From Margaret River and Witchcliffe to Wilyabrup, Yallingup and Dunsborough, the South West offers plenty of opportunities to swap the everyday for a slower country escape.
If you're searching for a Margaret River farm stay, you may also come across rural holiday homes, country retreats, chalets and cottages. While they can offer a similar sense of peace and space, the experience can be quite different.
So, should you book a traditional farm stay or choose a private rural holiday home instead?
Here's what to consider when planning your next South West getaway.
What is a farm stay?
A farm stay generally means staying on a working or established rural property. Depending on the property, you might find yourself surrounded by paddocks, livestock, vineyards or farmland, giving you a taste of country life during your holiday.
Some farm stays are interactive, with opportunities to meet or feed animals and experience day-to-day farm activities. Others are simply accommodation located on a farm, allowing you to enjoy the setting without being involved in the property's operations.
For families, particularly those travelling with young children, the novelty of staying on a farm can be a big part of the holiday. For couples and groups, it can be all about the tranquillity: waking up somewhere quiet, enjoying a coffee overlooking the countryside and ending the day under a sky full of stars.
What is a rural holiday home?
A rural holiday home gives you many of the things people love about a farm stay, including space, privacy, nature and beautiful surroundings, but with the independence of having a holiday home to yourself.
Rather than staying specifically for the farm experience, the property becomes your private base for exploring the wider region.
And that's where choosing the right location becomes important.
The Margaret River Region stretches well beyond Margaret River town. Depending on where you stay, you could find yourself among the forests and farmland surrounding Margaret River and Witchcliffe, in the heart of wine country around Wilyabrup and Metricup, or further north exploring Yallingup and Dunsborough.
Many rural homes also offer more space than traditional accommodation, with full kitchens, outdoor areas, multiple bedrooms and large living spaces. That can make them particularly well suited to families and groups who want to spend time together rather than simply having somewhere to sleep.
Farm stay vs rural holiday home: what's the difference?
The biggest difference comes down to the type of experience you want from your accommodation.
Choose a farm stay if the farm itself is part of the attraction. You might love the idea of waking up on a working property, seeing farm animals and experiencing a little slice of rural life.
Choose a rural holiday home if you're looking primarily for privacy, space and a peaceful setting, while still being able to explore the region's wineries, beaches, restaurants and attractions.
Neither is necessarily better. It simply depends on how you picture your South West holiday.
Where should you stay for a rural escape?
One of the advantages of the Margaret River Region is just how varied the landscape can be. Where you choose to stay can completely change the feel of your getaway.
Margaret River & Witchcliffe
If you want a rural setting while keeping Margaret River town within easy reach, the countryside surrounding Margaret River and Witchcliffe is a great place to start.
Here you'll find bush retreats, country homes and properties surrounded by native vegetation and farmland, while still being well positioned for trips into Margaret River, days at the coast and visits to nearby wineries.
It's ideal if you want to spend your days exploring but return somewhere quiet at the end of them.
Wilyabrup & Metricup
Head north from Margaret River and you'll enter some of the region's best-known wine country.
Wilyabrup and Metricup are surrounded by vineyards, cellar doors, restaurants and rolling countryside, making this area particularly appealing for couples, groups of friends and anyone planning a food and wine focused getaway.
If you'd like a rural escape while also exploring Yallingup and Dunsborough, this part of the region can make an excellent base.
Wilyabrup Waters Retreat, for example, offers a peaceful stay in the heart of wine country while putting you within easy reach of the northern Margaret River Region. Spend the day exploring wineries and cellar doors, head towards Yallingup for beaches and coastal scenery, or visit Dunsborough for cafes, restaurants and shopping before returning to the tranquillity of the countryside.
It's a good example of why you don't necessarily need to stay in the centre of a town to experience everything an area has to offer.
Yallingup & Dunsborough
For travellers searching for Yallingup accommodation or Dunsborough accommodation, it's worth considering what you actually want to be closest to.
Both areas are fantastic bases for exploring the northern Margaret River Region, particularly if beaches, restaurants and coastal activities are high on your list.
But if your priority is wineries, countryside and a quieter setting, looking slightly outside Yallingup and Dunsborough towards areas such as Wilyabrup can open up a different style of accommodation while still keeping the northern coastline within reach.
It can be the best of both worlds, with days spent exploring Yallingup and Dunsborough followed by evenings surrounded by the vineyards and countryside of the Margaret River wine region.
Rural stays for families and groups
If you're travelling as a family or with friends, a rural holiday home can make a lot of sense.
Having an entire house gives everyone room to spread out, while shared kitchens, dining areas and outdoor spaces mean you can still spend plenty of time together.
Properties such as Roo Haven, for example, offer a spacious country-style setting surrounded by rolling valley landscapes and native bushland, with four bedrooms accommodating groups of up to eight guests.
Wattle Place is another option for larger groups, with four bedrooms and a setting surrounded by native bushland, while Courtside sits between Margaret River town and the beach and includes access to a natural grass tennis court.
For a holiday with friends or extended family, these extra spaces and facilities can become part of the experience rather than simply somewhere to return to at night.
Why choose rural accommodation in the Margaret River Region?
The appeal of staying rurally isn't just about having more space.
It's about experiencing another side of the South West.
You might wake up to birdsong rather than traffic, spot kangaroos from the property, spend the afternoon at a nearby winery and come home to dinner outside as the sun goes down.
And rural doesn't necessarily mean remote.
From the countryside around Margaret River and Witchcliffe to the vineyards of Wilyabrup and Metricup, many rural properties are still within easy driving distance of the region's beaches, wineries, restaurants and towns.
Glennishka, for example, has a river walking trail at the back of the property while being only around five minutes from the nearest winery and seven minutes from both Margaret River and Surfers Point.
Rileystone, meanwhile, is located in Kilcarnup and is around 10 minutes by car from Margaret River, Prevelly and Gracetown.
Further north, staying around Wilyabrup can put wine country on your doorstep while still making it easy to spend a day exploring Yallingup or Dunsborough.
Choosing the right rural location can therefore give you the best of both worlds: somewhere peaceful to stay without spending your entire holiday in the car.
Things to consider before booking rural accommodation
There are a few practical differences worth considering before choosing a rural stay.
Location: Think about the places you expect to visit most. If most of your plans are around Margaret River, look towards Margaret River Rural or Witchcliffe. If your itinerary includes wineries, Yallingup and Dunsborough, somewhere around Wilyabrup or Metricup may make more sense.
Driving: Rural accommodation generally means you'll need a car. If you're planning winery visits, consider organising a driver or tour in advance so everyone can enjoy the day.
Wildlife: Kangaroos and other wildlife are part of the beauty of staying outside town. Take extra care when driving around dawn and dusk.
Your plans: If your ideal evening involves walking from dinner back to your accommodation, staying in town may suit you better. If you'd rather cook dinner, open a bottle of local wine and enjoy a quiet night surrounded by nature, rural accommodation might be exactly what you're looking for.
So, which is right for you?
If you're dreaming of a Margaret River farm stay because you specifically want the experience of staying on a farming property, a traditional farm stay may be the right choice.
But if what you're really searching for is space, nature, privacy and that feeling of escaping to the country, broaden your search to include rural accommodation across the Margaret River Region too.
From Margaret River and Witchcliffe to Wilyabrup and Metricup, choosing a rural base can put you within reach of everything from wineries and forest walks to the beaches of Yallingup and Dunsborough.
You might discover that a private bush retreat, country home or rural cottage gives you exactly the experience you were looking for, with the added freedom of having an entire holiday home to yourself.
At Swell Stays, our collection of rural holiday homes ranges from intimate retreats for two to spacious homes for families and groups, with properties surrounded by bushland, farmland, vineyards and some of the South West's most beautiful countryside.
Explore our rural holiday homes and find your own place to slow down in the Margaret River Region.
