A river runs through it

The Margaret River region, which spans from Cape Naturaliste in the North to Cape Leeuwin in the South, is a place of spectacular natural beauty. The skies are piercingly blue, the glassy waters of the shore are a shimmering palate of turquoise and aquamarine, and the rolling planes and soaring capes lush with native fauna: willowy eucalypts, round bushes of beach rosemary, and stout nuytsia floribunda (known locally as the Christmas Tree for its shocks of bright orange blooms which appear in December).

While the nature makes for wonderful passing scenery for a drive through the region, the best way to experience it is really on foot. The 135 km trek traversing the coast, beaches to sheltered forests between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin can take a week to complete at a leisurely pace, but you can also take as little as half a day to experience certain stretches of the journey.

Excerpt from the January 2014 issue of epicure.