Historic Barn Down South, WA

We drove 220 km south of Perth to spend a night at Harwood's Cottage, a charming heritage-listed building with a rich history. Once an old barn, the cottage has been beautifully restored and refurbished into cozy holiday accommodation. It features two bedrooms separated by a shared bathroom, a spacious living area, and a well-equipped kitchen tucked at the rear - perfect for a quiet countryside retreat (Read here).

Although we had planned to spend more time outdoors, those plans were somewhat dampened by two days of intermittent rain. Still, the weather did little to dampen our spirits. We made the most of our time indoors, enjoying lively games by the fireplace, wrapped in warmth and laughter. The evening for the adults was made even more delightful with a glass of wine from Happs Winery, purchased earlier during our journey - a perfect way to unwind and toast to a day well spent.

The fire place.

On our way back the next day, we made a detour to visit Gnomesville in Ferguson Valley. I was amazed to see how the number of gnomes had multiplied over the years - from just a handful placed around a small roundabout in the early days to now hundreds, if not thousands, scattered across the valley in every direction.

Whether by deliberate design or through the whimsical contributions of visitors over time, Gnomesville has evolved from a quirky roadside oddity into a full-fledged tourist attraction. What was once a simple patch of countryside is now a fascinating, ever-growing village of gnomes - each with its own charm, personality, and story - making it one of the most unexpected and interesting icons in the region.

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From Gnomesville, we continued our journey to the Apple Fun Park in Donnybrook. I was particularly curious to see this attraction, promoted on TripAdvisor as the largest free outdoor playground for children in Western Australia. However, upon arrival, I found it to be much smaller than expected - certainly not as expansive as I had imagined based on the online reviews.

The children barely had more than 10 minutes to explore and play before a light drizzle quickly turned into heavy rain, cutting our visit short and forcing us to move on. While our time there was brief, the park seemed well-maintained and would likely have been more enjoyable on a sunnier day.