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Australia's Other Wine Regions: Margaret River

When it comes to Australian wines, there’s one big-name, bewitching, badass behemoth that gets all the attention: Barossa. But this week, Jaunted Special Contributor Eric Rosen takes us on a tour of a few of Oz’s lesser known wine regions, many of which are within a few hours of the continent’s major cities. So drop that bottle of Shiraz and join us as we take a tour of Australia’s “other” wine regions.

For the final installment in this week’s look at Australia’s other wine regions, we travel to the far corner of the continent to visit what has to be one of my personal favorite places of all time: Western Australia’s Margaret River.
Never Heard of It?
That’s okay, I kind of want to keep it that way since this place is so special, not to mention remote. It’s located about 3 hours southwest of Perth, so it’s literally the end of the earth, with nothing between you and Africa but an uninterrupted stretch of Indian Ocean.

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Southwest Australia Field Trip / Australia Travel / Caves / → All Tags

No Wooly Mammoths, But This Cave’s Still Big

An urban myth was ruined during our climb down into the Mammoth Cave near Margaret River: No wooly mammoth bones were ever found there. This cave just got its name because it’s really, really big.

But there’s nothing disappointing about the experience of Mammoth Cave. Although it’s one of half a dozen in the area, it’s the only one you can explore at your own pace without a nagging guide explaining for the hundredth time how stalactites are formed.

All those crazy cave formations you learned about in school are on view, plus an underground lake and a huge climb out the other side. And while you don’t need ropes or a helmet lamp, claustrophobics probably shouldn’t apply.

And with all the tourists listening to their self-guided audio tours, the cave is quiet. And eerie. Just like a cave should be.

Related Stories:
· Mammoth Cave [Official Site]
· Western Australia Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Australia Travel / Tourist Attractions / Wine Travel / Attractions / → All Tags

Bored With England's Stonehenge? New One Coming Soon

That odd cluster of old stones in Britain that they call Stonehenge didn't really fascinate us last time we dropped by: With a ticket cost of £6.30 ($12) just to wander past a few rocks, we felt like we lacked the scientific and historical interest to really make it worthwhile.

But we rather like the sound of a fake Stonehenge being planned for the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia. And we like it because of that key word, "wine."

You see, "The Henge" is designed both to attract tourists to this growing vineyard area, and to entice locals to celebrate parties and weddings there. Unlike the real Stonehenge, you'll be able to get right up amongst the stones. They say it'll be ready for the solstice on December 21 this year.

Of course, being in the southwest of Australia makes it a lot further from most of the world than England's Stonehenge. But if you feel the urge to combine a beach and wine vacation with something resembling historically accurate monuments, The Henge at Margaret River is the place.

Related Stories:
· Australia To Build Fake Stonehenge for Wine Tourists [Reuters]
· Western Australia Travel Guide [Jaunted]
· Tourist Attractions coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: moonpie]