Festival of Country Gardens – Autumn Delights: Friday 3 to Sunday 5 May Gardens in the central South West of Western Australia will be opening for visitors in 2013 as part of the Festival of Country Gardens. Enjoy a weekend visiting some of the unique gardens in Balingup, Bridgetown and[…]
The first recorded ‘scarecrows’ were along the Nile River over 3,000 years ago. They were used to protect wheat fields from flocks of quail. Egyptian farmers put wooden frames in their fields and covered them with nets. The farmers hid in the fields and scared the quail into the nets.[…]
‘Top Deck’, aptly named after the two toned Cadbury chocolate block, comes to us from Mullalyup . . . a beautiful small hamlet just a few km’s north of Balingup. Llama’s have an interesting history and are kept for many purposes throughout the world. However, two year old ‘Top Deck’[…]
Looking for something different to do this St Patrick’s Day? Then what about lunch at Smallwater Estate. St Patrick’s Day – Sunday 17th March @ 12.30pm Buffet Lunch plus Live Entertainment by the Electric Gypsies Irish inspired Buffet (including mini Guinness pies, Irish date cake with butterscotch sauce, bread & butter pudding) Cost[…]
Balingup, Donnybrook and many of the small towns in the Blackwood River Valley were built around horticulture and the region’s ability to produce superior fresh produce thanks largely to the cooler night temperatures and warm summer days. Like our neighbours, Tony and Meryl Giumelli, many of the local orchardists are[…]
The Marri tree is one of the most important trees in the West Australian forests. It produces large amounts of blossom and nectar, providing a valuable food source for many native birds and marsupials. We’re surrounded by them up here on the Hill, and they are in full bloom at[…]
Four families from Nanjing city in eastern China holidayed with us this week ! Each family has one child . . . they met through their children’s school. A primary school of 2,000 students! We chatted about our different countries . . . with an urban population of over seven[…]
We were treated to an outstanding gastronomical evening on Saturday 2nd February 2013. A big congratulations to Katrina Lane from the Taste of Balingup who brought together seven outstanding young chefs from Perth. Each chef chose a protein from one of our local Blackwood Valley producers; Blackwood Valley Beef, Emu[…]
Nature never ceases to amaze. Tonight’s sunset was no exception and this picture taken from Hepton Hill really doesn’t do it justice. An eerie orange glow came through our windows at the farmhouse and we looked out to see an amazing sunset. The view from Hepton Hill, looking west over[…]
Finally . . . . after a year of recommending our guests visit Smallwater Estate Winery for lunch and a glass of their fabulous award winning wines, we made it there ourselves! We’d sampled their wines on numerous occasions, and had heard many a good reports about the new restaurant[…]