Private land experiences in the Margaret River Region

Olio Bello is a 320-acre certified organic olive farm at Cowaramup, in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, where sixteen safari-style bungalows sit around a private lake among more than 8,000 olive trees. The property does double duty. Guests staying overnight get a bungalow at the water's edge; anyone dropping by for the day can book the $55 Liquid Gold set lunch, eat at the cafe, browse the gift shop and see the olive press in action. Weddings are held on the grounds as well. Every one of the 320 acres is certified organic, and that shapes the whole landscape — rolling groves, the lake, and the wildlife both attract are the backdrop to a stay here rather than an afterthought. Cowaramup is a few minutes' drive, the sound of Gracetown's waves carries in on a quiet evening, and the property sits inside the ring of Margaret River's cellar doors. For glamping in Margaret River backed by an actual working farm — one that presses its own oil, not a campsite with a view — Olio Bello is the benchmark.

Forest Rise sits on 240 private acres of forest at Yelverton, in the northern reaches of the Margaret River wine region, with self-contained spa chalets and a separate lodge spaced apart among the trees for privacy. Wellness here is booked, not implied: guests can arrange a massage or a yoga session on the property during their stay, and check-in comes with a welcome pour of local wine and something to eat. Past that, the drawcard is simply the forest itself — 240 acres to walk, birdlife loud enough to notice, and chalets angled so the view is trees rather than the next chalet along. Weddings are held on the grounds too, and past guests have married here. The chalets suit a couple; the lodge takes a bigger group. Yelverton sits at the quiet end of the Margaret River region — the cellar doors and restaurants are a short drive away, as are the coast's swimming beaches — but Forest Rise is built for guests who'd rather not leave: a fire, a spa, forest on every side, nothing on the agenda.

Boronia Farm works the upper Capel River Valley from inside state forest, twelve kilometres out of Donnybrook in the South West, on certified-organic land that's been farmed regeneratively since 1999. The bush around the farm does a lot of the hosting itself: red-tailed cockatoos pass overhead, blue wrens work the undergrowth close to the ground, frogs start up at dusk, and come spring the surrounding forest turns over into wildflowers, including the native boronia the farm takes its name from. At the centre of it is a heritage apple tree — planted around 1935 as a seedling beside the newly built farmhouse and still fruiting nine decades later. Stays are farmstay-style, and the farm's own certified-organic produce is part of what's on offer to guests. Walking here means the state forest the property sits inside; anyone with a camera gets wildflowers, birdlife and a working orchard pushing ninety years old. For an organic farm stay in the South West that treats regeneration as the actual point rather than a marketing line, Boronia Farm is a quiet standout.

Glenbrook Estate runs to 180 acres of natural bushland five kilometres out of Margaret River town, with walk trails threading through the property itself and a choice of camping, caravan or cottage accommodation. What sets it apart is that the trails start where you're staying, not a drive from it. The land carries a Land for Wildlife listing and has served as a release site for native animals, so the bush guests walk through is actively managed for the species living in it. Birdwatching holds up well here, spring turns the understorey over with wildflowers, and the same network of trails works equally for a slow walk or a ride. The property backs directly onto state forest, so the walking doesn't stop at Glenbrook's own boundary, and the Cape to Cape Track plus Margaret River's cellar doors, restaurants and surf are only minutes away when guests want them. For campers and caravanners after private bush rather than a commercial holiday park, and walkers who'd rather the trail start at the tent, Glenbrook is among the best-suited properties in the region.

Shambala Nature Retreat runs genuine programming — not just accommodation — on 118 acres of untouched bushland at Osmington, a short drive from both Margaret River and Cowaramup. The centre hosts seasonal retreats, ceremonies and custom immersions built around Ayurveda, permaculture and conscious-living practice, and the property itself can be hired out for retreats and events run by others. Guests stay in a solar-passive earth dwelling built to sit inside the surrounding forest rather than clear it. The land carries its own weight here: 118 acres to walk, a forest loud with birdsong, and — with the nearest town lighting far enough away to matter — genuinely dark skies once night falls, which makes stargazing a real drawcard rather than an afterthought. For a retreat organiser after Margaret River acreage with accommodation already built in, or an individual after a wellness stay grounded in actual practised programming rather than a spa menu, Shambala is one of the most complete offerings in the region.

Willow Wood is a boutique glamping property on a hundred-acre working farm at Ambergate, between Busselton and Margaret River, with ten eco tents spread across the land for privacy and outlook. This is glamping with real animals in the paddocks, not a themed tent field: highland cows and miniature donkeys live on the property alongside guests, and the tents themselves are fitted with designer interiors rather than basic canvas. Wellness is bookable, not implied — a dedicated treatment tent on site offers professional massage therapy reserved for guests only. Ambergate Nature Reserve sits right next door for walking, Busselton Jetty and the beach are a quarter-hour away, and Margaret River's town centre is about thirty-five minutes — so the location reaches both coast and wine country while the farm itself stays quiet. For a couple after glamping near Busselton with real animals on the property, a massage that's actually bookable, and ten tents rather than a hundred, Willow Wood is a strong pick.

A family-owned farm park on Caves Road in Dunsborough, open seven days a week (9:30am-5pm) since 1989. Entry includes a bucket of carrots for hand-feeding the rabbits, guinea pigs, kangaroos, llamas, alpacas, goats, sheep, donkeys, ponies and cows, plus an indoor playground, merry-go-round, dodgem cars and a choice of row or pedal boat rides. Free BBQs are set up under the peppermint trees for visitors who bring their own food.

A family-run farm at Metricup, about three hours south of Perth in the Margaret River region, open for tours and overnight stays. Wander the market garden, feed the pigs and cuddle the cows, then settle into farm-view accommodation warmed by a wood fire.

A working rural property at Burnside near Margaret River that houses artist studios and residencies, bringing makers onto the land rather than tourists. It's registered as a not-for-profit arts charity and belongs to the Land for Wildlife scheme.

An equine-assisted learning centre at Vasse, running internationally recognised programs since 2002. Horses work as co-facilitators for personal growth, helping people learn to read body signals, stay present, and understand how they connect with others.

Outdoor archery at Abbey, just inland from Busselton — beginner-friendly sessions with bows, arrows and targets all supplied and no surcharges, plus a 9-hole mini-golf course, birthday parties and corporate days, and coaching courses for those who want to go further. Dogs are welcome on-lead (best behaviour, please). Bullseyes and backyard banter, minutes from the Busselton foreshore.

A 27-chalet retreat at Metricup in the Margaret River wine region, complemented by The Residence, a four-bedroom house, all set among tall eucalypts and willows with native wildlife moving through the grounds. The property operates as a dedicated wedding venue, with packages running from elopements to full receptions, and also hosts corporate groups.

Six luxury spa villas spread across a 66-acre private estate at Osmington in the Margaret River wine region, each with its own outdoor spa, with several overlooking the freshwater lake. Guests can book in-villa massages and private chefs, while the grounds hold a tennis court, orchard and vegetable garden, with horses and wildlife roaming about. The estate also hosts weddings.

An early-1800s limestone homestead on a private family estate just minutes from Busselton, held by the Packard-Hair family for three generations and run as a dedicated wedding venue. A silk-lined luxury marquee, curated gardens, the barn and the homestead itself provide the settings for ceremonies and photos, with accommodation on the estate for wedding parties.

An adults-only retreat on a hillside near the corner of Caves and Carters Roads, five minutes from Margaret River town, with a five-bedroom homestead and garden apartments set among cottage-style and native gardens. Gilgara hosts weddings, yoga and health retreats and group bookings, and positions itself for couples looking for quiet, digital-detox weekends.

A private 100-acre estate at Metricup, set between native bushland and vineyards, with secluded pet-friendly cottages, walking trails across the grounds, farm animals to meet, and a sauna and ice bath for resetting. The estate hosts destination weddings and immersive retreats as its own private sanctuary.

La Foret Enchantee is a nine-acre private estate on the banks of the Margaret River at Burnside, five minutes from both the township and the coast. Two luxury cabins sit in the river valley — the palatial Lodge with its outdoor stone bath, and the fairytale Hide with a six-metre wall of windows — where a European-inspired garden meets peppermint and marri bush, and the estate hosts intimate outdoor events.

Holberry House is a seven-room guesthouse in the style of an English manor, set on four acres of landscaped gardens and parkland on a wooded hill at the edge of Nannup's town centre. Its meandering gardens host functions and celebrations, and guests can stroll downhill into the historic town.

Three self-contained chalets tucked into jarrah forest just six kilometres from Nannup, built around a function centre that hosts weddings, retreats and school camps. The venue runs its own shuttle out to the world-renowned Tank 8 Mountain Bike Park, the Old Timberline Trail runs right past the property, and unpowered camp sites are on the way for those who prefer to pitch a tent.

A wellness venue at Yallingup that runs a calendar of scheduled retreats — wellness long weekends, an Align Retreat, and other seasonal programmes — alongside premium apartments for stays. Sauna, ice bath and massage sessions can all be booked on site, and the venue itself is available for hire.

A family-run farm stay on twelve acres of bush gardens just minutes from the Margaret River township, home to a mob of friendly animals guests help feed each morning. Nature trails and playgrounds run through the property alongside a year-round heated indoor pool, and photo shoots with the animals can be booked through Julia Whale Photography.

A certified-biodynamic family farm at Margaret River, owned and grown by the McCall family, where guests stay in one- or two-bedroom bungalows overlooking the vineyard with exclusive access to farm, food and wine journeys — a working market garden to wander, and estate wine grown, made and poured on site, with tastings bookable by appointment.

A 1,500-acre working cattle farm in Scott River country east of Augusta, with eight campsites tucked away separately across the property — some down by the water, some under trees, some in their own paddock corner. Walking tracks cross the farm, the seasonal waterways hold fish when they're running, and every site gets its own fire pit for the evening.

RV camping on a fully working 250-acre vineyard at Metricup, right in the heart of the Margaret River wine region — sixty hectares planted across sixteen grape varieties, with five campsites strung along the dam and one tucked away in bushland. It's adults only, for good working-vineyard reasons.

Capes Raptor Centre is a birds-of-prey sanctuary on Boodjidup Road at Margaret River, run by the Capes Foundation. Visitors can walk the self-guided Bird of Prey Trail through native bushland and watch free-flight displays twice daily, getting close to eagles, falcons and owls. The centre holds a 4.7 rating across 756 Google reviews.

Margaret River Organic Farmer is an award-winning regenerative farm at Rosa Brook near Margaret River, founded in 2015 by fourth-generation farmer Lawson and sustainability educator Laura. Winner of the Australian Government WA Landcare Farming Award, the farm runs tours and events alongside its farm shop, growing food the honest way — healthy animals, healthy earth, healthy community.

At Carbunup River, Discover Deadly puts visitors face-to-face with snakes and other venomous locals, with keeper talks and feeding sessions running twice a day. Beyond the standard visit, there are keeper tours, reptile-handling courses and even barista coffee on site. Open six days a week.

Solitaire Homestead sits on 110 acres between Dunsborough and Yallingup, where Spanish-inspired homestead architecture meets native bushland. Farm stays are spread across three dwellings — the main homestead, a handcrafted strawbale studio and the Blue House — while the grounds double as a wedding venue and a location for photo and film shoots.

Sabina River Farm is a purpose-built, blank-slate events venue on a private rural estate ten minutes from Busselton, built up over a decade using reclaimed and recycled materials sourced from across WA. It hosts weddings, live music, corporate dinners, long-table lunches and school balls for up to three hundred guests, with BYO drinks and no corkage.

Australia's leading breeder of show-jumping and performance horses, spread across two properties at Wilyabrup in the Margaret River wine region. Four imported Warmblood stallions stand alongside broodmares and young stock, with training, lessons and horses for sale on offer. The indoor arena is available for hire — with lights and sound if needed — and has a viewing deck for spectators. Visits are by appointment.

An off-grid farm venue at Yallingup Siding, home of the Tiller Group — weddings and events among rolling paddocks, private chef dining through Tiller Dining, and full-service catering and event coordination through Tiller Events, built on more than a decade of South West hospitality.

A single off-grid hut on a 790-hectare working cattle farm at Nannup — nearly two thousand acres of rolling hills and bushland where the herd grazes around your deck. Heated bathroom floors and a fire keep things comfortable in the cold. The farm also hosts elopements, and hampers can be arranged.

A working lavender farm in Carlotta, tucked between Nannup and Margaret River in WA's South West. Campsites sit among the lavender rows, there's a self-contained cottage, and the farm's own shop and café opens Thursday to Sunday for lavender treats and coffee. Kangaroos wander through and kookaburras call overhead, with the rest of the South West only an hour's drive away.

Floating accommodation on the Hardy Inlet where it meets the Blackwood River at Augusta — choose a moored apartment for a fixed stay or take a houseboat out and pilot it yourself, with both on-grid and off-grid options. Weddings are held on the water too.

An equine-assisted learning practice at Ruabon, near Busselton, built around structured sessions with horses rather than riding lessons — no prior horse experience needed. Small groups work through a guided program aimed at building self-awareness and emotional-regulation skills through the horses' responses, alongside a separate riding school for anyone who does want to learn to ride.

A 350-acre working sheep farm at Rosa Glen, ten minutes from Margaret River town, where the campsite fills a secret valley hidden by natural forest. Guests join the daily 4pm sheep feeding, meet the resident animals — guinea pigs, chickens, an emu — and can pick up the farm's own eggs, lamb and honey.

A private mountain bike park in WA's South West with a gravity trail network, skills parks and uplift shuttles for those skipping the climb. Access is restricted to public gravity days, private group bookings and special events — casual riding isn't permitted outside those windows.

A working marron farm on the Capel River near Capel, established in 1988. Marron are raised across a network of artesian-fed ponds and served pond-to-plate in an on-site restaurant built from timber reclaimed from the old Fremantle Jetty. The farm also raises Murray Cod and Silver Perch, and hosts weddings and private functions.

A truffle orchard in the Margaret River region running bookable truffle hunts through the June-August season, with an option that finishes with lunch. The farm shop only opens for booked hunt customers, so visiting means joining the experience rather than dropping in to shop.

A wellness retreat in Margaret River built on the idea that everyone deserves to live well every day — reiki, sound healing and counselling open to the public as day sessions, alongside residential retreats and workshops for those staying longer.

A day spa in Yallingup on Hemsley Road, where a 43-degree fresh-water steam room and a full treatment menu make for a calm midweek escape — with locals' offers on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A family-owned vineyard estate just north of Margaret River, established in 1985, with a cellar door pouring estate-grown wines and forest- or vineyard-view chalet accommodation sleeping up to 18 guests. The estate also takes exclusive-hire bookings for weddings, elopements and private events, held across the accommodation, cellar door or grounds.

A family-run equestrian farm and vineyard at Rosa Brook, just outside Margaret River, breeding and training its own Australian Stock Horses. Sixteen rides range across beach canters, forest trails and vineyard country, from first-timer lessons to full-day treks, with a cellar door, glamping treks and overnight camp-outs rounding out the experience.

A 300-acre horse farm at Margaret River run by professional horsemen Sam and Sascha Watson, each bringing more than two decades of horsemanship experience. The Horse Resort offers riding experiences in the arenas and across the property, alongside horsemanship courses, clinics and demonstrations built up over that same two decades.

Margaret River's only public farm animal experience, combining a petting zoo, frozen-yoghurt shop and farm-stay accommodation. Animals are fed daily at 11am, and visitors are welcome to join in.

A pub, restaurant and live-music venue in Margaret River, previously the Knights Inn and Margaret River Resort. Includes a private function space and beer garden, an established touring-artist program, and accommodation ranging from pub rooms to 3-bedroom villas with a pool and tennis court.

A Margaret River winery built around its Cape Dutch Manor House, offering a graded set of bookable experiences: a tasting, a guided vineyard and winery tour, and an open-ended estate exploration. Named 2025 Regional Restaurant of the Year by the WA Good Food Guide. Also hosts private events on the estate, including winemaker dinners.

A family-run sheep and cow dairy and cheese factory just outside Nannup, established in 2004. Visitors can call in at the on-site farm shop, and farmstay accommodation is available on the property for those wanting to stay longer.

A hands-on animal farm at Ludlow, ten minutes north of Busselton, where hundreds of genuinely friendly animals can be patted, fed and generally fussed over at close range. The farm has been a fixture of South West tourism for over two decades, having relocated here from its original site in Margaret River.

Three hectares of bush and farmland south of Margaret River with suites, cabins and bush hot tubs, an 80-seat lodge, an olive grove for long table dinners and a dam to picnic above.

A 24-hectare farm near Witchcliffe with two straw bale eco buildings — a domed earth house and a converted animal shed — set among the birds and farm animals, hosting workshops and retreats.

WA's off-road motorbike park: 80km of enduro trails across 1,200 acres of private land near Kirup, graded from peewee loops to triple-arrow singletrack. Ride for the day or camp the weekend, open most weekends March to November.

A small family-owned certified biodynamic vineyard at Yallingup with cottages on the estate and weddings among the vines.

A family-owned Yallingup winery estate with a cellar door, garden restaurant, playground and dog-friendly grounds, plus garden weddings and accommodation among the vines.

A 40-hectare regenerative olive farm at Karridale that grows, hand-picks and cold-presses its own olives, with a farm shop, tastings and on-farm experiences.

One of the closest cellar doors to Busselton, with a vineyard, sensory garden and a Pick + Sip experience.

A family-owned boutique vineyard between Busselton and Dunsborough with a cellar door, wood-fired pizza cafe, outdoor movie nights, functions and friendly farm animals for the kids.

Equine assisted psychotherapy and counselling with a herd of horses near Nannup in the South West, for individuals and groups.

An organic single-vineyard winery at Yallingup with a cellar door and accommodation on the estate.