High times amid the tall timber

The Southern Forests in winter can be wet and chilly — but that’s what makes the region special.

Follow the meandering roads through the forests and visit some of the quaint towns along the way.

Put on a few extra layers and a raincoat and take a walk among the tall trees.

Clear the mind and enjoy the wilderness.

Warm up at a cosy cafe, winery or a brewery, sample some of the region’s award-winning produce.

The region includes the charming towns of Greenbushes, Nannup, Bridgetown, Manjimup, Pemberton, Northcliffe and Walpole, and it is one of Australia’s premier food bowls.

Growers in the Southern Forests produce more than 50 different kinds of fruit and vegetables and there’s also a host of cattle and dairy farms dotted around the rolling hills.

In recent years, Manjimup has emerged as one of the most prolific truffle growing areas in the world. More than 90 per cent of Australian-grown truffles come from here.

Truffles are among the most valuable food products by weight and often referred to as “black gold”.

I join Adrian Mieke and his dog Rapunzel at Truffle Hill for a truffle hunt among the oak and hazelnut trees on the property. Punzi, as she’s affectionately known, has her nose to the ground, zig-zagging from side to side between the rows of trees. When she sniffs a truffle, she stops and paws the ground. Then it’s Adrian’s turn to go to work. He carefully digs to reveal the truffle and makes a small cut to see if it is ripe for harvest before removing it.

It’s a remarkable example of teamwork. Adrian and his dogs have sniffed out more than 55,000kg of truffles. Visitors to Truffle Hill can participate in a truffle hunt and purchase truffle products, wine and other merchandise from the shop.

The Southern Forests Food Council offers bespoke food, farm and nature experiences for groups. The tours can include everything from accommodation, transport to breakfast, lunch and dinners featuring fresh local produce.

A tour might include a visit to producers like ...

Bryan and Rae Hickman’s picturesque Manjimup farm, Yanmah Pasture Raised Pork. It is one of only a few pasture-raised pork operations in WA.

This is piggy heaven. The Berkshire/Landrace cross-breed sows and piglets roam free in large green paddocks.

There are no cramped stalls where piglets can get crushed. They are often born in the paddock or under pig shelters in the paddocks which have heat lamps to keep them warm.

Foxes are the only real danger to them and Bryan regularly shoots them on his property. He jokingly says if he could find the person responsible for bringing them to Australia he would dig him up and shoot him just to make sure he couldn’t make the same mistake again.

A passion for passionfruit that has roots in his childhood has grown into a successful business for third generation fruit grower Mitchell East. At Willarra Gold in Manjimup they don’t just grow passionfruit, they’ve invested heavily in value-adding equipment that can pulp and jar the fruit ready to sell.

Protecting heritage is always important and apples are no exception. Back in the day, fruit was grown for its taste rather than its appearance. Dean and Kate Baker who run NewLeaf Orchard in Manjimup are working hard to preserve many of our heritage apple varieties. They may not be as attractive as the apples we see on the supermarket shelves but they still taste great.

So rather than trying to compete with the glossy apples on the supermarket shelves, they press them directly from the tree and produce a range of juice and vinegar products that are unique to the Southern Forests region.

Fonty’s Pool in Manjimup is an ideal base for exploring the Southern Forests and a lovely place to visit. It’s located on Seven Day Road just outside Manjimup and only 34km from Pemberton, 57km from Nannup and 37km from Bridgetown.

The historic freshwater swimming pool and gardens were created by Italian immigrant Archie Fontanini who bought the land in 1907.

The pool consists of nearly an acre of fresh spring water and is known as the fountain of youth. Fonty’s is a great place for a picnic or a barbecue and there’s excellent chalet and cabin accommodation as well as caravan and camping sites.

One of the best things about driving around is visiting some of the farm shops which sell directly to the public.

Just up the road from Truffle Hill, I pop into A Guadagnino & Co’s farm shop and meet Adam and Jess Broad who are part of the Guadagnino family.

They are busy hands-on people. One minute they’re serving customers in the shop, the next they’re packing apples in the shed.

The shop, situated in the corner of a large packing and sorting shed on the orchard, is bursting with fresh produce.

From the shop I can see forklifts zooming around with crates of apples and several people busy sorting and packing produce by a conveyor belt.

Manjimup Farmers Market is held on the first and third Saturday of each month. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet the growers and buy produce direct.

Coffee lovers will feel like they are in heaven when they enter Southern Roasting Co in Giblett Street, Manjimup. The smell of freshly roasted coffee greets you as soon as you open the door to the cafe. It’s a popular place. The cafe has a trendy atmosphere and a nice warm fireplace (great for a cold Manjimup morning). The roastery at the rear of the shop showcases a couple of large roasting machines and fresh products.

Manjimup also has major food events that showcase the best the region has to offer. Make a note in your calendar for the Manjimup Cherry Harmony Festival which celebrates the start of the cherry season in December.

It’s a colourful event with food stalls, street parades and entertainment and, of course, cherries.

For more information about the Southern Forests region and the group farm tours visit southernforestsfood.com

australiassouthwest.com has a comprehensive summary of things to do and places to stay.

The Kingsley Motel in Manjimup has recently renovated rooms and a cosy bar and restaurant. kingsleymotel.com.au