Wild Swimming: The Travel Trend Making a Splash in Australia

Aquatic escapes are one of 2024’s coolest trends. Test the waters with a wild swim safari.

It turns out the lyrics of the 1980s hip-hop anthem Push It hold the key to unlocking my freestyle stroke. Who knew? Yet here I am on a beach in Margaret River, beat-bopping along to Salt-N-Pepa and pushing it good with bent elbows.

Coach and self-titled ‘chief mermaid’ Charlotte O’Beirne is at the lead, demonstrating how to carve our palms through the water, from bellybutton to thigh, in a setting she describes as “Mother Nature’s VIP section". I emulate her instructions in the water (singing silently, of course) and it works. Surprise ends up being the theme of the WA winemaking region’s new swim safari.

There are hiking holidays, culinary tours and photography adventures. Now, the trends of reconnecting with nature, acting sustainably and embracing a mental – as well as physical – refresh have converged to spit out a new niche. Wild swimming is the hottest new thing in the realm of special-interest holidays.

The new travel trend

Swimming Women, which launched in January 2024, is one of only a handful that operates in Australia. The basic concept is you sign up to explore a dreamy destination with like-minded others, only you do it in the water, wearing goggles and a swimming cap – and possibly chasing it with a wine tasting. You get to see a place from a completely different perspective – above and below the waterline – do things you probably wouldn’t do alone, learn skills from a pro, bask in the encouragement of others and almost accidentally blend in exercise.

It’s been ‘a thing’ in Europe for a bit. UK travellers have understandably embraced jetting to balmier locales to splash about. Trips thread through Croatia’s Dalmatian Islands, along the chiselled cliffs of Portugal’s Algarve region and to the turquoise waters of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. Some test endurance or are tied to events, but most are about the joy of immersing yourself in water – whether it be an endorphin-boosting cold plunge or a sedate tropical float.

an aerial view of women floating above Margaret River — Soak in the saturated colours of Margaret River. (Image: Jarrad Seng)

In Australia, the travel trend is gaining momentum, not least for the fun of a communal dip followed by good coffee. Experiences extend beyond the Aussie habit of chucking on bathers and jumping in the big blue.

You can join escorted group swims around Heron Island glimpsing the Great Barrier Reef; sign up for swim weeks led by an ex-Ironman Champion off Lord Howe Island; gorge-hop through NT’s Nitmiluk National Park; take a multi-day tour of Sydney sea pools; or try a cold-water camp in Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, which includes a dip at night and optional qualifying swim for the English Channel.

The Swimming Women experience

Margaret River’s new Swimming Women experience is a holiday jammed into a day. It finds me running underwater while weighted down with a rock like a surfer on Blue Crush, ducking through a coral cathedral like a mermaid and diving to the floor of a river for astonishing, glass-like clarity. But first, we get in the zone.

Under Charlotte’s bubbly leadership, our group hikes through fragrant coastal scrub to Gnarabup Beach, a short drive from iconic wineries Cape Mentelle , Xanadu Wines and Voyager Estate .

Towels are unfurled in the mid-morning sun, its toasty rays dispersed by the maritime breeze. Breaths deepen as our leader guides us through meditative stretches and engages our sensory awareness, luring us into a headspace away from work worries.

“It’s about being in the elements," she says. “We’re so safe in our clothes. It’s exhilarating to be fully in nature." As we shed layers, her humour puts us all at ease. “We’re all hairy, furry, lumpy and bumpy and it doesn’t matter, because the water treats us all the same," she says. Before our toes enter the Indian Ocean, Charlotte shares a cultural acknowledgement respectful of the local Wadandi saltwater people, the Traditional Owners.

an aerial view of swimmers along Gnarabup Beach — Swimmers ‘push it’ to the limit off Gnarabup Beach in WA’s Margaret River region. (Image: Jarrad Seng)

I’m what you could call late to the swimming party. Hopeless at school carnivals – unless inhaling water is a sport – I’ve never been one for laps. In the ocean, I tend to stick to somersaults in the shallows. But on this day, adrenaline rising, I follow a support coach beyond the navy waterline. She clutches a hot-pink floatie as we wade over seaweed that swirls like long, tangly hair to reach a shallow reef invisible from the beach.

This is where the swim-throughs happen, something I find unexpected courage for, cheered on by the whoops and claps of the joyful group. We freestyle to a buoy marking where surfers place rocks for underwater endurance training. I clumsily give it a shot – cue more cheers – and find myself relaxing into this aquatic frolic. Still, churning through the wavy ocean isn’t my forte; gulping splatters ensue.

A safe and judgement-free space

Having trained some 1500 local women through her swim school, Charlotte shows me how to breathe to the side and raise my head away from the swell. “Swimming is the most magical thing for your body and your soul," she says. “There’s no pressure to be fast. Many women just love doing handstands."

Back on the sand, coffee is served in mismatched mugs at local favourite ‘the Prev’, the shop that services Prevelly Caravan Park. A patterned throw and basket of freshly baked French pastries awaits in the shade of melaleuca trees.

Restored, we amble to Surfers Point, a famed spot that in April hosted Kelly Slater and Jack Robinson at World Surf League’s Margaret River Pro. A group of wetsuit-clad surfers cluster behind the break.

“They call it corduroy to the horizon when the rows of swell come in," says Charlotte. But we’re not here to spectate. Down steps edged with plaques naming champion surfers, Charlotte points to a crystalline channel and we drift playfully on the current.

a group of women on a swimming adventure in Margaret River — A women’s only swimming adventure is the ultimate in immersive therapy. (Image: Jarrad Seng)

Floating in Margaret River

Another hike leads us to the eponymous Margaret River. The waterway lies silent, with glints of sunlight sparkling like glitter on its surface. Unaccustomed to freshwater, I’m unsure about wading into the brown.

Charlotte offers another perspective. “The tannins seep into the water from the melaleuca trees," she says. “When you look down it’s golden amber and it’s special to notice."

After breast stroking to a riverbend, some women dive to the bottom, floating to the surface with arms swept wide. Their glee at passing through the haze to a clarified river floor sees us all try it out. Not for the first time, my fears are met, surpassed, and replaced with joy.

Picnic blankets, cushions and lunch platters greet us on the riverbank. Grilled haloumi and smoked chicken with a green goddess salad, Moroccan cauliflower and pearl couscous.

women having a picnic WA’s Margaret River region — A picturesque picnic adds to the magic of a swim holiday. (Image: Jarrad Seng)

Hiking back to our cars, we swap bathers for coastal-chic garb and convoy to cellar door Walsh and Sons, fringed by forest. As a former organiser of the Margaret River Wine Show , Charlotte doubles as sommelier, taking us through a sip and swill of her favourite biodynamic drops.

By day’s end, I am officially converted to the concept of an aquatic escape. The sweetness of being physically spent after a series of destination paddles, finished with an iconic Margaret River experience, leaves me certain this is a trend worth travelling for. With Salt-N-Pepa playing in my head, I can’t wait to next dive in.

an aerial view of turquoise waters in Gnarabup Beach in WA’s Margaret River region — This swimming trend is a new form of aquatic escape. (Image: Jarrad Seng)

Swimming Women runs day tours of Margaret River once a month, all year round. Private tours can be arranged. It also offers extended swimming holidays on Rottnest Island and in Sydney.

Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

Day 1

the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay — Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

Day 2

After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

Day 3

Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

Day 4

Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

Day 5

pair'd Grand Tasting — Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

Day 6

Ngilgi Cave western australia — Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

Day 7

Burnt Ends event at Pair'd — Farewell the Margaret River.

Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wild swimming: the travel trend making a splash in Australia