice you to book your activities
and accommodation well in advance !

Day 1: Perth - Rockingham - Mandurah - Bunbury

On the first part of your journey from Perth you travel past Kwinana to Rockingham (50 Kilometres / 31 miles) which offers excellent opportunities to watch seals, penguins and dolphins.

Rockingham Dolphin Cruises runs daily tours.

Penguin & Seal Island Tours runs daily tours to Seal and Penguins Island at 11:15 am and 1:15 pm

Penguin & Seal Island Tours
153 Arcadia Drive, Shoalwater Bay
Telefon: (08) 9528 2004
Website: perth.worldtourism.com.au/penguin&sealcruises/tour.htm

Rivergod Sea Kayak Tours run tours to Seal and Penguin Islands
(Weekends and Wednesdays)

Rivergod Sea Kayak Tours
Tel: (08) 9259 0749
Fax: (08) 9259 0902
Email: rivergod@ca.com.au
Website : www.rivergods.com.au

Continue from Rockingham to Mandurah (appr. 35 Kilometres / 22 miles)

The MV Pees Princess runs daily whole day tours and shorter tours to the canals and lakes in the area, where you can watch many local birds.

MV Peel Princess
Phone: (08) 9535 3324

Dolphin Encounters offers “Swimming with dolphins“ and is a company, licensed by
CALM (Conversation and Land Management), a governmental organisation.
Start of the tour is between 8.30 and 9.30 am

Continue from Mandurah to Bunbury (ca. 107 Kilometres / 64 miles)

Well done! Bunbury is the destination for your first night after an exciting day full of activities. Bunbury is home to approx’ 22,000 people and is the third largest city of Western Australia.
Tonight you can enjoy a dinner on the Cappuccino Strip on Victoria Street or just have a drink and watch people passing by.

Day 2: Bunbury - Busselton - Dunsborough

In Bunbury you find the most southerly mangroves in Western Australia. You have two choices to visit and watch more than 60 different kinds of water birds.

• The 200 metre long Mangrove Boardwalk is free and offers plenty of information about plants and animals in this area.
• Big Swamp Reserve & Boardwalk
  Here you can take a leisurely stroll through the mangroves with many water birds and black swans which are rare but famous in Western Australia.
  In the Big Swamp Wildlife Park you can watch the very rare white kangaroos and possums as well as feed parrots.
  Phone (08) 9721 3088
  

Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre

There are regularly three dolphin schools with more than a hundred dolphins visiting the bay to be fed. You are not allowed to touch the dolphins but you can snorkel along with them. You also can go on a boat tour to watch these fascinating animals in their habitat from up close.

Phone (08) 9791 3088
Fax (08) 9791 3420

Website: http://www.justsouth.com.au/public/dbase/item_content.php4?tile_id=422

Another opportunity to watch dolphins is offered by Mountain Designs. This company runs organised sea-kayak tours or you may also hire your equipment and paddle along by yourself.

Sea-Kayak Tour
16 Stephen Street
Phone (08) 9791 9888
Fax (08) 9796 1000
Mobile 0418 943 483
Email dekkedout@iprimus.com.au

Continue from Bunbury to Busselton (appr. 50 Kilometres / 31 miles)

Busselton has a wooden jetty two kilometres long, which is recorded to be the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. You can walk or take a ride on a little train along the Jetty and listen to the talk of the driver about the history of this area. If you are lucky, you may even see dolphins from the jetty without having to go on a costly cruise.

A visit of the wood and art gallery in the renovated building of the old courthouse is a good place to have a break, have a look at the exhibition and maybe have a “cuppa” in the attached coffee shop.

It is only a short drive of 40 kilometres (25 miles) to your destination for today Dunsborough and your accommodation in Yallingup (10 kilometres / 6.2 miles).

Day 3: Dunsborough

Dunsborough and Yallingup are located in Geographe Bay, not far from Cape Naturaliste and offers a wide variety of activities.

• You can take a hike with beautiful coastal scenery in the Cape Naturaliste National Park (all tracks are well signposted and are marked on maps along the way with information about the different lengths of the tracks.) Look around the museum and the lighthouse and learn about the history and maybe you even see humpback whales or dolphins from the coast.
  Yallingup, Caves Road
  Phone (08) 9755 2152
  Fax (08) 9755 2022
  Opening hours: daily from 9.30 am – 4 pm
• Naturaliste Charters runs Whale Watching Tours.
  Phone 1300 361 351 (free call)
  Phone (08) 9755 2276
  Fax (08) 9755 2276
  Email: info@whales-australia.com
  Website : www.whales-australia.com
• Look around the many wood and art galleries in this area.
• You can choose between a variety of small coves (Meelup, Eagle Bay or Bunker Bay)
  to go for a swim and finish the day with a picnic at sunset

Day 4: Dunsborough/Yallingup - Margaret River

• Take a drive from Yallingup to the famous Ngilgi Cave, open daily. Here you can go on a self guided walk through the cave with information boards, adventure caving and torchlight tours.
  Caves Road, Yallingup
  Phone (08) 9755 2152
  Fax (08) 9755 2022
  Email: ngilgi@downsouth.com.au
  Website: www.downsouth.com.au
• The Canal Rocks, a little south of Yallingup are a good opportunity to experience the power of waves, rolling continuously towards the land .
• On your drive from Yallingup/Dunsborough to Margaret River you pass some small boutique breweries which invite you to taste. There are also many wood and art galleries with excellent exhibitions from work around this area.

Day 5: Margaret River

The area around Margaret River is the largest and most important wine area of Western Australia. Before you go on a tour through the wine country you may want to visit the
Margaret River Regional Wine Centre which will give you plenty of information about the different vineyards and their wines. You can drive yourself from vineyard to vineyard and taste the different wines and maybe buy some bottles for the next picnic.

Attention: the Police in Australia are very strict in controlling the alcohol limit!!!

So if you are drinking, relax, and let someone drive for you by joining one of the following tours:

• Gourmet hint: If you like freshly prepared seafood, you should try the local marron. The Marron Farm on the main road from Margaret River to Augusta is a perfect opportunity.

  Margaret River Bushtucker Winery Tour, takes small groups (max.10 passengers) to some vineyards.
  Tel/Fax. (08) 9757 9084
  Mobile Nr. 0419 911 971
  Email: btt@netserv.net.au
  Website: www.bushtuckertours.com
• Margaret River Vintage Wine Tours
  Phone (08) 9757 1008
  Mobile 0417 948 933
  Email: winetour@swisp.net.au
  Website : www.margaret-river-online.com.au/winetours
• The Margaret River Lady Wine Touring drives you in the classic Bentley car from vineyard to vineyard.
  Phone (08) 9757 9111
  Fax (08) 9757 9666
  Email: info@thewinetourco.com.au
  Website: www.thewinetourco.com.au
  

Day 6: Margaret River - Augusta

On the southerly border of Margaret River you will find the Eagles Heritage Raptor Wildlife Centre, where injured animals will be looked after and released back into their natural habitat after their recovery. You might see wedged tailed eagles, sea eagles, hawks, owls and much more.

Lot 303 Boodjidup Road, Margaret River
Phone (08) 9757 2960
Fax (08) 9757 2964

Email: eagles@eaglesheritage.com.au
Website: www.eagle.netserv.net.au/eagle

Today is a good opportunity to visit the Gnarabup Beach which has the best surf in Western Australia, or the Prevelly Park Beach for a dip into the Indian Ocean, probably very refreshing after yesterdays big day wine tasting.

When driving back from Prevelly towards Margaret River you will pass Caves Road. If you turn right towards Augusta, you will pass some very interesting lime stone caves.

• Jewel Cave, is the most spectacular cave within this area and can only be visited on a guided tour.
• Lake Cave shows the reflections of stalactites and stalagmites in the water of the lake. (guided tour only)
• Mammoth Cave
  Here you can see the bones of a kind of a huge wombat (Zygomaturus).
  This cave can be visited with a walkman tour
• Moondyne Adventure Cave
  This cave is not illuminated and visitor can walk with a trained guide on a 2 hour tour. Overalls and helmet will be provided.
  Email: caveworks@margaretriverwa.com

It is only a short drive from the caves to Augusta, your destination for today.

Today, you have the chance to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean at Cape Leeuwin and if you get up very early tomorrow morning, you can watch the sunrise over the Southern Ocean from the same point.

Day 7: Augusta – Pemberton (210 km / 131 miles)

If you did not drive to Cape Leeuwin last night, you should go this morning. You can join a guided tour at the Lighthouse which will give you the local history and whilst enjoying excellent views.
Opening hours: daily from 9 am – 4 pm

On your way toward the city of the wood-art galleries Pemberton, you will drive through a very scenic landscape. Take your time and enjoy this drive. The small townships Nannup, Bridgetown and Manjimup offer some good art galleries and invite you for a stroll along the main streets.

You have several alternatives to continue your journey:

Map 1 http://www.westernaustralia.net/discover/south_west/index.shtml

Map 2 http://www.westernaustralia.net/discover/south_west/Margaret_River_Wine.shtml