Southern Forests Road Trip: Karri Country, Wildflowers and Waterfalls From a Bridgetown Base

There is a moment on the road south of Bridgetown, somewhere past Manjimup, when the jarrah gives way and the karri begins. The trunks go pale and straight and impossibly tall, the light turns green, and the car goes quiet. That is the Southern Forests, and most people drive straight through the best of it on the way to a single famous tree. This guide is for the traveller searching for Southern Forests accommodation, a Pemberton day trip, or a South West road trip that goes deeper than the coast, and it is built around one idea: stay in Bridgetown, and let the forest come to you.

For travellers searching for southern forests accommodation WA, karri forest drives, or things to do between Bridgetown and Pemberton, this is the route. Bridgetown Valley Lodge sits at 16 Phillips Street in the middle of town, and every day in this guide starts and ends there.

What are the Southern Forests?

The Southern Forests is the region of Western Australia south of Bridgetown that holds the state's great karri and jarrah forests, taking in Manjimup, Pemberton, Northcliffe, Walpole and the river valleys of the Blackwood, the Warren and the Donnelly. It is roughly three hours south of Perth and a little over an hour inland from Margaret River, and it is the wettest, greenest and coolest corner of the South West, which is exactly why the trees grow the way they do.

Karri is the headline act. It is one of the tallest trees on earth, reaching 80 metres and more, and it grows almost nowhere else in the world. Around it sits a working landscape of orchards, truffle farms, dairy country and cool climate vineyards, so a Southern Forests trip is as much about what you eat as what you look at. The Blackwood Valley spring gourmet trail covers the eating side in detail; this guide covers the driving and the walking.

Why base a Southern Forests trip in Bridgetown?

Bridgetown is the northern gateway to the Southern Forests and the only town in the region with a proper heritage main street, a restaurant strip you can walk to, and a lodge in the middle of it. Pemberton is about 45 minutes south, Manjimup about 30, Nannup about 40 minutes west and Greenbushes ten minutes north, so every major stop is a comfortable day trip and you come home each night to the same bed rather than packing and unpacking down the highway.

It is also cheaper and quieter than staying on the coast, and the drive in is half the pleasure. If you have never been, the is Bridgetown worth visiting guide answers the obvious question, and the scenic drives from Bridgetown guide has the wider loop if you want to add the coast.

Day one: the Blackwood River and Greenbushes

Start close to home. The Blackwood River runs right through Bridgetown, and the river walk from the town bridge is the easiest introduction to the valley: jarrah and marri on the slopes, paperbarks on the bank, and in spring the first wildflowers along the path. Canoes and kayaks can be hired in town, and a slow paddle upstream from Blackwood River Park is the best hour you will spend on the water in the South West.

In the afternoon, drive ten minutes north to Greenbushes, a tin and lithium mining town with a walk trail around the old workings and a lookout over one of the largest lithium mines in the world. It sounds industrial and it is oddly beautiful. Back in Bridgetown, the heritage main street, the galleries and the jigsaw gallery fill the rest of the day, and the historic sites of Bridgetown guide gives you the story behind the buildings.

The Old Rectory and the Bibbulmun

Two of the region's great walking trails pass within reach of the Lodge. The Bibbulmun Track and the Munda Biddi cycle trail both run through the Southern Forests, and the shorter Old Rectory Trail loops out of town for a morning walk. Our top ten outdoor adventures in Bridgetown covers the walks and rides in order of effort.

Day two: karri country, Pemberton and the Warren

This is the big day. Leave Bridgetown after breakfast, take the South Western Highway to Manjimup and continue on the Vasse Highway to Pemberton, about 45 minutes all up. The karri begins in earnest just past Manjimup, and from Pemberton the Karri Forest Explorer, an 86 kilometre signposted loop of sealed and gravel road, takes you through Gloucester, Warren and Beedelup National Parks with walks and lookouts along the way.

The famous fire lookout trees, the Gloucester Tree at Pemberton and the Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree in Warren National Park, are the landmarks everyone comes for. Check the current climbing status with Parks WA before you promise the kids a climb, but even from the ground they are worth the stop, and the short walks around their bases are among the finest karri forest walks anywhere.

Beedelup Falls and Big Brook

West of Pemberton, Beedelup Falls in Beedelup National Park is a suspension bridge across a karri gully with the falls at their best after winter rain, which makes September and October the time to see them. Big Brook Dam, a few minutes north of town, has a swimming beach, a flat walking loop and a picnic lawn under the trees. Between them they are a full afternoon, and a good one for families.

Pemberton itself is a small timber town with a tramway, a handful of cafes and a cluster of cool climate wineries on the roads around it. Eat lunch here, then drive home the same way with the sun behind you. Allow the best part of a day and expect to want to come back.

Day three: Nannup, Donnelly River and the back roads

The third day heads west. Donnelly River Village, about half an hour from Bridgetown, is a former timber mill settlement where emus and kangaroos wander between the cottages and the old mill store still sells ice creams. It is one of the strangest and most charming places in the South West and children remember it for years.

From there, continue to Nannup, a quiet river town on the Blackwood about 40 minutes from Bridgetown, with a main street of galleries and cafes and the Blackwood River winding through the middle. In spring the gardens around Nannup are at their best and the roadsides between the two towns carry the season's colour. The hidden gems of Bridgetown guide has the back roads locals use for the drive home.

For cyclists

The Munda Biddi Trail links Nannup, Donnelly River and Bridgetown through the forest, and the Southern Forests section is one of the most rewarding on the whole trail. If that is your trip, the cycling and mountain biking trails around Bridgetown guide has the loops and the logistics.

When is wildflower season in the Southern Forests?

Wildflower season in the Southern Forests runs from September to November, and it is one of the best reasons to visit in spring. The forest floor under the karri fills with orchids, the road verges turn purple with hovea and yellow with wattle, and the granite outcrops around Nannup and Bridgetown carry pigface and everlastings. Because the region is cooler and wetter than the rest of the state, the season arrives a little later and lasts a little longer than it does further north.

You do not need to go far. The river walk in Bridgetown, the Old Rectory Trail and the roadsides on the Pemberton drive are all reliable, and the forest walks around Beedelup and Gloucester are dense with orchids in October. Take a camera, stay on the tracks, and remember that wildflowers are protected on public land in Western Australia, so photograph rather than pick.

A three night Southern Forests itinerary

Three nights is the right length. Two leaves you rushing the karri; four is better still if you can manage it.

Why stay at the Lodge

Bridgetown Valley Lodge is a heritage listed boutique lodge at 16 Phillips Street, the original Trainmen's Barracks of 1949, renovated into eight quiet, structurally separate rooms that owners Jeff and Dani have run since 2010. It is a five minute walk to the cafe and restaurant strip, breakfast is included, and the rooms are built for people who have spent the day in a forest: king or queen pillow top beds with electric blankets, a modern ensuite, air conditioning, free WiFi, a bar fridge and a verandah with garden views for the evening.

For a Southern Forests road trip the practical things matter. There is on-site laundry for muddy walking gear, secure parking, a desk and power for the photographers backing up a day of karri, and an alfresco jarrah bar for the debrief. Compare the layouts on our rooms page, or go straight to the Deluxe King Room for a couple. Groups taking several rooms for two nights or more get a reduced direct rate from $210 per room per night, and whole-of-property bookings are negotiable; see the packages page or call 0401 444 227.

Frequently asked questions