Bakers Hill is a small town located about an hour’s drive east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The nearby Avon Valley National Park’s mix of jarrah, marri and wandoo trees provides a home to more than 90 species of birds and a variety of plant life. The park is best seen in autumn or spring. Camping grounds are available in the National Park, with bed and breakfast and farm stay accommodation available in the town.
Half an hour east of Perth, nestled at the western base of the Darling Range, Gooseberry Hill is an excellent base for exploring the area’s wonderful countryside. Tourism features include: a historic village, the Zig Zag Scenic Drive, Shire Cottage, Stirk Park, arts and craft galleries, wineries, open garden displays, Lesmurdie Falls, wildflowers in surrounding forests, national parks, heritage walk trails, The Bibbulmun Track, Perth Hills Wine Show, Zig Zag Festival (October), Kalamunda Agricultural Show (April), Harvest Festival (May), and spectacular city views by day and night. Visit the Rose Garden, containing 700 rose bushes, in the grounds of the Old Archbishops House from October through to May. The colourful display and wonderful fragrances make this a gorgeous spot for lunch or a quiet wander through the garden. For accommodation in Gooseberry Hill try one of the spacious, self contained studio apartments set in beautiful gardens. Or choose from two elegant, traditional bed and breakfast properties.
Sawyers Valley is about an hour and a half’s drive from Perth on the Great Eastern Highway, which connects Western Australia with the eastern states of the country. As the name implies, from the early 1860s this area was inhabited by pit sawyers. The Railway Reserve Heritage Trail passes through Sawyers Valley. The trail retraces 70 kilometres of the Old Eastern Railway, which was constructed in the 1880s and ran from Fremantle to York. Sawyers Valley is popular with people passing by for its fresh fruit and vegies grown in the area. Tavern food, pizza and take away are all available. Bed and breakfast and motel style accommodation is available in Sawyers Valley, with further options in nearby Mundaring.
The popular, relaxing holiday town of Seabird is located 75 minutes’ drive north of Perth. It is popular as a commercial and recreational fishing town known for its safe, clean beaches. Meals are available at the tavern. Seabird has caravan park which boasts quality facilities.
Amelup Service Station is situated nine kilometres north of the Stirling Range National Park, surrounded by the picturesque Stirling Range and wide open farming lands. Look out for the town’s comic “Nudist Crossing” and toilet blocks sectioned off with the descriptions of ewes, rams and doggy post. Pick up some giftware, souvenirs and craft lines from the service station. Accommodation is situated around the nearby Stirling Range National Park.
Dumbleyung is a town 267 kilometres southeast of Perth in the West Australian wheatbelt. The area’s main attraction is Lake Dumbleyung, the largest semi-permanent natural stretch of inland water in Western Australia. Approximately 13 kilometres long and 6.5 kilometres wide, it is famous as the site of the late Donald Campbell’s historic World Water speed record set on 31 December 1964, in the Bluebird. It is also a sanctuary for birdlife and extremely popular for water sports and picnics. The Wheatbelt Wildflower Drive begins at the town of Kukerin situated 39 kilometres east of Dumbleyung.
Preston Beach is located a two hour drive south of Perth or a 45 minute drive south of Mandurah. Preston Beach is famous for its fishing, hosts several major fishing carnivals and is renowned for the beauty of the Yalgorup National Park, adjoining Lake Preston. The series of parallel lakes attracts a variety of native birdlife in the surrounding marsh and bushland. The area also features a nine hole golf course. Bed and breakfast, guest house accommodation, caravan park and camping facilities are available.
Only a 65 kilometre drive south of Geraldton lie the towns of Port Denison and Dongara. With their friendly atmosphere, tree lined main street, historic buildings and excellent beaches, the twin towns are a perfect year round holiday destinations. From the Fisherman’s Lookout there is a panoramic view of Port Denison and the fishing boat harbour, one of the largest in the state, which offers fishers plenty of sport with an abundance of tailor, snapper, whiting, dhufish and rock lobster in season. The beaches provide fantastic conditions for water sports like sailing and windsurfing, or just for swimming and relaxing. During spring, Dongara and Port Denison are ideal bases for touring the magnificent wildflower country which surrounds the twin towns. A variety of accommodation is available, including full service motels, holiday flats, caravan parks, campers’ parks and nearby farm stays.
Borden is a small town an hour and a half’s drive north of Albany, within the Gnowangerup Shire, which services the needs of visitors to the Stirling Range as well as the local community. The town’s main feature is the large grain storage facility which has a total capacity of 107,100 tonnes. Grain is deposited during harvest and transported throughout the year by road-train to Albany, where it is shipped all over the world. Borden is situated only half an hour’s drive north of the world-renowned Stirling Range National Park. Mountain walks, wildflowers, wildlife and spectacular natural beauty await those who visit this area. The tavern restaurant is available for meals and a range of accommodation can be found in the nearby areas of Stirling Range, Gnowangerup and Ongerup.
Just north of Bunbury and 145 kilometres south of Perth, Binningup is a modern coastal town with golden sandy beaches. The town’s beautiful beaches and proximity to Perth make it a popular holiday destination. A reef runs parallel to the beach providing safe family swimming, boat launching, excellent scuba diving and successful fishing. Binningup served as a lookout point during World War II. As the volunteer soldiers watched the coastline for the enemy, they visualised their families swimming safely within the sheltered bay. On Lakes Road Binningup offers a magnificent nine hole golf course and a country club where you can enjoy a drink or have a game of bowls. Binningup has a caravan park.