Tourism Activities

Unlike most mountain bike events, the Cape to Cape MTB is set up with the traveller in mind. Each day, time is set aside for the riders and their support crew to do a variety of tourist activities in the region. With this in mind, we encourage you to bring friends and family to the event.

Australia's South West is renowned for its wide range of tourist attractions and the Margaret River region certainly has more than its share. Visitors to the region can enjoy a smorgasbord of fine food and wine, world-class surfing and swimming beaches, majestic karri forests and an abundance of outdoor activities that make the most of the spectacular natural scenery.

For tourism enquiries, please contact the multi-award winning Augusta Margaret River Tourism Association, which provides a free and personalised information and booking service for MTB riders. Friendly staff know the region intimately and can help you create an unforgettable Margaret River experience.  Contact AMRTA's friendly staff on (08) 9780 5911 or email welcome@margaretriver.com. Alternatively visit www.margaretriver.com where you can book online.

Some of the key attractions and activities in the area are listed below, but there are plenty more that you can seek and find!

Mountain biking in the Margaret River region?

Dirty Detours are your go to people. They offer a range of tours, from relaxed forest rides, to a sip'n'cycle wine tour or frenzied attacks of adrenaline and thrashing pedals.
 
To find out more contact Dirty Detours on 0422343341 or visit www.dirtydetours.com

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

On the most south-westerly tip of Australia, where the Indian and Southern Oceans meet, stands the historic Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse. One of the last in the world to remain manually operated, the 39-metre high lighthouse was operated by clockwork mechanism and kerosene burner until 1982. The famous maritime landmark glows spectacular white in front of contrasting scenes – calm oceans glistening peaceful blue silver or wild oceans showing their awesome joined force crashing against the Cape. Cape Leeuwin is mainland Australia’s tallest lighthouse and its piercing beam, which has an intensity of one million candles, shines over the surrounding rugged sea and landscape for 26 nautical miles (48km). Guided tours are conducted daily at the lighthouse, and a visitor centre, café and retail shop are contained within the lighthouse precinct where visitors can enjoy a light lunch or coffee in one of the heritage cottages overlooking Flinder’s Bay. Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, in Augusta, is the starting point of the Cape to Cape MTB.

It’s probably not wise to pat them but the stingrays of Hamelin Bay certainly don’t seem to mind posing for photographs while they feed off the scraps left by fishermen. Often they will even let you hand feed them as they gracefully cruise the waters close to shore. The best times to see these fascinating creatures are early in the morning or late afternoon when the fishing boats come into shore. Hamelin Bay, located at the southern end of Caves Road, is the overnight stop-off point after Day 1 of the Cape to Cape MTB.

Lake Cave, 20 minutes south of Margaret River along Caves Road, is a stunning pristine chamber deep beneath the earth. Visitors descend a 300-step staircase beneath towering karri trees before entering one of the most beautiful small limestone caves in Australia. Inside the cave a tranquil lake reflects delicate formations with the centre piece being a magnificent 'suspended table'. Guided tours operate through the cave regularly and visitors can enjoy a snack or meal at Lake Cave Tearooms.

Leeuwin Estate is a boutique, family-owned and operated winery located in the picturesque Margaret River region. One of the iconic wineries of Australia, it has earned an international reputation for making wines that rank alongside the world's finest and now exports to more than 30 countries. A pioneer in the business of wine tourism, Leeuwin has won numerous Australian tourism awards and incorporates a Gold Plate Award winning restaurant, art gallery, and serviced boardroom. Visitors are welcome to tour the winemaking process and sample the wines. Leeuwin will open its gates for the Day 2 Special Stage of the Cape to Cape MTB and competitors will ride through the spectacular property. A special event brunch will be on offer for support crew and spectators at the winery.

The Margaret River region boasts a fine supply of world-class wineries, often with restaurants overlooking sweeping vineyards. Although the region produces less than one per cent of Australian wine, it produces more than 15 per cent of the country's premium wine. And with 60 plus wineries to choose from, you won't be stuck for choice. Of course it’s not just about wine – some of Australia's best chefs produce mouth-watering feasts using fresh local produce (think fish, marron, beef, lamb, venison, exquisite cheeses, olives, berries, jams and condiments).

Award winning Colonial Brewery is less than 10 minutes from the Margaret River Town Centre. Visitors can sample award-winning beers that are brewed on site and hand crafted in small batches to produce top quality ales, with no preservatives or additives. There’s a great playground where kids can entertain themselves while parents relax and take in the pleasant outlook. A delicious menu includes matching beer suggestions and local wine is also available.

The Wilyabrup sea cliffs rate as one of the premier abseiling and rock climbing sites in the South West region. Perfect for adrenalin junkies, various programs introduce participants to the basic principles of abseiling including all safety aspects. Participants progress from small cliffs to higher cliffs and for those who are up to it, there may be an opportunity to try forward abseiling. And getting back up the cliffs? Rock climbing is often referred to as the ultimate mental and physical outdoor activity, involving concentration, agility and commitment rather than strength. Rock climbing can be taught together with abseiling or as a separate activity.

The Margaret River region is the undisputed surf capital of Western Australia. It is home to a huge array of challenging and powerful waves, with more than 75 major breaks located between Cape Leeuwin in Augusta to Cape Naturaliste in Yallingup. Anyone from the novice to the experienced surfer can enjoy the ultimate surfing experience and spectacular coastal lookouts provide vantage points to watch those taking on the ocean. Don’t know how to surf? You can learn the art and technique of surfing with lessons from one of the many surf schools in the region.

Ngilgi Cave is located a short distance north east of Yallingup beneath the limestone ridge which forms Cape Naturaliste. Its name comes from a rich Aboriginal legend which describes the battle between a good spirit (Ngilgi) and an evil spirit (Wolgine). Discovered in 1899, Ngilgi Cave (formerly Yallingup Cave) remains one of the Cape’s most visited attractions. It offers visitors a stunning display of stalactite, stalagmite and shawl formations plus an interpretative area detailing the cave's rich history. Semi-guided, fully-guided, adventure caving and torchlight tours are available.

Whale watching in the pristine waters off Cape Naturaliste is a unique and exhilarating experience, and October is the perfect time to find these majestic creatures on their migration to Antarctica for summer feeding. The calm Geographe Bay provides a protective haven for young calves, with the waters becoming a nursery from September to November while the calves feed and strengthen before continuing into the Southern Ocean. Watching calves feed and possibly even hearing a whale song on a quiet spring day is a memorable experience. You may even be lucky enough to see the world's largest animal, the rare and endangered blue whale, which is increasingly being sighted in the bay during October and November.

Located right in front of Yallingup’s famous surf break, Yallingup Lagoon provides the perfect sheltered swimming area. The reef-enclosed lagoon is ideal for swimming, fishing and snorkelling and offers the perfect access to the long soft white sandy beach which extends south.

The Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse (built in 1903) is the perfect vantage point for views of Cape Naturaliste and Geographe Bay, while a maritime museum offers a fascinating insight into the history of the Capes region. Numerous walk trails lead from the lighthouse around the bays and beaches of the Cape, and a platform and shelter provides a magnificent vantage point for whale watching during the annual migratory periods, from September to December.