Things to do in Dwellingup, Western Australia – SECRET GUIDE
Dwellingup, Western Australia, makes a solid weekend break from Perth. The best things to do in Dwellingup include the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway, Forest Discovery Centre and Lane Poole Reserve mountain bike trails.
Dwellingup, Western Australia, is a viable day trip or weekend away from Perth. It’s a 1.5 hour drive south of the Western Australian capital, and is the gateway to the Lane Poole Reserve.
For most overseas visitors, Dwellingup is in that long, dull green bit on the drive from Perth to Margaret River. But divert off the forest highway, and you’ve got a rather delightful country town surrounded by forests.
Dwellingup accommodation
Dwellingup lies between the Dwellingup State Forest, Marinup State Forest and Lane Poole Reserve in the Peel region of Western Australia. Accommodation is available at cottage rentals, bed and breakfasts and the Dwellingup caravan park.
The main attractions in Dwellingup itself are the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway and Forest Discovery Centre. The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway runs heritage trains and back. The Forest Train, hauled by a diesel locomotive, goes from Dwellingup Station to Etmilyn. Once there, it stops for a walking trail in the jarrah forest.
The Steam Ranger, meanwhile, is a two hour excursion to Isandra Siding and back. Due to the fire risk when the Dwellingup weather is hotter, the Hotham Valley Steam Rangers only operate in the cooler months.
Things to do in Dwellingup, WA: Forest Discovery Centre and Lane Poole Reserve
The leaf-shaped Forest Discovery Centre is part art gallery, part environmental interpretive centre. Visit to learn about the ecology of the region, and see some mighty fine woodwork.
The main reason to visit Dwellingup, however, is to get outdoors. There are plenty of things to do in the Lane Poole Reserve – including bushwalking and mountain biking trails.
Things to do in Dwellingup, WA: Dwellingup Hotel and Wine Tree Cidery
There just enough food and drink options to make Dwellingup a decent place to stay. The Dwellingup Hotel – or Dwelly Pub as it’s known to locals – serves passable pub food. Other choices include the Blue Wren Café and Longriders. For a drink, the Wine Tree Cidery is the most interesting bet. The Wine Tree Cidery makes unusual fruit wines – quince wine or boysenberry bubbly, anyone? – and offers tasting paddles of its ciders.
Other things to do on the Perth to Bunbury drive on the way to Margaret River, Busselton or Dunsborough include visiting Serpentine Falls in the Serpentine National Park. You can also visit the Peel Zoo in Pinjarra near Mandurah or go fishing on Lake Navarino near Waroona.
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