You would not know it, but underneath the pristine, landscaped gardens of Voyager Estate in Margaret River lies one of Australia's largest underground barrel cellars.
The magnificent barrel cellar, located slightly east of the Cape Dutch-style Cellar Door, was started in 2003 and took three years to construct. In order to create the space required, approximately 3000 cubic metres of rock had to be blasted and removed using seismic sensors and delay-blasting techniques to protect the nearby Cellar Door.
A special feature of the barrel cellar is the spectacular, vaulted brick ceiling. To achieve the required effect, specially shaped formwork was constructed to support the 90,000 red bricks which lie on top. The result is a soaring Roman-arched brick ceiling that always amazes visitors.
Now that the garden landscaping is established over the roof, the only indication of the barrel cellar’s existence is the eastern wall of the complex. What lies beneath houses maturing barrels, future release wines and museum releases which are sure to delight future generations.