Welcome to the Great Southern Treasures
A region famed for its biodiversity, wildflowers, breath-taking mountain ranges, rich farming history and world class produce.
A region famed for its biodiversity, wildflowers, breath-taking mountain ranges, rich farming history and world class produce.
Bremer Bay| Broomehill |Cranbrook | Fitzgerald River National Park | Frankland River | Gnowangerup | Jerramungup | Katanning…
in the region’s Aboriginal culture and history. Learn from the stories during guided tours, trails, and art of many types.
Residents of Kojonup and Woodanilling will be opening their gardens over one weekend for a Bloom Festival Open Gardens event. These gardens include everything from the newly planted to the more mature and nationally acclaimed. Explore the incredible gardens, learn tips and ideas for your own.
Discover MoreImmerse yourself with the meditative sounds of Crystal and Tibetan Bowls in the tranquil setting at Indaroo. The sound bath will help you relax, release stress and tension and feel amazingly rejuvenated!
Discover MoreExperience a deeper insight to 60,000 years of cultural connection to the Stirling Ranges with Ezzard Flowers.
Discover MoreSip a glass of premium complimentary Plantagenet sparkling wine while creating a stunning wildflower swag with fresh local wildflowers.
Discover MoreExperience the Shire of Kent on a guided bus tour showcasing Nyabing, a small town bursting with amazing #wildflowers and history. As well as all the history of the town, you'll have the opportunity to tour and learn the ins and outs of a local family working wheat & sheep farm. Then, as golden hour approaches, its #instamoment photo time! Be transported to the middle of a tall stunning field of #canola, ?or overlooking the magnificent field of gold, perch yourself upon our unique Bloom Festival giant swing ‘Bing Swing’ for that #instagrammable canola shot Your final stop will be a sunset bonfire overlooking the farm with free drinks and nibbles.
Discover MoreExplore the stunning gardens, beautiful mountain photography and antiquarian library, with books dated back to 1700 - 1930, on a guided tour.
Discover MoreHike in a small group through the flower-strewn bushland to get to Castle Rock. Following the walk down, head to savour the flavours of Great Southern Wine, with lunch at a Porongurup winery. Pick up/drop off point is the Albany Visitor Centre.
Discover MoreThis year's Bloom Festival will see over 55 events taking place across the Great Southern region over 6 weeks, kicking off with a free family festival in Katanning on 23 September!
Discover MoreLooking for RV friendly stops in the Great Southern region? Get your detailed map here.
Discover MoreImmerse yourself in natural phenomena shaped by billions of years. Where floral fantasies burst into bloom. Where towering mountains overlook turquoise waters
Discover MoreThe annual celebration of nature’s splendour, the Great Southern Treasures Bloom Festival presented by WCP Civil, is back this year with a fresh full program! Springtime in the Great Southern is set to come alive over six weeks with an impressive lineup of 57 exciting events, showcasing the very best of the region’s flora, culture, art, and culinary delights.
Read full Media Release here
Check out more eventsThe Great Southern Treasures Yoorn (Bobtail) Trail was identified as a priority project in the Great Southern Regional Trails Master Plan (2020-2029).
The trail is a network of walking, cycling, and paddling trails integrated with the existing Great Southern Treasures (GST) Drive Trail across the region’s 25 locations, and is designed to enable visitors to plan their own route to explore the many treasured sites the region’s locals love.
Discover MoreExplore the towns that lie within the Great Southern region, and discover the diverse attractions that make these places so special.
Tambellup is situated 328km south-east of Perth and has a population of 675 people. It is in the heart of a mixed grain and sheep farming belt and falls within the Local Government boundary of the Shire of Broomehill Tambellup.
The name Gnowangerup is derived from the Aboriginal word ‘Ngow,’ meaning Malleefowl. For thousands of years, the plains around Gnowangerup were home to the Goreng Noongars, evidenced by stone implements still found along the creeks.
Nyabing was gazetted as a town in 1912 after the Katanning railway line was extended. Nyabing was originally known as Nampup, after the aboriginal name given to the soak in the area.
The town of Pingrup was officially gazetted on 9 May 1924 and was named Pingrup after Lake Pingrup which is close to the townsite.
The name Ongerup is derived from ‘Yonga’ the Noongar word meaning male kangaroo and ‘up,’ meaning ‘place of’. Ongerup began to be settled in 1910 when the land was opened up to farming and surveyed into 1,000-acre blocks.
Borden was gazetted as a town in 1916. The name was proposed by the Secretary for Railways as the name of a siding on the then-new Tambellup-Ongerup Railway.
Bluff Knoll is the third highest and one of the most spectacular peaks in Western Australia, reaching 1095m above sea level.
The area was first settled in the 1860s when pastoralists started grazing sheep near Round Swamp. With its mild temperatures and good rainfall, it was ideal sheep country.
In the late 1850s farming leases were bought in the area after an overland route was established between Perth and Albany. The Cranbrook area developed into a productive wool and agricultural area.
Frankland River was named by the surgeon Dr Thomas Braidwood Wilson in 1829. He named Frankland River after George Frankland (1800-38), who was the Surveyor General in Van Diemen’s Land in 1829.
Rocky Gully was developed as part of the resettlement schemes post World War II along with Perillup and then later at Denbarker.
This small farming community was once a thriving town with a school and general store. Many of the present farming families are descended from the pioneers of the district.
Just 3 hours south of Perth you will discover a thriving country town that offers visitors the opportunity to experience Australia’s rural way of life that is also steeped in history. Explore this bustling rural town with its historic buildings and friendly atmosphere.
The town of Woodanilling was first gazetted in 1892, not far from the watering hole called Round Pool. Woodanilling is a Noongar Aboriginal word meaning place of little fishes.
Katanning is thought to come from an Aboriginal word ‘Kartannin’ meaning ‘big meeting place’ and it still holds true to this meaning in the 21st century, as the largest town in the Upper Great Southern servicing many surrounding towns.
The town of Broomehill was established after the completion of the Great Southern Railway in 1889. Prior to this, Eticup, a coach stop on the old Albany Road (now Broomehill-Kojonup Road) was the only town in the area.
Where pioneering farming communities offer insight to the region’s rich cultural heritage, the Great Southern Treasures is a top tourist destination featuring spectacular scenic views and unique attractions, stunning flora & fauna, and genuine country community spirit.
Witness spectacular mountain ranges, grand old homesteads, and luxurious hotel suites, then indulge in a feast of fresh produce straight from nature’s pantry, while sipping on award winning, world-class drops.
Those after a tipple or two will be pleased to learn that the Great Southern is the largest wine producing region, by area in Australia. So, whether you’re looking to feast on the fruits of nature’s pantry, taste some world-class drops, or conquer the highest peak on an adventure trail – it’s all right here ready and waiting for you!