If you’re lucky enough to be heading down for a trip to our beautiful South West region this weekend, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing how to spend your time.
From natural light shows, wine festivals and farmers markets to pop-up parties and outdoor movies, there’s plenty to see and do no matter where you’re headed.
Here are the best things to do down south this weekend.
Thursday and Friday
Grill Days At Voyager Estate
Put Voyager Estate at the top of your list of places to visit if you’re heading down south for an extra long weekend, because Thursdays and Fridays are Grill Days. Visiting Chef Lauren Murdoch (Bullo River Station, en Felix Bar and Bistro) has put together a drool-worthy menu of grilled goodness that showcases the best of WA produce, which is best washed down by one of Voyager Estate’s organically farmed wines.
Friday 22 January
See The Aurora Australis Lights
While it’s not as straightforward as it sounds, there’s a tiny chance you could get to witness the phenomenal Aurora Australis lights if you’re hanging around WA’s south coast this long weekend. As our planet moves towards its next ‘solar maximum’, the likelihood of the night sky being lit up with vibrant streaks of green, pink and red light increases slightly—for your best chance at catching a glimpse, you should arm yourself with a camera and head to inland areas away from large sources of light such as The Gap in Albany.
Friday and Saturday
Bunbury Fringe Festival
Nestled into the gardens of Bunbury’s Stirling Street Arts Centre you’ll find the buzzing Bunbury Fringe Garden, where you can sit back and relax in custom-made Fringe furniture, feast on delicious eats by Market Eating House Food and drink craft beverages from Frothcraft, Cuprum and the Geographe Wine Region. For this weekend’s lineup of performances, click here.
Saturday 23 January
Margaret River Farmers Markets
The Saturday morning Margaret River Farmers Markets are a must-do on anyone’s down south agenda. Farmers from all over the southwest region flock here to sell their fresh organic produce, so it’s the best place to stock up on fruits, veges, meat, jams, honey and everything in between. While you wander around, we recommend grabbing a coffee from Yahava or some fresh lemonade from The Local Squeeze.
PourFest Dunsborough
A pop up car park festival is going down in Dunsborough on Saturday afternoon, and if you love all things gin, BBQ and live music, you’re not going to want to miss out. The Pourhouse is holding their very own PourFest, where you can sip on local craft beers and gin cocktails while munching on gourmet lamb kebabs from 3pm until 8pm.
Hottest 100 Brews N Bangers
The legends at Rocky Ridge Brewing Co are throwing a Hottest 100 party to top all others. Head down to their cellar door from 11am this Saturday and get ready to double your celebrations as you count down the top hits from 2020 as well as the year’s 100 best brews. As usual, they’ll be slinging their legendary burgers, so you should definitely feast on one of those while you’re there.
Long Table Wine Dinner At Plantagenet Wines
Indulge in an intimate long table dinner in the beautiful surrounds of Plantagenet Wines’ barrel cellar. You’ll be treated to a mouthwatering menu prepared by Loft 22 featuring amazing Mount Barker chicken, Plantagenet Pork and drops from Arcadia Wines, Galagrey Wines, West Cape Howe, Plantagenet and more.
Movies Under The Denmark Stars
If you’re keen on enjoying a relaxing Saturday night under the Denmark stars, pack a picnic basket and head to Silverstream Wines for a screening of Academy Award-winning film, Sideways. If you can’t be bothered bringing your own dinner though, don’t stress—that’s where Market Grill comes in! They’ll be serving up some delicious gourmet eats, and Silverstream Wines will be putting on the coffee, beers, soft drinks and range of red, white and sparkling wines.
Sunday 24 January
Mount Barker Wine Festival
Plantagenet Wines really is the place to be this weekend—on Sunday from 12pm until 6pm, they’ll be playing host to an incredible wine festival where entry only costs $5. Grab a tasting glass and work your way through the lineup of wines from Arcadia Wines, Galafrey Wines, Gilbert Wines, Poacher’s Ridge, Plantagenet and West Cape Howe. To match the amazing wine offerings, there’ll also be some top-notch eats including vegan curries, tasting plates and pizza.
Need more inspo? Check out more things to do on your next local escape.
Image credit: Voyage Estate