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TRAVEL
A Luxurious Trip Through Western Australia
by Priyanka Elhence
30 May 2023
30 May 2023
Western Australia proves to be a top luxury travel destination with its stunning natural scenery, pristine beaches, quality food and wine, and some of the country’s most-awarded retreats.
Western Australia (WA) has been my second home since marrying a Perth lad some 20 years ago. Despite enjoying many ‘local’ hidden gems that aren’t on tourist radars, sometimes you miss out on what’s hidden in plain sight when you stick to the usual favorites. A recent trip to WA shone the spotlight on the destination’s more luxurious side, as the state is the premier destination now for attracting high net worth travellers from Singapore. Here are highlights not to miss – from luxury accommodations to unforgettable activities.
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
Our trip began with checking into the Ritz Carlton, Perth. From its enviable Elizabeth Quay location, the luxurious riverfront hotel boasts stunning views of the Swan River, skyline, and urban parks with its floor-to-ceiling windows in its rooms, and abundant natural light.
Our group was then chauffeured to dinner by Perth Luxury Tours, a specialist when it comes to customized private luxury WA tours. Set against the spectacular sunset and ocean view backdrop of City Beach, popular local favorite Odyssea City Beach is famous for its casual mod-Australian menu showcasing WA’s abundant and top quality, local seasonal produce.
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
Margaret River and South-West WA
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Smiths Beach Resort
A short 2.5-hour drive from Perth marks the beginning of the Margaret River Region, comprising Busselton, Augusta, Cowaramup, Dunsborough, Margaret River, and Yallingup. Our first stop was Busselton, famed for its 1.8km-long jetty, the longest wooden piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. A must-visit is Origins Market, which celebrates the vibrant community of WA makers and small local producers all under one roof, offering fresh produce, local artisanal products, gourmet eats, handicrafts, and retail therapy.
Driving further south took us to Meelup Farmhouse in Eagles Bay, Dunsborough, a charming farm that captures the chill South-West lifestyle, with its lantern-lined veranda and unbridled views of the surrounding bushlands and paddocks, and top quality seasonal WA local produce menus.
We checked into Smiths Beach Resort thereafter, Yallingup’s finest luxury beachfront accommodation. Nestled between Cape Naturalist and Cape Leeuwin, this architectural award-winning Small Luxury Hotel of the World™ resort has been specially constructed to cause minimal impact on the environment and is semi-powered with renewable solar energy. Our Ocean View Villa flanked floor-to-ceiling windows in minimalist but chic beach house settings, complete with large living areas, barbecue grills, Jetmaster fireplaces, and stunning ocean views.
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Wills Domain, Margaret River
Next up was the sunset Gourmet 7-course Taste of the Bays Cruise by South West Cruises, a deluxe dining experience while cruising Geographe Bay at the nearby Quindalup Beach. The 4-hour cruise aboard the 60 ft twin-level yacht is literally the only one of its kind in the country, showcasing the region’s beautiful bays and beaches from Dunsborough to Bunker Bay. Created by a private chef onboard, the white table-clothed dinner features the region’s freshest local produce and a seafood barbeque, complemented by Margaret River wines.
Meanwhile, the award-winning 124 km Cape to Cape Track is a must to truly experience the region’s magnificent coastline, stunning landscapes and unique wildflowers. Our 4 km walk to Canal Rocks was hosted by Walk into Luxury (a member of the prestigious Great Walks of Australia), which specializes in luxury curated Track walks, inclusive of accommodation and gourmet dining.
A 4-course lunch awaited thereafter at the 60 hectare, multi-award winning Wills Domain Winery in Yallingup’s Gunyulgup Valley, at the northern end of the Margaret River Wine Region. Easily one of the area’s top fine-dining destinations, choose from multi-course degustation menus showcasing sustainable, wild-harvested produce and fantastic wine pairings.
Gourmet Glamp, Walk Talk Taste
The Margaret River Region is as spectacular below ground as it is on top, and for the ultimate underground adventure, visit its famous limestone caves. Dunsborough Chauffeur Services (a locally operated private tour company for chartered wine & brewery tours) drove us to the 500,000-year-old Ngilgi Cave for a 1.5hr Twilight Didgeridoo Cave Tour, run by Wadandi custodian and tour guide, Josh ‘Koomal’ Whiteland, founder of Koomal Dreaming, who shares the 50,000 year old Wadandi culture and history.
Our final stop for the evening was bush luxe at its finest, with a starlit gourmet BBQ with Walk Talk Taste Margaret River, hosted by Owner, Kellie Tannock, against the backdrop of her exclusive gourmet glamping experience, Gourmet Glamp. Inspired by luxury African safari camps, indulge in a fully furnished palatial 6m canvas bell tent just five minutes south of Margaret River town and a stone's throw from Voyager, Leeuwin, and Xanadu Estates. A campfire, rain shower, kitchenette, and a luxurious bush bath are all included.
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
BODHI Yallingup
Luxury also means taking care of yourself, and it doesn’t get better than at the exclusive, award-winning, wellness retreat BODHI Yallingup. Sanskrit for awaken, BODHI offers all-natural wellbeing experiences in tranquil surroundings, with their massages and holistic spa therapies inspired by ancient indigenous healing, combined with fine Australian botanical spa products. Our schedule only allowed for a relaxing 30-minute Back Massage, but even that was enough for truly evoking a sense of slowing down.
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
Swings & Roundabouts Winery
Our next stop was Swings & Roundabouts Winery for their award winning wines, authentic Italian wood fired pizzas and swing seats, and named after their eternal balancing act between the various aspects of grape and wine production across their 40-year-old dry-grown Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard. What you lose on the swings, you pick up on the roundabouts, and that it all works out evenly in the end. Good life advice too!
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
Rottnest Island
We headed back to Perth the next morning via Fremantle (famous for its maritime and penal colonial history, and Victorian architecture), before taking the 30-minute Rottnest Express ferry ride to Rottnest island. The island is a protected nature reserve home to approximately 10,000 quokkas, some of the country’s finest beaches and bays, walking trails, several dining options, and luxury accommodation (go barefoot at the exclusive boutique beachfront Samphire Rottnest, or book low-impact glamping at the eco-sustainable resort Discovery Rottnest Island).
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
Swan River Seaplanes
You could ferry back to Fremantle, or you could travel back to Perth in style with Swan River Seaplanes, which specializes in bespoke all-inclusive WA luxury day tours. I had the pleasure of being co-pilot aboard our Cessna aircraft, which made the 20-minute journey back extra special for me, as we flew low over gorgeous turquoise waters with sweeping panoramic views of the city, before gently landing in Swan River.
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
COMO The Treasury
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Heritage Balcony Room bathroom, COMO The Treasury
Back in the Perth CBD, we checked into the elegant COMO The Treasury, a 48-room contemporary luxury hotel in Perth’s newly revitalized historic center. Reimagined by designer Kerry Hill, the hotel occupies a mid-19th century heritage State Building, with handcrafted furnishings, oversized windows, and travertine stone tiles, exuding old-world grandeur amid COMO’s signature tranquillity. Each of our timeless 55sqm Heritage Balcony Rooms overlooked the grand Cathedral Square, standing tall literally right outside the balcony.
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Wildflower - Jarrah smoked kangaroo, greenlip abalone, blood lime, native basil dressing
The hotel is home to Wildflower, a three Chef Hat-award winning rooftop restaurant, and our venue for a 4-course dinner on our last evening in Perth. Wildflower’s concept is a farmer-and-forager-driven menu of dishes revolving around the indigenous six seasons of the Aboriginal Noongar calendar, celebrating local abundance with each dish.
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
Kings Park and Botanic Garden
Learn about Kings Park and Botanic Garden’s rich Aboriginal and European history from The Hike Collective, Australia’s leading day-hiking tour company specializing in unique and inclusive trail experiences, as we did on a 5km guided hike through one of the world’s largest inner-city parks and wildflower displays with the unique flora of the Kings Park bushland.
- THE RITZ-CARLTON, PERTH
- MARGARET RIVER AND SOUTH-WEST WA
- BODHI YALLINGUP
- SWINGS & ROUNDABOUTS WINERY
- ROTTNEST ISLAND
- SWAN RIVER SEAPLANES
- COMO THE TREASURY
- KINGS PARK AND BOTANIC GARDEN
- OLD YOUNG’S KITCHEN
Old Young’s Kitchen
No time for Margaret River? WA’s Swan Valley is Australia's second oldest wine growing region and is home to over 40 world-class wineries, boutique breweries, cideries, distilleries, and family attractions. Old Young’s Kitchen, Swan Valley’s award-winning gin distillery, was our final stop for handcrafted signature gins, vodkas, and cocktails, complemented by a uniquely WA menu featuring hyper-local and sustainable produce. Don’t miss their Crocodile Chorizo, the only place in the region to offer it, thanks to a unique three-way collaboration between the distillery, butcher, and crocodile farmer.
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