discovery pool, aquariums, lawn area
and playground.
We then headed southwest to the
Ferguson Valley with its beautiful
rolling hills, green pastures and
bush. The Ferguson Farm Stay was
the perfect setting for my city-slicker
daughters. A 45-acre functional farm
with 10 residential chalets, it is a
magical place with plenty to entertain
children. The kids played on the
trampoline and playground, before
feeding the koi fish in the pond against
the backdrop of a beautiful country
sunset. The following day we joined
the morning farm activities, a 1.5-hour
programme that included feeding the
animals, as well as a pony and tractor
ride.
Reaching Margaret River
From the Ferguson Valley it was time
to drive the 90 minutes south to the
famed Margaret River region. We
decided to drive via the seaside resort
of Busselton to get a look at the longest
jetty in the southern hemisphere.
There is a little train that takes you
on the 1.7km journey around the jetty
and the Underwater Observatory.
We knew we had arrived in the
famed Margaret River wine region
when every other sign was for a
winery. The area is simply stunning
with glimpses of the beautiful Indian
Ocean on one side and miles of
vineyard on the other. The Margaret
River Region encompasses a number
of towns including Yallingup,
Dunsborough, Eagle Bay and
Margaret River itself. I chose to split
our four-day stay between a small
cottage in Yallingup (there are many
rentals in the area) and the luxurious
Pullman Hotel in Bunker Bay. I was
pleased with my choices as it gave us
the chance to explore Yallingup and
the area south on the first few days,
then the Bunker Bay/Eagle Bay region
after that.
There’s so much to do in the
Margaret River Region and our
mornings were typically spent at the
beach. Our favourite was Yallingup
Beach, which is protected by the
reef, making the immediate water
safer for kids. There’s also a really
nice playground and grassy area by
the car park. We visited during the
summer, which meant temperatures
were soaring but the turquoise water
was relatively calm. In fact, I had
deliberately chosen a hotel with a pool
for the last few nights of our stay as I
wasn’t sure how easy it would be to
swim in the ocean.
In the afternoon, we would
choose an activity for all the family
to enjoy. For me, that usually means
trying to bribe my kids into viewing
a geographical feature. They loved
Ngilgi Cave, which was Western
Australia’s first tourist attraction! The
stalagmites and stalactites are very
impressive and there’s a ‘Tunnel of
Doom’ for the kids to crawl through.
Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse is
impressive, although my children had
to be bribed with the promise of a trip
to the fantastic Simmo’s ice-creamery
afterwards. Their favourite place
was Xscape, a fun adventure park
for kids. There they played on water
slides, trampolines, a maze and the
jungle mountain play area. For anyone
looking for more maze action, be sure
to head to the Yallingup Maze.
Food and drink
As most of the restaurants close by
late afternoon, try to prioritise lunch
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