Marvels in Great Southern

• Published date: 01 November 2022
• Publication title: Ensign, The

WESTERN Australia’s Great Southern region ripples with rich history, culture and a heart-stealing natural landscape that repeatedly left me dropping my jaw

On approach to heritage-loaded Albany, the rolling vineyards and sprawling farmlands are replete with alluring road-trip diversions. A prize specimen is Singlefile Wines in delightful Denmark. The irresistible good looks of this winery are just the start.

Singlefile embodies the pursuit of excellence, crafting the best expressions of the Great Southern wine region. I enjoyed a cheeky tasting, purring through a range of white and red wine varietals.

Their Great Southern Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot are particularly pleasing on the palette. But the runaway cellar door favourite is their bubbly, NV Run Free by Single Serendipity Cuvee. Toast your arrival down south, stock up on this sparkling!

Anchoring Western Australia’s South Coast, Albany is an absolute revelation, that will sweep you up in her elemental embrace.

Along the south coast, the tumultuous Southern Ocean has dramatically sculptured the land with a roll call of tantalising rock formations.

I met up with the magnificent Susan McCabe from Busy Blue Bus Tours, the premier day tour operator in Albany. With a commanding knowledge and passion for the Great Southern region, Susan delivers exceptional day tour experiences, tailor-made to suit your interests. She’ll take you to some great hospitality gems too, like Wilson Brewing Company and Woodlands Distillery. And you could not wish for a better authority on the culinary scene.

We scooted around the sun-kissed shoreline of King George Sound to Torndirrup National Park, where an unmissable assignment is to experience The Gap, a gaping chasm between two towering granite shelves, where the ocean water surges in.

A daring cantilevered viewing platform has been constructed, jutting well past the cliff edge, and is buffeted by the salty, briny ocean spray. I mustered up the requisite courage as the wind whipped around me, succumbing to the elements, to stand directly above the pounding sea rushing into the chasm, 40 metres below me. Gazing down was like staring into a deadly watery abyss.

This intimate encounter with the savage power of nature is quite the freak-out frisson to start your day.

After revelling in that undeniably edgy sensation, we followed the adjoining signposts on the pathway out to the Natural Bridge.

Then there’s the Blowholes, a crack line in the...