Living There
Swan Valley, located just 25 minutes east of Perth, is the jewel of visit the swan valley in Western Australia, and is a must stay area for tourists. American’s tourists will automatically associate the Swan Valley with the lush wine making regions of both Sonoma and Napa Valley. Here in Swan Valley you will find numerous wineries, distilleries, cheese farms, breweries, and produce farms. Most are open to the public, and offer various day tours. You will also find many restaurants in the area that highlight the vast amount of meat, cheese, and produce which come out of Swan Valley. In order to help you discover Swan Valley we’ve noted here a few of the numerous attractions that can be found in the area. Whether you live in Perth, and are just out on a day tour, or are an international traveler looking for the best Western Australia has to offer, we believe these attractions are some of the best the region has to offer.
The Swan Valley Visitor Center
Located just a few minutes from the Swan Valley, in Guilford, the visitor Center should be your first stop in the Swan Valley. Here you will find all of the information you need for your trip into the valley. They have up to date information on all of the wine tours that are available, and free maps to help you find the exact store or restaurant you’re looking for. They have a wealth of information on all aspects of the grapes that are grown in the region, and can answer any of your questions. They can also book tours for you, as well as make reservations for you in one of the areas many restaurants. Not only that, but you can get almost anything grown, or produced, in the Swan Valley right here at the visitor center. You may want to make this your first, and last, stop while visiting the Swan Valley. That way you can sample all of the wines, figure out which you liked best, and then buy them all at one place.
Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail
Foodies and wine snobs take note! This 32 kilometer trails will take you past some of the finest wineries and restaurants in the region. Beer lovers, fear not, there are also numerous microbreweries making over twenty varieties of beer, located on the trail as well. This trail is a great way to see exactly what the area has to offer. You can either take the trail on your own, or there are a variety of tour guides who make trips around the trail, stopping at many of the wineries and restaurants. This is a great way to sample all of the fine wines without having to worry about driving afterward. Another option for the wine tours would be to tour the region by boat. Trips to the Swan Valley can be arranged by boat from Perth allowing you to keep your car at home, and allowing the captain to ferry you to some of the best wineries and restaurants Swan Valley has to offer.
Libations and great restaurants aren’t all you’ll find on the trail either. There are companies here who make homemade ice cream, produce locally made honey, and even make their own chocolate. You can stop into an artisanal cheese makers shop, or take a barista course. Ever wondered how to pair wines with food, or how to best cook your asparagus? You can find those classes being given on the trail too.
Visit the Cuddly Animal Farm
Kids, as well as animal loving adults, would love a trip to this farm. There are a multitude of activities at the farm. You can collect all of the eggs laid by one of the many feathered friends at the farm. They have pony rides for the kids, and tractor and train rides available for anyone. You can also bottle feed one of the many newborn lambs, piglets and calves. Want to get up close and personal? There are numerous animals you can pet and feed by hand such as; donkeys, alpacas, emu, piglets, goats, calves as well as many other kinds of animals. A perfect place for a child’s birthday the farm also comes equipped with a playground and bouncy castle.
Learn to Make Cheese
Who in the world doesn’t love cheese? Even vegans secretly love it, and most won’t deny it if asked. Can you imagine what the world would be like without pizza? Here in the Swan Valley not only do they produce some of the best cheeses in the world, they will also teach you how to do it. At The Cheese Maker you can take courses and learn how to make every kind of cheese they sell in the valley. They have courses on making brie, mascarpone, feta, ricotta, and a variety of farmhouse cheeses. Not only will you learn the art of cheese-making, but they have all the equipment there you need to start making all of these cheeses at home.
Museum of Natural History Academy of Taxidermy
At this quirky little museum, located in the Regent Picture Theatre, you will find hundreds of life sized animals preserved perfectly allowing you to get up close and personal with some of the world’s most dangerous animals. There is even a life sized dinosaur model display. While there’s no apparent order to the museum, young and old alike will enjoy seeing so many different wild life like animals in one place.
Oasis Supa Golf and Adventure Putt
Have a couple of hours to kill, and the kids are tired of watching mom and dad swill down glass after glass of the area’s finest wines? Take them out on a little Supa Golf excursion. This golf course is laid out like any other, only smaller. Instead of regular gold clubs you’ll be swinging oversized polyurethane clubs at balls that weigh much less than regular golf balls. The result is a nice slow game of golf that the entire family can enjoy. Who knows, you may have a young Greg Norman in
