Three SURPRISING trails for a memorable day in the SWAN VALLEY
Discover SPECIALIST wineries, mouth-watering TREATS and lots of family FUN just outside Perth.
BEING JUST a short drive from Perth’s airport or CBD makes the Swan Valley the perfect day trip destination. But all the nougat, nuts and family-friendly fun will leave you wanting more than just a day to explore.
Crisp, tropical verdelho and intense chenin blancs are hallmarks of Western Australia’s oldest wine region, but beyond the Swan Valley’s vines there’s an eclectic array of galleries, activities, breweries, distilleries and eateries to discover. Navigating your way through them is easy with 10 themed trails; these three are just some of the highlights.
Follow the fortifieds
Until the mid-’60s, sticky, fortified wines were the favoured beverage in Australia, accounting for up to 85 per cent of all wine produced in the country. As table wines like chardonnay and shiraz gained momentum, fortifieds steadily waned in popularity. Now, these sweet, viscous, after-dinner tipples are back in vogue, and the Swan Valley is leading the charge.
Re-engaging with the dessert beverage is as easy as sipping and swirling your way through the valley along the FORTIFIED TRAIL, the only one of its WINE kind in Australia. Of all the trails throughout the Swan Valley, this is the most extensive, with more than 30 stops.
Your first port of call will be WINERY, RIVERBANK ESTATE AND where a nutty, spicy pedro ximenez sherry, a liqueur shiraz and a liqueur muscat will be at the ready. Both WINDY CREEK and deliver on range OLIVE FARM WINES with seven different fortifieds each, offering everything from a luscious, apricot golden tawny to an exceptionally rich, caramel muscat. The rarest of Swan Valley fortifieds comes courtesy of WINES, TALIJANCICH who have a complex, 30-year-old tawny among their collection. It’s made from 100 per cent estate-grown shiraz from 1950 to 1970.
Sweet temptations
There’s a little bit of everything along the TRAIL, from liqueur to SWEET TEMPTATIONS fresh produce. The one constant? A touch – or, in some cases, a lashing – of sugar.
At the start of the trail you’ll find WA’s only publicly accessible macaron factory, MAISON HONORE. What began as a humble SAINT foray into macaron making is now a fully fledged production incorporating a French cafe and patisserie. Alongside umpteen flavours of the soft and airy biscuit, diners can
order generous helpings of sweet and savoury crêpes, croissants and delicate gateaux.
Skip across Europe with a stop at the factory. Their namesake MONDO NOUGAT confection is based on a traditional recipe that’s generations old, from the owners’ hometown of Taurianova in the south of Italy. But the soft, chewy sweet isn’t the only thing on the menu; in 2005, when the store relocated to the Swan Valley, rum baba, biscotti and cakes became a part of the repertoire too.
Before winding up for the day, make a beeline for HONEY. There’s THE HOUSE OF pot after pot of oozy liquid gold to sample, all harvested from the on-site apiaries. The bees gather pollen and nectar from native bottlebrushes, jarrah and karri, creating intensely flavoured and hyper-local honey. Find it flavouring The House of Honey’s range of teas, nougat, honeycomb and mead.
Kids in the Valley
Kangaroo feeding, wombat tickles, reptile encounters and mini golf; the Swan Valley is just as much a kid’s playground as it is an adult’s. The region is renowned for being overtly family friendly, and the 10-stop KIDS is testament to that. IN THE VALLEY TRAIL
Kick off a kid’s day out at CAVERSHAM PARK, where there are more than WILDLIFE 2000 animals to meet, feed and snap selfies with. Kangaroo feed is free, but cuddling the koalas comes at a small additional price. The wildlife park sits within the larger bounds of PARK, a 4000-hectare expanse of WHITEMAN natural bushland. Explore the further reaches by bike (BYO) or by pedal cart, available for hire from PEDAL PLAY.
Any residual energy can be expended on a mini or ‘supa’ golf round. The latter is played on WORLD’s regular-sized course, SUPA GOLF though the large rubber ball and oversized plastic club heads make it much easier than the traditional game. Littler hands might prefer a round of mini golf on the neighbouring course or further down the road at GOLF. VINES MINI As the hunger sets in, reroute towards THE BROOK. The neighbourhood tavern HENLEY boasts an impressive interpretive play area, perfect for keeping the kids entertained while mum and dad refuel. The trail isn’t complete without dessert, so finish up with a stop at for a giant WHISTLER’S CHOCOLATE COMPANY freckle or a theatrical liquid nitrogen ice-cream from GELATO. SUBZERO
Getting there
Just 25 minutes from Perth’s CBD, and an easy 15-minute drive from the airport, the Swan Valley is one of Perth’s easiest day trips, perfect for a quick wander out yonder. Take your own car or, if you plan on sipping on a few fortifieds, grab a cab, hop in a rideshare, or book a tour. The Swan Valley is also one of the only wine regions you can visit by boat, so board your own – or that of a tour group – and cruise the Swan River to your favourite riverside wineries. For a truly memorable experience, charter a helicopter and make a grand entrance, coming in to land at or SANDALFORD WINES ESTATE. MANDOON
More Valley trails to discover
These trails are part of a network in the Swan Valley, showcasing the region’s local characters, awardwinning wines, native bush tucker, art and more. Visit talented artists and boutique wineries on the WINE AND ART, OFF THE BEATEN TRACK TRAIL; follow the to DISTILLERY TRAIL sample different expressions of gin; or hop from road-side stall to roadside stall on the FRESH SEASONAL PRODUCE TRAIL.
See more at swanvalley.com.au/trails