Boutique hotels in Southern Forests
-
Stonebarn
- Style
- Modern-rustic retreat
- Setting
- Wild woods and rushing rivers
Southern Forests Overview
Australia
- Countryside
- Towering trees and wildflowers
- Country Life
- Trekking and truffle-hunting
A small area with a growing reputation, Western Australia's Southern Forests is a nature and gourmet lover's paradise.
Chill out by wandering the majestic forests of giant Karri, Jarrah and Marri trees – the star attraction here, blanketed with wildflowers in spring – or fishing in pristine rivers teeming with marron (large freshwater crayfish) and rainbow trout. To refuel after, sample world-class wineries or savour the largest black trufferie in the southern hemisphere. Relax in the region's small towns Pemberton and Manjimup, or head for the stunning nearby coast, where wild heath clings to rolling sand dunes and rocky cliffs drop into the Indian Ocean.
Suitably Southern Forests
Black truffles (also known as black diamonds or black gold because of their rarity and value) are grown here in the largest trufferie in the southern hemisphere. From June to August the highly regarded knobbly black fungi are sniffed out by trained dogs rather than pigs, and supply many restaurants around Australia.
Local knowledge
- Taxis
- You'll need to call taxis in this rural area. Try Manjimup Taxi Service (+61(0)4 1894 9936).
- Tipping culture
- Tipping isn't expected, but 10 per cent for good service is appreciated.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Most wineries open their cellar doors between 9am/10am and 4pm/5pm daily. The shops in the region's towns keep standard 9am to 5pm hours, as do most cafés. It's fairly sleepy here so don't expect to eat out much later than 8pm.
- Packing tips
- Boots: a pair of Hunters for wet winters and Neoprenes in summer (for swimming in pebbly rivers and lakes).
- Recommended reads
- Those Karri Days, by local author Phil Radomiljac, tells the history of this forest-tastic area's timber industry up to the present day. Settlers, Fishers and All Sorts is a collection of stories about the region's quirky community by Jane Muir.
- Cuisine
- The truffle rules here, and when it's in season you’ll find menus dominated by the expensive little fungus, including truffled scrambled eggs, truffled salt and pepper squid, and even panna cotta with truffle! The region loves it so much that even out of season you’ll find dishes using truffle honey, truffle butter, truffle oil and so on.
- Regional specialities
- The black truffle is the main player in these parts along with trout and marron, a large freshwater crayfish and a delicacy only found in this corner of Australia. This is also one of Australia’s premier cool-climate wine regions, producing grape varieties such as Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Shiraz.
- Currency
- Australian dollar (AU$).
- Time zone
- GMT + 8.
- Dialling codes
- Country code for Australia: +61; Western Australia (0)8.
- Do go/don't go
- With a temperate climate year-round, anytime is good to visit; temperatures rarely exceed 32C in summer (when the cool forest canopy provides relief from the sun) and winters are mild (but wet – so bring a brolly and curl up in front of a cosy log fire). To see the region's famous wildflowers visit in spring (October to December), or to enjoy another Southern Forests speciality – fresh truffles – time your trip between June and August.
Don't go home without
... visiting one of the Southern Forests boutique wineries to sample some of the area's acclaimed cool-climate wines. Margaret River's famous coastal vineyards further west may be more established, but this less familiar region is on the up.
