SECRET VALLEY
Ferguson Valley, Perth’s bucolic getaway
LUSH GREEN FIELDS, meandering brooks and cattle grazing roadside. You’d think you were in the English countryside if not for the golden wattle wafting gently in the breeze, the skittish willie wagtails and the marri trees that line the winding roads of Ferguson Valley. Originally used to graze dairy cattle, the focus in these parts changed forever when a handful of families started planting grapevines in the 1980s, and lo, a foodie destination was born. As more locals saw value in the prospect, vineyards and cellar doors slowly bloomed over the course of the ’90s and noughties. The Valley now encompasses more than 20 venues spanning wineries, cafes, restaurants, breweries, accommodation and more, catering for an ever increasing stream of curious visitors. While fellow Western Australia gourmet destinations such as the Margaret River and the Swan Valley are relatively flat, Ferguson’s bucolic rolling hills are a major drawcard, with sweeping vistas over the Geographe Region to the Indian Ocean on a clear day (hint: the best views are along Henty Road). The warm days and cool nights here mean cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, chardonnay, semillon and sauvignon blanc grow well, in addition to Mediterranean varieties such as tempranillo, fiano and verdelho. While the Valley doesn’t produce enough volume to be classed as a bona fide wine region, it’s certainly not worth dismissing. It’s a ‘hidden gem’, a cliché perhaps, but a phrase you’ll hear more than a few times if you talk to the passionate locals. While not deliberately hidden from view (a lack of roadside signage does contribute, however), the Ferguson Valley’s insider’s-secret allure is confirmed by the fact that people from Bunbury, a short 20 minutes away, largely don’t know where it is. Phil Smith, owner of St Aidan Wines and the Ferguson Valley Marketing and Promotions Board chairman, maintains that the destination, which fans out from the town of Dardanup, would be unsuited to a dramatic expansion in size or tourist numbers. “I’m quite happy with that slow, gentle growth because the Valley’s not ready for a huge influx,” he says. “We couldn’t expect to have people coming all through the week because there’s only a few of us open all week; it’s mostly weekends.” It’s this type of laconic outlook on life that is drawing more and more people away from the more obvious, and a lot more crowded, Margaret River
region to revel in a country idyll where life is still lived based on how the locals like it and not in slavish pursuit of tourist dollars. Phil’s award-winning boutique winery, which opened its rammed earth cellar door in 2009, is named after the district’s historic church next door. It expanded in 2014, opening an on-site function centre due to growing demand from happy couples from the city wanting to get married among the greens hills and grazing cattle. The quiet, charming nature of the Valley means the cellar door experience is often a personal one too, with the majority of venues still family-run, several of whom entered the industry with little to no prior knowledge of the winemaking process. “The thing that separates us from the other wine regions is that we’re a bit like the Margaret River 20 or 30 years ago,” explains Phil. “You go to a winery and meet the owners or the winemakers – we’re much more raw.” There’s also a delightfully refreshing ‘all in this together’ ethos among the local business owners, with no rivalry for customers’ time or dollars. “When people come out we know they’re going to visit three or four places so we’re not competing so much as co-promoting each other and that’s a really good environment. We see much greater benefit in pushing each other along,” Phil says. Kath Keefe of Green Door Wines says every producer offers something a little different, proof of the Ferguson Valley’s diversity. She and her husband Ashley were looking for a lifestyle change when they moved to the Valley and set up shop with no experience in the field at all. “We found this place with the abandoned vineyard and bought it, never having any grand plans to take up the winery side,” she says. “But Ash ended up getting hooked on the whole thing.” The couple revitalised the rundown property and have been making vino here since 2010. Their cellar door, set high on an undulating road, has a laid-back Mediterranean vibe and a Spanish-inspired menu. The hero of the space is a boldly decorative, original green door from a marketplace in Fez, Morocco, along with floor-to-ceiling views out over the countryside towards the horizon. However long you have to spend, a trip to the Valley is incomplete without a quick stop at Gnomesville-
The quiet, charming nature of the Valley means the cellar door experience is often a personal one too, with the majority of venues still family-run.
at Wellington Mill. The quirky sight originated when a roundabout was built to alleviate local ‘traffic woes’ and a single gnome was placed conspicuously in the middle of it. The gnome ranks have since swelled to number some 3000, scattered throughout the area. While many weekenders coming into Ferguson are day-tripping from Perth, there is definitely enough here to soak up a weekend stay. If you do opt to stop awhile, you will have time to partake in the leisurely degustation menu at the award-winning Hackersley Winery and Restaurant, the passion project of Aaron and Adrie Devitt. Chef Aaron changes the seasonal menu roughly every six weeks. While local businesses are growing to match the increase in interest from visitors, most developments are quite small and involve building on what’s already been established. And there’s no flashy marketing campaigns on the drawing board; word of mouth is key for the Valley, which keeps things at a blissfully slow and manageable pace… until now. Sorry Phil, the secret’s out.
Word of mouth is key for the Valley, which keeps things at a blissfully slow and manageable pace.