October – November
Known as the Noongar season of birth, Kambarang is the season when Country is changing before your eyes. Wildflowers continue to colour the landscape, the days stretch longer, and warmth begins to return as the South West moves towards summer.
Rather than arriving on a fixed date, the season is recognised through these changes on Country, usually around October and November. New life is everywhere if you know where to look. Birds are busy tending to their young, while reptiles emerge from their winter rest to soak up the warmth.
With the landscape wide awake, there’s every reason to get amongst it. Take to a coastal trail while the days are still mild or spend a afternoon exploring beneath the forest canopy. And when you come off the trail, there’s plenty waiting in town, with festivals and major events happening across the region. It’s a time to get outside, follow your curiosity, and see where the South West takes you.
Spotlight On… Regional Events
From wildflower walks and world-class cycling to music, food and large-scale community experiences, it is a wonderful season to plan a trip around something special and stay a little longer.
Bloom Festival 12 September – 11 October 2026 | Great Southern
Celebrate spring across the Great Southern as Bloom Festival fills towns, trails, and national parks with more than 50 experiences inspired by wildflowers, local produce, art, and community. Experience Bloom in various ways, by joining a guided walks in the Stirling Range and Fitzgerald River National Park or by creating art at one of the many workshops. Bloom festival offers many ways to explore the colours of the season.
A Month Of Cycling Across The South West
October puts Australia’s South West in the international cycling spotlight, with three major events taking riders from the forest roads of Nannup to the capes of Margaret River and National parks of Collie.
2026 UCI Gravel World Championships 10–11 October 2026 | Nannup
The world’s best gravel riders will head to Nannup for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships, taking on challenging forest roads and rolling countryside. While you are there, explore the Blackwood River, if the weather allows dare a swim at Barrabup pool or taste the local delicacies at Chestnutbrae.
Cape To Cape MTB 15–18 October 2026 | Margaret River Region
Australia’s largest four-day mountain bike stage race, Cape To Cape MTB, travels from Cape Leeuwin in Augusta to Cape Naturaliste near Dunsborough. Step out of the action to visit Ngilgi Cave and Lake Cave or let yourself be tempted by Wayfinder Winery and Farm for a taste of the region.
AusCycling MTB Enduro Oceania and National Championships 21–25 October 2026 | Collie
Collie’s Wambenger Trails will host the AusCycling MTB Enduro Oceania and National Championships, bringing leading gravity riders to the Collie Mountain Bike Trails near Wellington Dam. Between the racing, see the iconic Wellington Dam Mural, spend time by the water at Honeymoon pool‘s before making your way to another trail. Back in town, refuel with a hearty meal or unwind with a drink at one of Collie’s welcoming cafés and pubs.
Carrying The Fire 7 November 2026 | Albany (Kinjarling)
On one remarkable evening, thousands of handmade lanterns will illuminate the Albany (Kinjarling) coastline from Emu Point to Middleton Beach (Binalup). Carrying the Fire is a free, large-scale community artwork that invites visitors and locals to join a glowing procession and reflect on what they carry into a shared future.
Make a weekend of it in Albany, leave space to explore Misery Beach and explore the dramatic landscapes of Torndirrup National Park. Enjoy fresh local produce at a café or restaurant, visit Great Southern Distilling Co, and finish the day by the sea.
Pair’d Margaret River Region 19–22 November 2026 | Margaret River
Pair’d brings together world-class wine, food, music, and culture across four unforgettable days in the Margaret River Region. Expect a program of more than 40 wine-led experiences held in vineyards, caves, forests, and along the coast, with special dining events, tastings, live performances, and beachside celebrations.
Beyond the festival program, set aside a few hours to explore the region’s cellar doors, artisan producers, and beautiful coastline. Whether it is a long vineyard lunch or a sunset at Meelup Beach, Pair’d is an invitation to savour the Margaret River Region in every sense.
ACTIVITIES
Nature & Wildlife
Kambarang is a beautiful time to explore the South West on foot, with wildflowers brightening the bush, and warm sunny days that are ideal for a day outdoors before summer heat arrives. Walk a section of the Cape to Cape Track with Cape to Cape Explorer Tours on a self-guided day adventure. Adventure on one of the two day hikes from Yallingup to Injidup or Contos to Redgate. Along the way, look out for the smaller details that make spring so special: orchids and flowering shrubs beside the track, birds busy raising their young, and wildlife moving through the forest and coastal heath. Go at your own pace, keep a respectful distance, and let the landscape reveal itself as you walk.
Adventure
Explore further than ever with Explore EVerywhere on The South West Edge. From winding forest roads to wide-open coastlines, electric vehicle touring makes it easier to follow your curiosity and discover more of the South West at your own pace. Use the interactive EV charger map to plan your route. Find charging locations along the way and turn every stop into part of the adventure. With more places to charge across the region, you can leave range anxiety behind and focus on the road ahead.
Wine, Food & Produce
This season brings a fresh burst of flavour to the South West, with strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and avocados arriving at farm gates, roadside stalls, and local markets. Pick your own through the orchards and berry farms. It is also the perfect season to raise a glass to Fishbone Wines, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Wilyabrup. Set on a former dairy farm transformed into a thriving vineyard, Fishbone continues a family farming story that began on the banks of the Harvey River nearly a century ago. Visit the cellar door to discover wines shaped by the region and a hands-on approach to vineyard health, then settle in for a relaxed meal among the vines.
Wellness
As the days grow longer and wildflowers bloom along the south coast, it is a great opportunity to reset body and mind. Discover Albany’s restorative side with WA Wellness’ top 10 experiences in Albany, from indoor activities and day spas to outdoor trails that help you reconnect and recharge.
Want more wellness ideas across WA? Follow @wa_wellness on Instagram for new places, local stories and ways to reset.
Lisa Spencer, WA Wellness
OTHER EVENTS
Northcliffe Bee Festival
Southern Forest and Valleys
There will be plenty of buzz in the Southern Forests this October as Northcliffe hosts its annual Bee Festival. Celebrate the vital role pollinators play in the landscape through honey tastings, bee safaris, wildflower walks, beekeeping workshops, and hands-on activities for all ages. Browse bee-inspired food, art and craft stalls, enjoy a sunset mead and wine pairing, or learn how to create a more bee-friendly garden at home. With towering karri forest, nearby walking trails, and the welcoming town of Northcliffe to explore, it is a sweet reason to plan a spring weekend in the Southern Forests.
Dardanup Bull & Barrel Festival
Bunbury Geographe
The Dardanup Bull & Barrel Festival is a free, family-friendly celebration of the Bunbury Geographe region, with more than 150 market and food stalls, local music, demonstrations, and plenty to keep young visitors entertained. Taste your way through the Tastes of the Ferguson Valley marquee, meet farm animals, browse local produce, and settle in for the much-loved finale as the giant wooden bull fire sculpture lights up Wells Oval. Make a day of it by exploring Dardanup’s country charm and the nearby Ferguson Valley, where cellar doors, breweries, and scenic rolling hills are waiting just down the road.
For more events during Kambarang visit our Events page.
ACCOMMODATION
Voltage Lodge
Bunbury Geographe
Make Voltage Lodge your base for adventure in Collie, with purpose-built accommodation right in the heart of the region’s trail network. Designed for cyclists, outdoor enthusiasts, families, and groups, it offers plenty of room to rest, reset, and store your gear after a big day exploring. With the Wambenger Trails, Wellington Dam, and Collie’s natural playground close by, Voltage Lodge makes it easy to turn a day of adventure into a longer South West escape.
Broadwater Resort Busselton
Margaret River Region
Broadwater Resort Busselton is an easy-going coastal base for a South West getaway, just moments from Geographe Bay and a short drive from Busselton’s town centre. With spacious self-contained apartments, resort-style facilities it’s a great place for couples, families, groups, and even pet-friendly getaways. Use it as a comfortable place to slow down between beach days, visits to the Busselton Jetty, and adventures throughout the Margaret River Region.
Sunnyhurst Chalets
Southern Forests and Valleys
Sunnyhurst Chalets is a family-owned rural retreat in the rolling hills of Bridgetown, offering comfortable, self-contained chalets for couples, families, and larger groups. Spend the day by the pool, meet the friendly farm animals, or stroll to the nearby Blackwood River. With a winery next door and the town’s cafés, galleries, and country charm close by, it is an inviting base for a Southern Forests escape.
The Floating Forest
Great Southern
The Floating Forest offers a peaceful escape among the towering trees of Denmark, where thoughtfully designed chalets look out across the forest and Wilson Inlet. Spend your days hiking the Bibbulmun Track, cycling the Munda Biddi Trail, or exploring the Great Southern’s many beaches, wineries, and galleries, before returning to a private sanctuary surrounded by the sounds of nature.
