Margaret River to Augusta drive: Distance, time & best stops

The best stops on the Margaret River to Augusta drive include the Boranup Forest, Hamelin Bay Beach and Jewel Cave. The Margaret River to Augusta drive covers a 44km distance in a driving time of around 30m.

The drive from Margaret River to Augusta takes you from the biggest town on Geographe Bay to the south-western tip of Western Australia.

For a wide range of Margaret River experiences, including wine-tasting tours, pick out your favourites here. To choose your ideal Margaret River accommodation, check out the options here.

Top Augusta experiences include being wowed by Jewel Cave, climbing the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and whale-watching cruises. For the top Augusta accommodation options, look here.

Margaret River to Augusta distance and driving time

By car along the quickest route, the distance from Margaret River to Augusta is 44km. That makes for a driving time of around 30 minutes.

In the town of Margaret River, you can visit the Margaret River Brewhouse, the Margaret River Distilling Company and the Margaret River Organic Garden.

9 Margaret River experiences worth booking

1. Wine tours. 2. Wine & chocolate tasting. 3. Whale-watching. 4. River canoeing. 5. Cave tours to Lake Cave, Ngilgi Cave, Jewel Cave and Mammoth Caves. 6. Nature and culture tour. 7. Surfing lesson. 8. Stand-up paddleboarding. 9. Coffee discovery experience.

Why you should stay in the town of Margaret River

There are plenty of great places to stay in the Margaret River region. But stay in the town itself has one massive advantage – you can walk to the bars and restaurants in the evening after a day’s wine-tasting.

If you’d like to avoid driving in the evening, these are the best accommodation options in the town of Margaret River.

For apartments with a pool (honestly, this is the best choice): Margarets In Town.
For chalets by the river: Riverview Tourist Park.
For a centrally-located motel: Margaret River Motel.
For a bit more style: Prideau’s of Margaret River.

Margaret River to Augusta drive: Bussell Highway or Caves Road?

Upon leaving Margaret River, there is a choice to make. Do you go the quick way or the fun way to Augusta? If the quick way down the Bussell Highway, you’ll go past the edge of Forest Grove National Park and not much else.

The fun way, along Caves Road, brings a wealth of the Margaret River region’s highlights. It also only adds nine kilometres and 14 minutes to the journey.

The Caves Road route from Margaret River to Augusta goes past top wineries including Xanadu and Voyager Estate, then runs parallel to Redgate Beach before reaching a series of spectacular caves. Calgardup Cave, Mammoth Cave, Giants Cave and Lake Cave.

Road trip essentials that many travellers forget

Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.

Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.

Margaret River to Augusta road trip: Boranup Forest

You’ll also pass through the gorgeous Boranup Forest, where tall karri trees reach for the heavens. Pick the Boranup Forest Viewpoint for photos, the Boranup Lookout for views over the forest and Boranup Beach and the Boranup Forest Maze for fun.

A little further along come Hamelin Bay Beach, where stingrays hang out in the shallows, the Margaret River sculpture park and Jewel Cave. Book a tour here to see the spectacular decorations and here tales of how Tasmanian tigers became fossils.

The best things to do in Augusta include whale-watching cruises, tours of the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse and swimming at Granny’s Pool.

Top Augusta experiences to book in advance

Climb the historic Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse – and hopefully see dolphins from the top.
Take a tour of the huge and splendidly decorated Jewel Cave – and learn how preserved Tasmanian tigers have been found inside.
Go on a whale-watching cruise – with trained marine scientists as crew.

Best Augusta accommodation options

The best places to stay in Augusta are:

For self-contained chalets on a farm: Sapphire Chalets.
For air-conditioned apartments with full kitchens: Augusta Escape Holiday Units.
For a good value motel: Baywatch Manor.