A local's guide to Dwellingup - Australian Traveller

Let a local show you around their town for an insider’s guide to all the best bits of Dwellingup.

In 2001, Peter and Monique Tippett made a tree change from the northern Perth suburbs with their two young kids. Settling in Dwellingup in the Darling Ranges to train as fine furniture designers/makers, they never looked back. Fast forward to 2017, when they bought a rundown commercial/residential building on the town’s main street. Casting an artistic eye (Monique is also a visual and sculptural artist), they transformed it into Lost Eden Creative : an art gallery, artist residency and bespoke short-stay accommodation, Gallery House.

Lost Eden Creatives Gallery House Interiors, Dwellingup, WA, Australia — Have a relaxing stay at Lost Eden Creative’s Gallery House. (Image: Lost Eden Creative)

Showcasing a mix of established and emerging artists in curated monthly exhibitions, the dynamic exhibition space has become a focal point in the WA art scene. And as for the kids? You’ll find Pete and Mon’s daughter, Ebony, in the site’s side garden at Garden Eats, a food van in a horse float that serves up fresh vegan dishes and the best coffee in town. Here, they show us around town.

All about Dwellingup

Where exactly:

‘Where trails meet’, Dwellingup is a 90-minute drive south of Perth in the Murray River region of Western Australia and one of the nine towns the long-distance Bibbulmun Track passes through.

Population:

Approximately 400.

Lane Poole Reserve, Dwellingup, West Australia, Australia — Go on canoe adventures on the Murray River. (Image: Chad Gerber)

What’s it all about?

A charming old timber town flanked by forests of majestic jarrah trees, Dwellingup makes for a weekend country break ripe with outdoor adventures, heritage excursions, fresh local produce and nature-inspired creativity. Claiming the title of Western Australia’s Top Small Tourism Town in the 2021 GWN7 Top Tourism Town Awards, its allures are many: head to the 55,000-hectare Lane Poole Reserve for bushwalks and mountain bike trails through forested valleys and canoe adventures on the Murray River (‘dwellingupp’ is a Noongar word meaning ‘place near water’). And take a scenic trip back in time with the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway on one of three historical trains that run along former timber-industry tracks, before sampling the fruits of local orchards, checking out galleries and soaking in some country hospitality.

Mountain biking through the forest trails of Lane Poole Reserve, Dwellingup, WA, Australia — Ride a mountain bike through forested valleys. (Image: Tourism WA)

Pete & Mon’s Perfect Itinerary:

8:30 am – Garden leave

Rise and shine at Gallery House in the centre of town. Step out the door and grab a coffee at Garden Eats in the gallery garden.

Lost Eden Creative, Garden Eats, Outside Dining, Dwellingup, WA, Australia — Try fresh vegan dishes at Garden Eats. (Image: Lost Eden Creative)

9:00 am – Get pumped

Take a stroll through town and drop into Dwellingup Silver to browse its jewellery inspired by nature on your way to the new Dwellingup Trails and Visitor Centre. Let the kids loose on the bicycle pump track while you have a bite of brekkie at Waypoints Cafe.

10:00 am – Into the Forest

Hire a canoe or a mountain bike at Dwellingup Adventures next to the info centre and head down to Lane Poole Reserve and breathe in the forest air on the Murray River or get your heart racing on the world-class Murray Valley downhill trails; there’s one for everyone.

Canoeing the Lane Poole Reserve, Dwellingup, WA, Australia — Hire a canoe and explore the iconic Lane Poole Reserve. (Image: Tourism WA)

12:30 pm – Gallery Graze

Back in Dwellingup, and via a stop at Crossroads Gallery, fuel up and feel good at Garden Eats beside the Lost Eden Creative Art Gallery. Ebony at Garden Eats will serve you the tastiest and healthiest food in town from her cute, refurbished horse float. Then exercise your mind in the gallery space, which holds monthly exhibitions by established and emerging contemporary West Australian artists.

Ebony at Garden Eats, Lost Eden Creative, Dwellingup, WA, Australia — Ebony at Garden Eats will serve you the tastiest and healthiest food in town. (Image: Lost Eden Creative)

2:00 pm – All Aboard

Take a trip on the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway’s Steam Ranger, a two-hour journey through the forested hills outside Dwellingup.

Tourist Railway's Steam Ranger, Dwellingup, WA, Australia — Take a trip on the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway’s Steam Ranger.

4:00 pm – Cider and sunset

Head to Wine Tree Cidery on Holyoake Road. Enjoy a cheese board and farm-made cider on the timber verandah overlooking the orchard as the sun gets ready to set.

4pm drinks with friends, Wine Tree Cidery, Dwellingup, WA, Australia — Enjoy a cheese board and farm-made cider with friends. (Image: Chad Gerber)

6:00 pm – Country hospitality

It’s the Dwellingup Hotel for dinner. Relax in the cosy country pub atmosphere. Meet some locals and/or fellow visitors to town. You better be hungry; the meals are hearty and generous.

8:00 pm – Day’s end

A minute’s stroll from the pub and you’re back at Gallery House. The outside fire pit deck is perfect for toasting marshmallows while talking about the day and planning for tomorrow, and all the things you didn’t get to do on this one fine day.

This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs. — Adventure starts where the road ends.

1. Discover Broome, and beyond

Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures , screening since 1916.

Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea. — Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters. — Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs. — Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance. — See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia — Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com .

A local’s guide to Dwellingup