Capes Conversations
Capes Conversations is a weekly podcast celebrating the stories that make the Margaret River Region such a special place to live and visit.
Hosted by Kellie Tannock, each episode explores a single topic, delving into the people, events and experiences that shape this vibrant and diverse corner of Australia's South West.
Blending relaxed conversation with music from West Australian musicians, Capes Conversations invites the local community to rediscover their own backyard while visitors get a deeper understanding of makes the Margaret River Region so unique.
Recorded at RMR 101.9FM, Margaret River Region.
Episodes
23 episodes
More Than a Night Out
From concerts and touring theatre to gallery exhibitions and local amateur performances, live events are a powerful way to bring people together, not only drawing visitors but creating meaningful experiences for locals. The opening ...
Inside the Judging Room
Most of us have spotted a gold medal sticker on a bottle of wine, but what happens behind the scenes to earn it? Host Kellie Tannock takes you inside the world of wine shows, where hundreds of wines are judged blind, reputations are...
Nature's Fragile Colour Palette
As winter gives way to spring, or Djilba as it’s known in the six-season Noongar calendar, the Margaret River Region transforms in a spectacular way. From delicate orchids and colourful kangaroo paws to wattles, banksias and floweri...
Behind the Studio Door
Art has a unique way of helping us see a place differently. And every year, Margaret River Region Open Studios (MRROS) invites us behind the scenes to meet the artists who help shape our region's creative identity. From painters and...
Seeds of Settlement
Nearly 200 years ago, a small group of settlers arrived in Augusta, facing isolation, uncertainty and a landscape unlike anything they had known before. In this episode of Capes Conversations, author and historian Bernice Barry shar...
Keeping Wildlife Wild
Wildlife encounters are among the most memorable experiences for travellers, and often a highlight for locals too. In the Margaret River Region, that could be spotting whales and dolphins from a boat or paddleboard, watching stingr...
Echoes in the Dark
Capes Conversations heads into the darkness to explore the nightlife of our region's forests and caves. As the sun drops, researchers armed with acoustic monitors and bat traps take to the bush around Mammoth and Jewel caves on a de...
Learning Through Place
Every day, visitors learn through the places they visit. Whether it's understanding local wildlife, connecting with cultural heritage, exploring history, or gaining a deeper appreciation for a region's landscape, tourism experiences...
Opening Doors: Inclusion Through Access
There’s something pretty special about spending time in the Margaret River Region — the open space, the slower pace, long afternoons that stretch into evenings. But for many, the question isn’t just where to go… it’s whether t...
A Taste of Place
Food is much more than something we eat. It’s one of the most powerful ways we connect with a place, its people and its stories.In this episode of Capes Conversations, we explore the role food plays in tourism and the way memora...
Comfort by Design
Have you ever walked into a space and felt transformed? In the Margaret River Region, it could be a grand restaurant with plenty of polish, or a small rustic cellar door that makes you feel a certain way as soon as you ...
From Hibernation to Celebration
For ten days every July, the Margaret River Region comes alive as venues from Busselton to Margaret River open their doors with something a little special for the Cabin Fever Festival. But Cabin Fever isn’t just a festival — it’s a...
Where Whales Rest and Rise
Each year, one of nature’s great journeys tracks along Western Australia’s coastline. Before winter, humpback and southern right whales leave Antarctica’s icy waters for their long migration north to warmer seas — hugging our contin...
The Impact of Giving Time
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 m...
The Story Beneath Our Feet
On Capes Conversations this week, host Kellie Tannock takes us back in time to look at what’s widely regarded as WA’s first tourism attraction. It’s one of Margaret River’s show caves, which suffered damage in its early years of tou...
Small Brewers, Big Impact
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 Marga...
The Hidden Struggle for Survival
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 impa...
Waking the Landscape
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 ...
When the World Comes to Our Break
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...
The Work Before the Wine
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 o...
The Sky We Almost Forgot
This week, Capes Conversations looks up ... up at the vast dark skies above us. It's something we take for granted but Carol Redford, founder of Astrotourism WA, wants us to proud of what's above our heads every night. She shares he...
The Forest at the Edge of Disappearing
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 a...
The Poison in the Food Chain
We recorded this episode on March 3, 2026 to highlight the devastating impact of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARS) on our native wildlife. The regulatory body, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Association (A...
