Welcome to Dwellingup, just over an hour south of Perth, and slightly over 30 minutes from Mandurah. Situated in the heart of the majestic jarrah forest, Dwellingup is a town enveloped by earthy and historic charm.
Dwellingup is truly one of Peel’s hidden treasures and a fabulous all round holiday destination for a day, weekend or even longer. Offering an abundance of attractions and activities nearby, Dwellingup is also a popular base for regional touring with the choice of luxury chalets, Bed and Breakfasts and family budget cottages situated in natural bush settings.
The close proximity to Perth provides Dwellingup with a number of scenic entry drive points – one from the foot of the hills through Serpentine Jarrahdale, the other via the coast and Mandurah, both bringing unique driving experiences.
The scarp entry using South-West Highway is a trail that takes you through historic agricultural land that is both picturesque with its green, winding drive and commercially active in livestock with some of the State’s top cattle studs calling it home. On the flip side of the coin, a leisurely drive through Mandurah takes you via the charming town and outer suburbs of historic Pinjarra.
Winding into Dwellingup, you will discover hidden amongst the forest canopy and undulating landscape, a food and wine industry of growing reputation. On this particular leg you can take in three of Peel’s top wineries – Raven’s (on Pinjarra Road), Newbliss (Irwin Road off the Dwellingup-Williams Road) and Plavin’s Winery (Dwellingup-Williams Road).
There are brush strokes on the canvas of the landscape that remind visitors of the recent bushfires. These include striking colour contrasts as the lush forest regenerates itself, steam train rail tracks under repair and some sites like the old Marrinup WW11 POW, camp which felt the devastation of January’s fires.
A drop into the Visitor’s Centre to orient yourself in Dwellingup brings to you a mini-museum of Dwellingup history where you can also discover the ghosts of bushfires past.
Only 2 minutes drive to the Forest Heritage Centre on Acacia Street brings more information about Dwellingup’s fiery past, and a deep immersion into the world of forest history, wood and the fine arts of wood-turning and furniture making. There is even a walk trail here that takes you through a Noongar Aboriginal explanation of the forest and its elements, and loops around a remade wood cutters camp used as late as the 1930s.
With a minimal fee to access the museum and walk, this is definitely one of the essential must-do visits. It is also a place where you can also take home some of the world’s best jarrah carefully worked into a piece of art or a finely crafted furniture.
Dwellingup is a place for those who like the outdoors. Lane Poole Reserve has got to be one of the best freshwater activity sites in Australia. Drop into Dwellingup Adventures to hire equipment and get advice on where to go.
The Bibbulmun Track and Munda Biddi Bike Trail both wind through Dwellingup, and can be accessed easily for part-day activities.
So too can the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway which took some hard knocks from the bushfires, yet remains operational and open for business and is a definite must-do for all West Australians. Each Saturday the historic steam and diesel trains take an 8km run from the station at the rear of the Visitor’s Centre to Etmilyn at 11am and again at 2pm.
Once there, travellers can disembark and take a nature walk that immerses them in the heart of jarrah country while receiving information on the area’s saw milling past, and a viewing of the ghost town of Holyoake.
For those who want to take the rail and forest experience a little deeper, there is the Saturday night dinner which allows you to enjoy a five course meal meandering through the winding hills of Dwellingup’s forests with the ambience of 1920s style. This package is available each weekend departing from East Perth by coach and costs approximately $70 and visitors already in Peel can board at Dwellingup.
