How the region works
The "Margaret River region" is bigger than the town that gives it its name. It's the whole Capes stretch of WA's South West — roughly 100 kilometres from Busselton and Dunsborough in the north, through Yallingup and Margaret River town, down to Augusta at the bottom. Packed into it are surf breaks, karri and jarrah forests, limestone show caves, and one of Australia's great wine regions.
All of that is spread out, and there's very little public transport linking it together — so getting around the region means a car or a guided tour. Getting to the region from Perth is a straightforward drive, coach or short flight. The sections below cover both.
📍 Getting here from Perth
Margaret River town sits about 270 kilometres south of Perth, an easy three-hour drive down the Forrest and Bussell Highways (or the slightly longer coastal run). You have three ways to make the trip:
- Drive — the most popular option, giving you a car for exploring once you arrive. Around 3 hours from Perth, 2.5 from Perth Airport.
- Coach — Transwa runs scheduled coaches from Perth and Bunbury to Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River and Augusta.
- Fly — Busselton Margaret River Airport has a limited number of direct flights, including seasonal services from Melbourne, or fly to Perth and continue by road.
🚗 Driving & Caves Road
Once you're in the region, a car is the natural way to explore. The scenic spine is Caves Road, which winds from Dunsborough down to Augusta through the forests and past a long string of wineries, breweries, galleries and the turn-offs to the famous beaches and caves — it's one of WA's great touring drives. The faster Bussell Highway runs roughly parallel for when you just need to cover ground.
| Leg | Distance | Approx. drive |
|---|---|---|
| Busselton → Margaret River town | ≈ 50 km | 50 min |
| Dunsborough → Margaret River (via Caves Rd) | ≈ 45 km | 45 min |
| Margaret River → Augusta | ≈ 45 km | 40 min |
Distances between individual cellar doors, beaches and caves are short, but you'll be hopping between them through the day, so a vehicle (or a tour) is essential. Car hire is available at Busselton Margaret River Airport and in the main towns. Roads are sealed and easy; just watch for kangaroos around dawn and dusk on the forest stretches.
🍷 Wine & brewery tours
This is wine country, and the single most important piece of getting-around advice is simple: don't drink and drive. With around 200 wineries plus breweries and distilleries to visit, the relaxed and responsible way to do a day of cellar doors is a guided tour, where someone else takes the wheel and plans the route while you taste.
Let someone else drive. A guided wine tour means no designated-driver debates and no one missing out — just a planned route through the cellar doors, breweries and providores, with the driving handled. It's the standard, sensible way visitors experience the Margaret River wineries, and it doubles as a relaxed day out.
If you'd rather self-drive, nominate a designated driver who stays sober for the day, and pace your stops. Cooee Tours can arrange Margaret River wine touring as part of our Cooee Wine program.
🚌 Coaches
Transwa is the main scheduled coach operator, running services from Perth and Bunbury down through the South West to Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River and Augusta. These connect the towns and are useful for car-free travel into the region, but they don't detour to individual wineries, beaches or caves, so pair them with local tours once you arrive. There's no comprehensive local bus network linking the region's attractions.
✈️ Flights
Busselton Margaret River Airport (BQB) sits about 50 minutes' drive north of Margaret River town and handles a limited number of direct flights, including seasonal services from Melbourne. For most visitors, though, the regional gateway is Perth Airport — fly in there, then drive or coach the three hours south. Hire cars are available at both Busselton and Perth airports.
🚲 Cycling & walking
The region rewards getting out of the car too. The Wadandi Track, a rail trail following the old railway formation, links towns like Busselton, Cowaramup and Margaret River and is popular with cyclists and walkers. The towns themselves — Margaret River, Dunsborough, Busselton with its famous jetty — are small and walkable. For the bigger picture, the Cape to Cape Track is a renowned multi-day coastal walk between the two capes. None of these replace a car for touring the wider region, but they're a lovely way to slow down once you're based somewhere.
🚕 Taxis & transfers
Local taxi services operate in the main towns, and some rideshare runs in the region, but availability is limited and patchy — don't plan a day around an app being free. Pre-book taxis or arrange transfers in advance, particularly for getting to and from cellar doors, the airport or evening dinners. For wineries especially, a booked tour or transfer is far more reliable than hoping to flag a ride.