Margaret River, Western Australia

Margaret River has become the up-market destination outside of Perth. But don't worry, there are too few people in the whole state to create conditions anything like you would experience in an attractive area of the USA. What you have are most of the facilities you need, but without the crowds, the crime or the traffic.

 

The climate and scenery rival the "Big Sur", but are totally Australian. Two of our guests came back from a nearby beach saying that they spent hours there, on a beautiful day and had it all to themselves.
	Matan's Lodge is located on the Caves Road, half way between the town and the beach, and central to the galleries, caves and wineries.

 

A Little About Western Australia

WA is almost four times the size of Texas. It has 8,000 miles of coastline and climatic zones ranging from tropical through to temperate. If you had to find just one word to describe the State of Western Australia, it would be Capital B for BIG. Even the sheep stations are the size of Ireland.
	WA is one half the size of continental USA and has a population of fewer than 2 million people. The city of Perth has 1.7 million people. 300.000 people share a countryside as large and as varied as the western half of the USA.

WA's nickname is the Wildflower State. There are over 8000 varieties, including exotics like the donkey orchid or the state flower the kangaroo paw. Speaking of kangaroos there would be 20 or more within 100 yards of Matan's Gallery and Lodge. They are not tame, but come right up to the house to nibble the lawns.

Since the Dutch navigators set eyes on Western Australia's shores in the 17th century, more than 700 vessels have come to grief on the rocky coast. Nowadays these waters are better known as an arena for world-famous yacht races such as the Whitbread Round-the-World Race, the popular Masters International Surfing competition, and for some of the best fishing and whale-watching in the country.