Things to do in Augusta WA | A Helpful Travel Guide 2022

Augusta is a remote and stunningly beautiful area of Western Australia. The region is known for its natural attractions and is a wonderful place to spend a holiday with family or friends. Find out all the things to do in Augusta WA, where to stay, and other valuable tips in this travel guide.

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Things To Do in Augusta WA

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse

Please note that major restoration works are being carried out on Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse from September 2021 to Sepetmber 2022.

Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse is located on the headland of Cape Leeuwin, the most south-westerly part of Australia’s mainland, where the Southern and Indian Oceans meet.

Opened in 1895, this Augusta lighthouse is the tallest in mainland Australia and is listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List. Initially, the lens revolved by a counterweight driving clockwork mechanism but became automated in 1992.

The limestone lighthouse is an excellent place to spot whales during their migration from May to September.

You can take a tour of Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse, still an essential working lighthouse, but note that you need to be able to climb the 176 steps. Once at the top, learn all about this historic lighthouse, and be amazed at the stunning views.

One of the original lighthouse keepers’ cottages now houses the Interpretive Centre, an interactive experience looking at the history and lives of the lighthouse keepers.

Leeuwin Road, Augusta

Augusta’s Old Waterwheel

This historic water wheel was built just before the lighthouse and used to supply fresh spring water for the construction of the lighthouse and, later, for the keepers and their families.

Over the years, the water, high in calcium carbonate, calcified the wheel, preventing it from turning.

The views of the ocean, giant granite boulders, and the rugged coastline are beautiful here, so don’t forget your camera.

If you want to see more of the coastline, try the one-hour walk from Augusta’s waterwheel to Skippy Rock, using the Cape to Cape track.

Leeuwin Road, Augusta

Jewel Cave

Jewel Cave is the largest show cave in Western Australia and my personal favourite in Australia’s South West region. This cave is popular with tourists and locals and has become famous for its beautiful formations.

The only way to see this spectacular underground treasure trove is on a fully-guided one hour tour.

Read the complete guide on this Jewel Cave WA review.

Whale Watching Augusta

Augusta is one of the most popular places for tourists to go whale watching in Western Australia to see Humpback and Southern Right whales. Whale watching season starts here from late May until the end of August. Up until mid-July, you have the chance to see energetic humpback whales as they migrate north. Southern Right whales appear in July, but the peak season is August when they use Flinders Bay to rest with their calves.

As these tours are during the winter months, ensure you wear appropriate clothing as it can be cold and windy out on the ocean. It’s also advisable to be flexible with dates in case your tour is cancelled due to bad weather or rough sea conditions.

Several whale watching tour operators depart from Augusta, although we haven’t been on these tours. However, we have previously used Whale Watch Western Australia and have been very happy with their service.

Get Your Guide offers the tour at the same price as direct but with the option of free cancellation up to 24 hours prior.

Whale watching Cruises in Augusta:

• Whale Watch Western Australia
• All Sea Charters
• Naturaliste Charters
• Legend Charters

Augusta Beaches

The Margaret River region is home to some of the most scenic beaches in Australia. With pristine sands and crystal clear water, this coastline has it all, and it’s not hard to see why people flock to this destination every year.

Hamelin Bay

My favourite beach near Augusta is Hamelin Bay, where friendly stingrays come up close in shallow waters. You can also fish off the beach, snorkel, dive, or hike one of the trails.

Read this article on things to do in Hamelin Bay for more information.

Grannys Pool

Granny’s Pool, located near Flinders Bay Jetty, is a great place for families as rocks create a calm pool, breaking the southerly swells. Here you can snorkel, hunt for crabs, swim, or relax under the shade of a tree.

Cosy Corner

Cosy Corner is a beautiful coastal area off Caves Road, 17 km from Augusta. You can stop here on your way to/from Hamelin Bay. The sandy beach looked lovely but the flies were dreadful (a very hot December), so we decided not to walk down to it.

There’s a limestone platform left of the car park, which has several blowholes that blow water up to 6 m high on rough days.

Augusta Fishing

Augusta offers a great estuary, beach, and offshore fishing spots.

Try your luck at catching black bream, trevally (skippy), and blue-spotted flathead at the Hardy Inlet, Blackwood, and Scott Rivers. Or head to Cosy Corner from late summer to autumn for herring and salmon.

In calm conditions, Skippy Rock is excellent for tailor, skippy, samson fish, and salmon from late summer to autumn. Pink snapper is in the deeper water offshore.

Hillview Lookout

This scenic Augusta lookout can be found along Hillview Road with 360° views across natural bush and farmland to the ocean. We weren’t that impressed with the views, but the drive through the forest was beautiful. It’s worth a visit to get a perspective of the area.

Visit Margaret River

Margaret River is only a thirty-minute drive from Augusta, making it ideal for exploring on a day trip. The area offers world-class wineries, trendy craft breweries, hikes through forests, thrilling mountain bike tracks, and stunning beaches.

Find out more about the area and what are the best things to do in Margaret River here.

We use Booking.com for most accommodation bookings as they offer free cancellation on most rooms, have a loyalty program (Genius), a price match guarantee, the site is user-friendly and they have great customer support. We also book through Stayz for private accommodation as they are often cheaper than Airbnb.

Augusta Accommodation

Pet-friendly accommodation in Augusta

Turner Brook Chalet

Turner Brook Chalet, a six-minute drive from Hamelin Bay, is on a working farm with pet animals that may be hand-fed, including cows, sheep, goats, and geese.

This three-bedroom house sleeps up to six guests and features air-conditioning, a private bathroom, a dining area, and a flat-screen TV.

The cost for a family of four for 3 nights in February is:

Booking.com A$450

Airbnb A$520

Stayz A$599

As you can see, booking.com has the lowest price for my dates.

Country Comfort Cottage

Country Comfort Cottage is an adults-only retreat near Karridale. This cosy one-bedroom cottage has a wood fire to snuggle up in front of in the cooler months and a lovely outside verandah to watch the local wildlife. There’s a kitchen with a small fridge, oven, and cooktop.

Three nights in March on Stayz is A$644

Private Accommodation, Stayz & Airbnb Augusta

Sapphire Chalets Augusta

Sapphire Chalets offer fully self-contained accommodation set on 80 acres. They feature a patio, two bedrooms, a dining area, a lounge, a fully-equipped kitchen with a microwave and stovetop.

This Augusta accommodation is featured on Stayz and Airbnb, but booking.com had the lowest price. The cost for two nights in May for two people was:

Booking.com A$340

Stayz A$384

Airbnb A$393

Alouarn Apartments

Alouarn Apartments are located a five-minute walk from Augusta town centre. You have the choice of the upstairs one-bedroom apartment with a private balcony or the downstairs apartment with a private courtyard. The modern apartments feature a fully equipped kitchen with a coffee machine, air conditioning and heating, electric blankets, and a range of other amenities to make your stay enjoyable.

The upstairs apartment also features a hot tub.

Booking.com A$452

Stayz A$456

Airbnb A$456

Hamelin Bay “LinRiebie”

This air-conditioned holiday home is situated among two acres of karri forest and is only a two-minute drive to Hamelin Bay. There’s enough parking for a car and a boat.

There are four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an outdoor bush shower. The modern, fully equipped kitchen includes a dishwasher, coffee machine, and bread maker.

Keep warm in winter with a lovely wood burner and reverse cycle air conditioning.

Family of four for three nights:

Stayz A$944

Airbnb A$1022

Storm Bay View

This renovated 1950s beachfront cottage is in Flinders Bay and features a wrap-around verandah from which you can enjoy the stunning view across the ocean to the marina.

There are two bedrooms, sleeping four guests, where you can fall asleep listening to the sound of the ocean. Small dogs are considered with prior approval.

Booking.com was slightly cheaper for a family of four staying three nights:

Booking.com A$834

Stayz A$840

Airbnb A$840

Augusta Sheoak Chalets

These family-friendly chalets are on Hillview Road, surrounded by the native trees of Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park. There are three or four bedroomed houses to choose from and are suitable for large groups.

Each chalet has a log fireplace, a private patio with countryside views, and a fully equipped kitchen.

Augusta Hotels & Motels

Baywatch Manor Augusta

The highly-rated Baywatch Manor offers excellent value accommodation in Augusta with a wide range of room options (including wheelchair accessibility). Some rooms have a private bathroom or access to shared male and female facilities.

Guests have use of the shared kitchen, laundry, dining area, TV room, and BBQ.

There’s heating in the building but no air conditioning.

Augusta Houseboats

Blackwood River Houseboats have three houseboats that they rent out for a unique holiday experience, and you don’t need a skippers ticket to drive them.

Augusta Caravan Parks WA

Turner Holiday Park

Turner Holiday Park is my favourite caravan park in Augusta as it sits right on the banks of the Blackwood River, close to the river mouth. It’s perfect for those who enjoy fishing, swimming, and kite or windsurfing.

The powered and unpowered campsites are suited for all campers, from tents to RVs.

If you want to stay here but don’t want to camp, Turner Holiday Park also offers a range of accommodation options including three riverfront chalets, an all-access chalet and a two-bedroom chalet.

You often see pelicans and dolphins in the river as well as large stingrays (mainly in summer) that come in looking for fish scraps. Filleting tables are in the water, which is where you are most likely to see them (especially if being used!).

Dogs aren’t permitted at this campsite.

Flinders Bay Holiday Park

Flinders Bay Holiday Park is on the beach and dog-friendly. It offers private powered and unpowered sites in a relaxed atmosphere.

Where is Augusta?

Augusta is a small town in Western Australia’s South West, located in the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River.

Getting to Augusta

International and domestic visitors will fly into Perth Airport. Find details about visas, prohibited items, currency, and safety in this Australia Travel Guide and tips on arriving into WA and other essential travel information in this Western Australia Travel Guide.

There are car hire booths at Perth airport, but it’s best to pre-book your car rental. Choose from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt, Hertz, Enterprise, and Thrifty.

To compare rental car company prices, I use Discover Cars, an award-winning car rental comparison website. They offer competitive pricing in over 10,000 locations worldwide and are have a high rate of customer satisfaction. Another option is Rentalcars.

Drivenow is a good resource to compare campervan hire in Western Australia as it includes all the large companies like Britz, Maui, Jucy as well as smaller ones.

Perth to Augusta

You can drive from Perth to Augusta in just under four hours along the main highways.

TransWA runs buses from East Perth to Pemberton that stop in Augusta, taking around five and a half hours.

Margaret River to Augusta

Margaret River is 43 km from Augusta, taking around 35 minutes by car.

The only public transport option is the Trans WA bus that comes through Margaret River on the way to Pemberton, stopping in Augusta.

Augusta Weather & Forecast

Summer in Augusta is usually a lot milder than Perth, cooled by the southerly winds. The average maximum temperature is 23°C with minimums of 17°C. Flies can be a nuisance during warm weather!

Winter is generally wet but warmer mornings than Perth, with maximum average temperatures of 16°C and minimums of 11°C.

The Bureau of Meteorology provides 7-day forecasts.

How Long to Stay in Augusta

How long you stay in Augusta depends on your activity level. If you just want to explore the area, a long weekend is plenty. However, if you’re going to fish, kayak, or have a relaxed family holiday, I’d recommend five days.

Augusta Restaurants

As Augusta is a small town, restaurants and food options are limited. Most places receive mixed reviews.

Try one of these restaurants/take aways in Augusta:

• Augusta Hotel – typical pub fare with lovely views over the Blackwood River
• Augusta Fish & Chips (previously Blue Ocean) – our fish and chips were tasty
• The Ragged Robin – didn’t eat here but looks cute
• The Colour Patch – didn’t eat here either but a popular place overlooking the inlet
• Augusta Bakery – enjoyed the jam doughnuts but didn’t like the taste of the sausage rolls
• Drive out to Karridale Tavern

Augusta Shops

Augusta IGA

Augusta IGA is open from 8 am to 6 pm seven days a week for your shopping needs.

It’s a Jem

It’s a Jem is a cute gift shop, worth a browse for any gifts or souvenirs.

For more shops and Coles or Woolworths, you will need to drive into Margaret River.

Western Australia Travel Guide

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