Western Playground

JUST 300KM SOUTH OF PERTH, THE QUAINT TOWN OF PEMBERTON AND ITS SURROUNDS IS RICH IN HISTORY AND NATURAL BEAUTY. IT’S ALSO A GATEWAY TO THE SPECTACULAR COASTLINE IN D’ENTRECASTEAUX NP.

- KEV SMITH

ACCORDING to online sources, Pemberton in Western Australia’s south west is one of the most visited places in the state thanks to its natural beauty and the abundance of things to see and do in the area. As with most places I visit for the first time, my first port of call is always the local information centre so I can get a grasp on what’s in and around town. With an armful of brochures and a headful of facts and figures, I was ready to explore, but not before spending a bit of time in the museum out the back. Here the collection of memorabilia, photos and displays offer a good indication of what went on in the area from around 100 years ago to the present day.

Pemberton is a quiet town where you can sample local boutique wines and beers, the pies and cakes are still handmade, and the few shops scattered about the place still have a country feel about them. Keen to check out the rolling stock, I headed down the back of the town where the old restored rail station is, and I wandered around the steam engine, round turntable, diesel engines and huge lowloader crane, and finally the disused tram that once ran tourists along the line several years ago. The tram and trains don’t run anymore but it’s still pretty cool to wander around.