In every regional community, volunteers are the backbone.  

It’s volunteers who run or support regional emergency services, kids sport, community events, arts festivals, historical societies, leisure groups … the list goes on. So much of this only happens because our volunteers give thousands of unpaid hours to make it happen. 

This week, host, Kellie Tannock talks to guests about the impact our volunteers make and hopefully inspire more people to get involved. 

With National Volunteer Week each May, this is the perfect time to say thank you.

The image supporting this podcast is the voluntary members of Margaret River Off Road Cycling Association working to maintain mountain bike tracks.

Here are some links to local volunteering resources;

Busselton Dunsborough Volunteer Centre 

Community Clubs & Interest Groups – Augusta Margaret River Community Directory 

Directory Category | Rotary Margaret River Directory 

In  the past decade, Australia’s craft beer scene has shifted from niche to mainstream.  

More and more beer drinkers were chasing local, independent, flavour-driven brews, and the industry responded… with brewers in the Margaret River Region right at the forefront of this golden new era.. 

Margaret River’s craft beer story began in the mid 90s with Bootleg Brewery – then something of a lone wolf in wine country. 

But a small, distinctive group of breweries followed, choosing quality, place and hospitality over scale.  

Today, craft beer is firmly part of the Margaret River experience, shaped by landscape, local produce and community. It’s not about rapid growth here – it’s about character, connection and great beer made close to where it’s enjoyed. 

Raise a pint to our local brewers, as Kellie Tannock chats with the South West Brewers Alliance, a brewery with sustainability front and centre and a local hops farmer.

Photo credit: Josh Ball

This week, Capes Conversations looks at the plight of some lesser known, or less publicised, wildlife in our region, and the work being done to protect them. 

This episode could apply to so many of our native species where human impact, feral animals, habitat loss, light pollution, introduced species and climate change have all impacted our local wildlife and put them under threat.

Host Kellie Tannock talks to conservation researchers and advocates for our beach-nesting birds, the white-bellied frog and the snaked-necked turtle to find out what is being done to protect these often elusive and vulnerable animals. 

There are numerous land & coast care groups across the region, focused on rehabilitating degraded and weed-ravaged land, returning it to native bushland.

One group, the Augusta Land and Coast Care Group also moonlight once a month as the Friends of Cape Leeuwin, with projects around Augusta as well as working alongside the Capes Foundation team at the Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse Precinct.

Gudrun Theile explains more about the group’s purpose and activities before host Kellie Tannock is joined by Dianne James from the Capes Foundation and Peter Murphy, Horticultural Lecturer at SW Tafe, and all of them have some great tips for caring for your backyard.

For more inspiration on visiting the Margaret River Region follow @margaretriver on Instagram or explore www.margaretriver.com.

Each year, Margaret River’s Surfer’s Point plays host to the world’s best surfers, all chasing a win as they vie for the World Surf League’s World Title in the Western Australia Margaret River Surf Pro. This year, Margaret River is number two of 12 stops across 9...

Margaret River Region is internationally renowned for its wine, particularly Chardonnay & Cabernet Sauvignon.

From late January to early May, depending on the season, the harvest takes place – international workers arrive, all-night operations begin in the vineyards and crates of grapes are brought into the many wineries across the region. 

Viticulturalist, Tim Quinlan and winemaker, Ely Jarvis speak to host, Kellie Tannock to learn what really happens during the harvest.

For further listening, the four-part Wine Unearthed podcast series is available on margaretriver.com. This series takes a deeper dive into Margaret River’s wine scene and some of the stories behind the labels.

This week, Capes Conversations looks up … up at the vast dark skies above us and we have two experts to explain what we’re seeing in the skies and some easy ways you can appreciate the astronomical objects and auroras that we see here in the South West.

Carol Redford, founder of Astrotourism WA and photographer, Aidan Kean shares their knowledge of the dark skies with practical tips to start learning more about our stars and planets, as well as taking photos of the Aurora Australis.

There are some books references on Indigenous Astronomy. Look out for The First Astronomers by Duane Hamacher, Emu Dreaming by Ray and Cilla Norris and First Knowledges: Sky Country by Karlie Noon & Krystal De Napoli. 

To help monitor aurora activity, take a look at some of these resources;

Aurora Australis Facebook Group
SpaceWeather.com
Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (part of Bureau of Meteorology) 
My Aurora Forecast app 

There’s also information on sky gazing in the Margaret River here: Night sky: where to stargaze | The Margaret River Region

Australian Voice Icon, John Deeks, pops in to Radio Margaret River for a Long Lunch chat with David Binks.

The Ludlow Tuart Forest was once the entry into Busselton, before the bypass was built. It’s now signposted as the scenic route into town and most people miss it. This week, Capes Conversations looks at what makes the Ludlow Forest so special and why it needs community help to regenerate and thrive. 

The Ludlow Tuart Forest is the only tall Tuart forest ecosystem in the world. Once covering more than 110,000 hectares, it has been reduced to just 3% of its original extent. What remains is fragmented, under‑managed, and facing accelerating ecological decline.

Des Donnolly and Evelyn Taylor are from the Ludlow Tuart Forest Restoration Group and they believe community can regenerate this forest.

Visit the Group’s website for more information on their activities, opening hours and ways you can support them: Ludlow Tuart Forest Restoration Group