By late May, we’ve usually had a little bit of rain in the south west, and places like the Blackwood River and Beedelup Falls are starting to flow strongly, making them quite the spectacle. On cold mornings, a low fog settles over the valley and slowly lifts throughout the morning. Those are just a few of the reasons why the south west makes for a great winter destination.
The towns below sit within a few hours of Perth, mostly along the South Western Highway through the Southern Forests and Valleys. They’re places you’ve likely heard of before, but probably have never visited. Add them to your list and visit them this winter.
Bridgetown, the winter capital
Bridgetown has gone so far as to brand itself Western Australia’s winter capital, and through June, July, and August, it backs the claim with Fridgetown Fest — a winter program of markets, live music, and one-off events spread across the season. The town sits just shy of a three-hour drive south of Perth, roughly 250 kilometres along the South Western Highway.
If you love walking and hiking, this is the place for you. The Blackwood River Walk is a six-kilometre return trail that starts close to the main street and follows the river above a run of quiet pools and short rapids. In late winter, the valley mist tends to hang in the trees well into the morning, and the trail walks you past mossy fallen logs and bright green pasture that can only be seen that way during the wet season.
Nannup and the misty Blackwood Valley
Nannup sits deeper in the Blackwood River Valley, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Perth, and it’s a great place to visit in winter. Walking, cycling, and canoeing trails run straight out of the town centre, with the River Walk Trail tracking the Blackwood through jarrah and karri.
About ten kilometres west of town, Barrabup Pool is better known as a summer swimming spot, but in winter it’s worth the short drive for the dead quiet and the birdlife alone. It’s very serene. Back in town, there’s a small microbrewery and a scatter of cafes and galleries, enough to fill an afternoon if the weather is a little wet.
Pemberton under the karri canopy
The karri forest around Pemberton is best experienced during winter. After a little bit of rain, the Cascades, a series of small drops on Lefroy Brook, turn from a gentle trickle into a strong rush of water. Pemberton is the longest drive on this list, just under four hours and around 330 kilometres south of Perth, which makes it best for an extended long weekend rather than a day trip or overnighter.
The Karri Forest Explorer is the way to see the country around it — a drive of close to 90 kilometres that loops through the tallest forest in the state, taking in the Cascades and the base of the Gloucester Tree along the way. The Gloucester Tree’s climbing pegs are currently closed while the platform is rebuilt, so treat it as a place to stand and look up rather than climb.
Dwellingup, the closest forest escape
Dwellingup is the place to keep in mind when you don’t have a full weekend, but still want to go somewhere. It’s about an hour and a half from Perth, set in jarrah forest near the Murray River, and both the Bibbulmun Track and the Munda Biddi cycling trail pass straight through town — useful if you want a cold-weather walk or ride without committing to a multi-day trek.
Winter is also the only time the steam train runs. The Hotham Valley Railway’s Steam Ranger operates on Sundays from May through to October, kept to the cooler months because of summer fire restrictions, and it carries passengers through the jarrah on a slow, smoke-and-whistle trip into the forest.
Donnelly River Village, a mill town frozen in time
Donnelly River Village began life in the late 1940s as housing for workers at the Bunnings Bros timber mill, and it has barely changed shape since. The old workers’ cottages still stand around the original mill site, and the former general store now operates as a cafe and gathering point for guests and for hikers coming off the Bibbulmun and Munda Biddi trails.
What people come for is the wildlife. Kangaroos have long since worked out that visitors carry food and will happily sit around the village; the emus are pushier and less charming, and will have a go at your hand if they think there’s something in it. On a cold, still afternoon, with woodsmoke in the air and a roo asleep on the grass outside your cottage, the village often feels like a place frozen in time.
Balingup and its surrounding rolling green hills
Balingup is a small town in rolling farmland about a two-and-a-half-hour drive south of Perth, and the green only deepens through winter. Two kilometres south of town is the Golden Valley Tree Park, a 60-hectare heritage-listed arboretum and the largest in the state, with a tree collection that began more than a century ago and six self-guided walking tracks. Entry is free.
The park is at its showiest in autumn, when the deciduous trees in the World Collection turn, but by late May, there is still colour on the ground and the Australian native collection holds its own year-round. It’s a slow, quiet place to walk off a long lunch, or just to contemplate your thoughts.
