Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

If you dare, climb to the top of an ancient karri tree (once used as look-outs for bushfires), although vertigo sufferers and the less agile might not fancy the precarious 50- to 75-metre ascents. The three most famous are the Diamond Tree between Manjimup and Pemberton, the Bicentennial Tree in Warren National Park and the Gloucester Tree in Gloucester National Park.

Arts and culture

If you’d rather keep your feet firmly on the ground, wander the 1.2-kilometre Southern Forest Sculpture Walk (www.southernforests.com.au), near Northcliffe, which displays specially commissioned local and international art, sculpture, poetry and music.

Something for nothing

Pop into the visitor centre in Nannup (www.nannupwa.com.au) and read up about the legendary Nannup tiger, a striped dog-like creature with a stiff tail. It is very rarely spotted these days but a rumoured sighting recently has allayed fears it may be extinct like its Tasmanian cousin.

Shopping

Buy gourmet goodies from popular local company Holy Smoke (08 9771 8822; www.holysmoke.com.au), including delicious smoky dips, duck, chicken and fish. Another gourmand’s playground is the Wine & Truffle Company (08 9777 2474), which will satisfy your every truffle desire. Foodies should also look out for the regular farmers market in Manjimup (usually held on the third Saturday of each month). For floral- and fruit-infused food, soap and oils, try the Lavender & Berry Farm (www.lavenderberryfarm.com.au) on Browns Road in Pemberton.

Daytripper

Drive to the tranquil inlet town of Walpole, bordered by Walpole-Nornalup National Park, home to the Valley of the Giants Treetops Walk (www.valleyofthegiants.com.au). The 600-metre ramp gradually rises up from the forest floor to a 40-metre-high walkway suspended above the forest canopy, offering bird’s-eye views.

Best beach

Show off your strokes at Mandalay Beach, 12 kilometres west of Walpole, a rugged, sandy beach which is also the site of the 1911 shipwreck of Norwegian barque ‘Mandalay’ that gave the beach its name.

Perfect picnic

Pick up some dips and smoked delights from Holy Smoke (see ‘Shopping’) and some local wine from a cellar door, and head to any of the area’s enticing national parks. Our top tip is to take the well-signposted Karri Forest Explorer Drive Trail, which starts just outside timber town Pemberton, and wends past Big Brook Dam (an ideal picnic spot), Beedelup Falls, the 60-metre Gloucester Tree look-out and several wineries (for details see www.pembertontourist.com.au).

Walks

Got itchy feet? Hit the Warren National Park and the Heartbreak and Maidenbush Trails should get your juices flowing. If you’re feeling really energetic, the 1,000-kilometre Bibbulmun Track (www.bibbulmuntrack.org.au) passes through here. It’s one of the world’s longest walking tracks, stretching between Kalamunda and Albany, and takes about eight weeks to cover in full. Don’t worry, it can be tackled in stages.

Children

Take the kids fishing for trout and marron in Big Brook Dam, then cook your catch for lunch at one of the handy gas barbecues on the shore. Hire fishing gear from the general store in Pemberton (08 9776 1151). Cool off later in Fonty’s Pool (www.fontyspool.com.au), a picturesque natural swimming hole set in lovely grounds between Manjimup and Pemberton.

Activities

Check out any of the numerous national parks nearby, all of which have walking paths of varying difficulty, meandering through towering forests, past waterfalls and around lakes. If you’re not an outdoorsy type, indulge in a pampering session at Mudstone Day Spa which offers a hydrotherapy bath with forest views (www.mudstone.com.au).

And

On a wildlife tip, early morning and dusk are the best times to spot the area’s numerous kangaroos on the hop, while whales can be seen off the coast between June and September. Don’t bring your dog, unless you keep it on a lead, as there's fox bait here.