OUR LOCALLY LOVED TOP FIVE AUTUMN TO DO'S
BACK TO FUN STUFFDon’t get us wrong, summer down south is just the best, especially sitting on the lawn for an afternoon pint and pizza at our place – however with the fresh mornings and still sunny days of Autumn, this season becomes one of the finest to get in the car and hang out in our backyard. Self-drive, get sidetracked and enjoy our locally loved spots to visit on the Dunsborough Graze and Bath trail.
1. Mountain Biking trails at the Meelup Regional Park
Meelup Regional Park is found on the outskirts of Dunsborough and extends 11km along the coastline from the Dunsborough Country Club in old Dunsborough to Bunker Bay. The park has stunning coastal bushland, granite outcrops, a couple of hidden beaches only accessible by foot and that eye-popping turquoise blue backdrop.
Alongside the coastal walks, you will find 20km of mountain bike trails from the Dunsborough Country Club into the Meelup Regional Park. The trails can be enjoyed by all ability levels with downhill runs from green to black lines, rock obstacles, jumps and technical single tracks.
Locals Toby Heyring (No Rock Tables) and Ben Willis (The Cape Effect Coffee) were both part of the committee helping bring the Meelup Trails to life and head out on two-wheeled adventures in the park daily, with downhill track Firey’s and Black & Blue being their favorite’s.
2. Rock jump off Bombie Rock at Point Picquet
When we asked locals Tom, Claire, Daniela & Will about their favourite place to swim everyone got excited about all the great little swimming spots we are surrounded with. One spot they all agreed is good fun on a sunny Autumn afternoon (if you’re chasing an an adrenaline hit) is the Bombie Rock jump at Point Picquet. A short walk from the car park takes you to granite rocks and a small channel which you swim across the clear turquoise waters to Bombie Rock. This is also a great spot to grab your snorkelling equipment or do some fishing.
3. Coastal walk from the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse to Sugarloaf Rock
A 10 minute drive from Dunsborough, this 3km walk is an absolute glamour with sweeping views of the ocean, cliffs, native coastal bushland and viewing platforms along the way to take in the stunning surf and migrating whales. This part of the Cape-to-Cape trail is adored by local Katie Farrow from KT Fitness & Pilates and the best way to get outside, soak up some vitamin D and check out the amazing natural surroundings from Sugar Loaf Rock to the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse or vice versa.
4. Lunch at Eagle Bay Brewing Co
After some good outdoor activities nearby, you have definitely earned your Kolsch or whatever your favourite eat and drink treat is. You will find us on Eagle Bay Road, located on our working sixty-six-66-year-old family farm with vistas of the Indian Ocean, the lighthouse and rural landscape. We are open daily from 11am to 5pm.
Our preservative-free beers are all brewed on-site and made with only four ingredients – rainwater, malted barley, yeast and hops, with the occasional experimental ingredients for our single batch brews and the added dose of sunshine that powers the brewery.
Eagle Bay’s Head Chef Rupert Brown and our kitchen team have a strong commitment to regional producers, our ingredients harvested from our kitchen garden and seasonality. We love serving up delicious eats to compliment our handcrafted beers and wines from share boards to wood-fired pizzas to our mains such as Roast Pumpkin Salad or Pan-fried Snapper and our old faithful’s the Fish Burger and Beef Burger.
We love a good gathering, whether it’s a long lunch with friends or a cheeky afternoon drink, we have all bases covered for everyone.
5. Sunsets at Sugarloaf Rock
If you are after a pretty epic sunset spot with elevated views of the Indian Ocean to the skyline and you love a gigantic sea-sculptured granite rock – Sugarloaf Rock will definitely float your boat. These Autumn afternoons can bring you golden hour with still seas, alongside the ever-changing colours of Sugarloaf Rock as the sun sets over the ocean. This sunset spot is adored by all the locals who live around our Cape Naturaliste bubble along the Dunsborough Graze and Bath trail.
Drive your story and get side-tracked in beautiful places with self-drive trail guides for the naturally adventurous. A curated collection of five coast and country drive trails guiding you towards the parts of the Margaret River Region you’re looking for and the parts you didn’t expect. Plan ahead then feel free to get a little sidetracked while finding new favourites, slowing down with a swim, or stopping into a locally loved spot.
Find detailed maps and guides online of Busselton Bay & Bounty Trail, Dunsborough to Yallingup: Graze and Bathe Trail, The Gracetown to Cowaramup: Harvest and Vines Trail, The Margaret River: Surf and Source Trail, The Augusta Caves and Coastline Trail. Enjoy the region’s backyard of #localgoodthings.
