Rug up and head out into the winter air, and immerse yourself in all that’s happening throughout the Harvey Region.
You might think winter is a time to hibernate and stay indoors, but it’s the time to experience all things arty, crafty, whimsical, lush, and wonderful.
Meet our ‘salt-of-the-earth’ people, artisans, creatives, and producers that make us special. Combined with charming towns and villages, gourmet delights, rolling hinterland, and stunning seascapes, your perfect winter escape awaits.
1. Morning Melodies with Andrew Winton
As the temperature drops, head indoors and see a show or musical performance. On the 16 July, experience joyful Morning Melodies with Andrew Winton at the Harvey Recreation & Cultural Centre. Andrew is known for his on-stage warmth, humour, and stellar musicianship.
Attracting audiences all over the world, blues and roots, folk, jazz, gospel, funk and country/bluegrass influence his diverse music style.
Following the performance, enjoy a complimentary light lunch in The Boundary.
2. Take a Walk with Snuggle Pot & Cuddle Pie
Hidden within Harvey’s beautiful Stirling Cottage Gardens you will find the May Gibbs Trail. A short path winds through the gardens and tells the stories of legendary Australian author May Gibbs.
Discover the books and the colourful characters she created, including world-famous Snuggle Pot and Cuddle Pie. Many were inspired by her time in Harvey as a child.
3. Hyper-creative Public Art
Our diverse and stunning landscape continues to provide inspiration to our arts and culture, and our dynamic community of artisans. Take a drive through the Harvey Region to uncover our extensive collection of street art.
Along the way, you will find bright and bold works of Aisha Valenti, the quirky characters of legend street artist Ian Mutch, to the bold designs of renown artist Andrew Frazer, and intricate,style of Italian-Australian artist Jack Bromell, and much more.
Stop a while and ‘take a selfie’!
4. All Fired Up
Get All Fired Up on 21 June 2024. Dig out your Choose Life shirt and double cassette player, and press record on the banging live band rocking the soundtrack of this 80s musical by Rachel Terry and Roz Pappalardo at the Harvey Recreation and Cultural Centre.
Choose show tickets for only $25, or Dinner and Show tickets for $55. Concession tickets are also available.
5. Find our Dreamtime
Uncover Australia’s rich and ancient culture, the oldest continuous living culture in the world, at the Boola Bidi Dreaming Centre. Located within the Stirling Gardens Precinct in Korijekup (Harvey) on Bindjareb Noongar Boodja, the Centre is the hub of Noongar culture in Harvey, as well as retailing a range of products such as clothing, artwork, homeware, giftwares, books, bush ingredients, artefacts, beauty and cosmetics and much more.
It also offers cultural ceremonies, guided walk tours, bush food and medicine workshops, artefact and tool making, Noongar language lessons, and art commissioning.
Finish your visit with a stroll along the Noongar Kaartdijin Bidee (Noongar Knowledge Path) beside the bank of the Harvey River. The 900-metre return trail features ten original pieces of art created by our local Noongar community.
6. Market Hunting
The historic Brunswick Memorial Hall (1894) comes alive on Saturday, 20th July with The Brunswick Markets.
With plenty of stalls featuring food, crafts, demonstrations, and information about local groups and activities, this is a fantastic opportunity to uncover our local artisans and crafty community.
Afterwards, head to the Brunswick Tavern for lunch by the fire.
7. Mosaic Madness
Artist Anthea Ward – Bach has dispersed her mosaic talent throughout the Harvey Region with unique town entry statements.
Their bright colours and designs reflect each town’s diversity and passions. Flowers and a Holstein Friesan milking cow light up the entry to Brunswick, while Myalup’s artwork depicts the area’s deep blue ocean and different breeds of fish, including Herring, Tailor and Whiting.
Workshops with local schoolchildren inspired many of the mosaic entry statements.
8. Go Art & Craft Hunting
Seek out some treasures to take home on a Harvey Region art and craft adventure.
Start at the Australind Artisan Collective. Located in the State Heritage Listed, Henton Cottage, the Artisan Collective is bursting with quality-made gifts by local artisans, ranging from beautiful prints and paintings, woodwork, and fabric items plus local honey, jams and chutneys.
Next, wander the exhibition space of Featured Wood Gallery and Museum. The gallery is very spacious and showcases a wide variety of craft and furniture pieces made on the premises or by local artisans. The unique museum focuses on Australian and American History. There are larger-than-life displays on Ned Kelly, woodworking, local Aboriginals, the Bunbury Jetty, American Indians, Light Horse, and the US Civil War.
On weekends, pay a visit to Itowa Wanda; a small gallery and gift shop on the main street of Brunswick and be inspired by their unique offerings.
9. Wild & Whimsical
Winter is all about the wild and whimsical, making it the prefect time to find the collection of 16 beautifully painted Kangaroos within the grounds of Myalup’s Miami Bake House. Each Roo has a unique design, created by Australian celebrities and painted by well-known artists and creatives.
If you’re have a fascination with kangaroos, find more sculptures at Coote Park in Treendale.
Nearby to the Bake House, you’ll find The Crooked Carrott. Behind this food institution lays a world of heritage trams, quirky displays of vintage trucks, and more.
10. Learn from a Local
Head over to the historic Harvey Railway Station Museum (1890s) and experience a little piece of local history, open every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month between 11am and 3pm.
Run by passionate volunteers, the Museum houses a large collection of historical items from the town’s past. The railway station was visited by the Queen Mother in 1966, and it was also used as a filming set for the TV mini-series A Fortunate Life, which aired in 1986.
If you’re keen to learn about the Harvey Region from a local, we suggest booking a Mystery Tour with Bunbury Geographe Tours. Owner, experienced drive and guide, Tania is well-versed in local knowledge and history, and will likely combine the day with some of the region’s best food and produce too!
11. Walk Through History
Rug-up and take a walk through history on the 3.4 km Yarloop Heritage Walk Trail. From its origins as a bustling timber mill town to a picturesque rural escape, Yarloop has an interesting story to tell.
The Trail seeks to remember the sites of former and current buildings and infrastructure which have been lost to fire, time and development. The trail meanders around the town’s streets guided by numbered plaques providing information and context about that formed part of Yarloop’s history.
12. Find our Heart
Standing proud, overlooking Leschenault inlet is Heart & Home – a beautiful public artwork sculpture by Nic and Alex Mickle of Safehaven Studios.
Located at the northern end of the Ridley Place Foreshore, the Heart & Home sculpture represents our culture, history and connection to the environment and is one of seven signs installed at each entrance to Australind.
The Mickles, acclaimed for their innovative approach to contemporary sculpture, have worked on a range of significant pieces across Western Australia.
13. Uncover our Makers & Producers
Seek out our local makers. Stores like Local Emporio, GeoVino, Boola Bidi Dreaming Centre, My Gypsy Wife, The Crooked Carrot, and Harvey Cheese are full of local and western Australian giftware, produce, and accessories,
Find inspiring local products like perfumes by Harvey-based House of Sharday, or a thought-provoking artwork by Sharon Hinchcliffe of Arli Designs.
So embrace the chill and culture-up this winter!
