Mandurah to Margaret River road trip: Distance, time & best stops
The best stops on a Mandurah to Margaret River road trip are Bunbury and Busselton. By car, the distance from Mandurah to Margaret River is 205km, with a 2h24m driving time.
Planning a Mandurah to Margaret River road trip itinerary
The drive from Mandurah to Margaret River takes you from the hub town of the Peel region to the centre of Western Australia’s most revered wine area.
Mandurah activity options include a pirate cruise, brewery-hopping tours and river cruises along the Murray River. To find the best Mandurah accommodation, head this way.
Margaret River is wine tourism central. But along with the wine tours you can also enjoy canoe adventures, surfing lessons and coffee safaris. For accommodation in the town, hunt here. For a diverse range of tours to choose from, go here.
Mandurah to Margaret River distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Mandurah to Margaret River is 205km. That makes for a Mandurah to Margaret River driving time of around two hours and 24 minutes.
4 experiences to book in Mandurah
- A wildlife-centric dolphin-watching tour.
- A shameless fun in the sun pirate boat cruise.
- Hiring a BBQ boat to explore the waterways.
- An atmospheric sunset cruise.
Leaving Mandurah, the drive towards Bunbury heads out on Pinjarra Road towards Ravenswood, passing the Amaze Miniature Park on the way.
Before turning south down the Forrest Highway, you might like to make a short detour into Pinjarra, where you can visit Ranger Red’s Zoo and Conservation Park or enjoy the museums and heritage buildings of the Edenvale Heritage Precinct.
The Forrest Highway, however, runs east of Collins Pool and Lake Clifton. You can visit the Lake Clifton Winery on the shore of the latter, but the main attraction here is the thrombolites. These rounded, limestone-like bobbles are made of micro-organisms that are similar to the oldest forms of life on earth.
Chilled-out Preston Beach, just to the south of the lake, makes for a good base if planning to explore. You can tackle the 5km Heathlands Walk Trail through Yalgorup National Park on the way in.
Mandurah to Margaret River road trip: Binningup to Bunbury
A little further south is Binningup, where, 40km-long Binningup Beach is calm and swimmer-friendly.
The Mandurah to Bunbury leg of the drive then leaves the Forrest Highway and passes the Leschenault Estuary Eco Museum in Australind, which explains how the estuary’s eco-system fits together.
The route then crosses the Collie River and enters Western Australia’s second-largest city – Bunbury.
What to book in Bunbury – 5 fabulous experiences.
- Koombana Bay dolphin-watching cruise – the dolphins live in the bay, so you’ll definitely see them.
- Geographe region wine tours – explore boutique wineries in the up-and-coming region.
- Swimming with dolphins. They’re wild – this is not a dodgy aquarium experience.
- Forest, wine and brewery day tours.
- Dolphin Discovery Centre entrance tickets.
The best things to do in Bunbury include the dolphin-watching cruises from the Dolphin Discovery Centre.
Bunbury also offers Geographe Region wine tours and swimming with dolphins. For more Bunbury tours, browse here. For the best Bunbury accommodation deals, look here.
Top Bunbury accommodation choices
The best places to stay in Bunbury are:
- For Koombana Bay location, near the Dolphin Discovery Centre: Discovery Parks Bunbury Foreshore.
- For good quality apartments on the coast: Bunbury Seaview Apartments.
- For affordable rates in a city centre location: Rose Hotel and Motel.
Click through to the next section: Bunbury to Busselton.