I had long wanted to visit the southwest corner of Australia for its fine wines, eucalyptus forests, renowned surfing beaches and Mediterranean climate. The town of Margaret River lies just three hours’ drive south of Perth, six miles from the sea. The whole area reminded me of another favorite place: the wine country north of San Francisco.

Cape Lodge is 20 minutes north of Margaret River on Caves Road, the tree-shaded main thoroughfare of the wine country. Turning onto the property, we found ourselves amid vine-covered hills planted with Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz grapes. Following the winding road, we came to the main lodge, a handsome gabled structure reminiscent of the Cape Dutch architecture of South Africa, overlooking a serene ornamental lake.

Although the property offers nine attractive Garden Rooms, we had opted for one of the 12 spacious Lake View Suites. This proved one of those felicitous occasions when we loved our room at first glance. Clean lines and a restrained color scheme created an atmosphere of deep tranquility, while a peaked ceiling added an element of drama. Sliding glass doors offered a lake vista. And the marble-clad bath provided a large walk-in shower, an oval tub and underfloor heating.