Swan Valley – Australia Travel and Tour Information

Archive for March, 2008

The Swan Valley and Eastern Region Visitor Centre is located in historic Guildford, the gateway to Perth’s Valley of Taste, the Swan Valley. The Swan Valley is only 25 minutes from the centre of Perth and is Western Australia’s oldest wine growing region. The Swan Valley is where you will experience a colourful blend of heritage and culture, people, art, world-class wine, gourmet goodies and fresh produce. The Swan Valley is a great place for families. It’s the ideal location to escape, indulge and awaken your senses!

Award-Winning Wineries in the Swan Valley
A bustling tourist area, the Swan Valley in Western Australia has a number of award-winning wineries, many of which are family owned and run. These Western Australian wineries offer superb alfresco and restaurant dining and you can enjoy cosy fortifieds whilst basking in the warmth of a log fire in Winter. The Swan Valley makes the ideal day trip, or why not stay in one of our many accommodation venues? Take advantage of mid-week stay discounts some venues offer. Swan Valley wineries are open for tasting all year round. Forget the car and take a tour around the Valley. Wine cruise tours are also available.

Award-Winning Breweries in the Swan Valley
Swan Valley Breweries – Belgian white beer and German red beer are just two of the over 20 locally-made brews on offer in the region. Small batches and a swift turnaround mean our five microbrew outlets are always on the go, making a changing array of beers in a wide range of styles. These vary according to the whim of the brewer, but always include pale and dark ales, Belgian wheat beer and stout.

In the award stakes too, Swan Valley beers are beginning to give our wines a run for their money. Our organic pilsner and old-fashioned porter have been voted the best in Australia – you’ll find these and other top valley brews at a growing number of Perth outlets and throughout the valley.

And while our talented brewers pride themselves on keeping costs down by selling direct to the public and doing most of the work themselves, the main focus will always be on offering quality hand-made beers using the finest ingredients and traditional methods. Distillers have chosen the Swan Valley as their preferred place of spirit crafting, with 2 distilleries opening in the Valley.

Swan Valley Festivals
The Swan Valley has Festivals and Events for all seasons:

Summer: Midsummer Feast
The annual “foodie” weekend festival hosted in the Swan Valley. 2008 is the fourth year of this festival where venues host special events showcasing the local produce on offer in the Valley.

Autumn: Taste of the Valley
The Taste of the Valley festival showcases the best of the Swan Valley’s food, wine, arts, music and local produce. The festival is held annually over four weekends in April.

Winter: Seafood and Shiraz
The newest event to come to the Swan Valley where premium Swan Valley shiraz is combined with WA seafood over a winter weekend.

Spring: Spring in the Valley
Each year in October, the Swan Valley celebrates the people and produce of the region with its annual Spring in the Valley Festival – a festival of community spirit, wine, food, art and music.

Drop into the Swan Valley and Eastern Region Visitors Centre located in the Guildford Courthouse Cnr Meadow & Swan Streets Guildford – open 7 days 9am to 4pm , or contact the centre on (08) 9379 9400 for further information and assistance.

The Swan Valley offers everything from wine tasting to art galleries, and is a perfect spot to awaken the senses, tantalise the tastebuds and escape the hustle and bustle of city life. You’ll find some of Western Australia’s finest wines and local produce here, as well as acres of scenic vineyards that create a warmth and charm that characterises Western Australia’s “Valley of Taste”. Drive just 20 minutes north east of Perth city along Great Eastern Highway, and you’ll find yourself in the picturesque Swan Valley – Western Australia’s oldest wine growing region. For those keen on sampling local wines and boutique beers, daytrip bus tours are available from the city and there are public bus connections throughout the region.

The annual ‘Spring in the Valley’ festival is usually held in October, and provides plenty of entertainment, not to mention delectable gourmet delights, for all to enjoy – check it out if you’re in Western Australia at this time of year. Make Guildford the first stop and peruse the enchanting antique furniture stores. Then take a leisurely stroll through town for a look at some of Western Australia’s oldest buildings – much of the original town plan is still intact and many fine civic, commercial and private buildings dating from the 1840s can still be seen.

The Swan and Helena Rivers traverse and partially surround Guildford, providing picturesque walk trails and lovely scenery. Try riverside horse riding for an invigorating start to the day, or for a more relaxed pace, visit a wildlife park to meet some cuddly native animals such as kangaroos and koalas.

Before heading further into the Swan Valley, stop by the Swan Valley and Eastern Region Visitor Centre in the heart of the the oldest inland town in Perth to pick up a free food and wine trail map – a great guide to the area and perfect companion for your journey. The Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail is a 32 kilometre circuit with scenic offshoots to a wide range of attractions.

If you need a sugar hit, you’ll want to stop by the local chocolate factory or ice creamery, but if it’s wine tasting you are after you will be spoilt for choice with more than 40 cellar doors offering premium wines at affordable prices. These range from small organic wineries to third generation family wineries, mainly selling to the local trade and state of the art cellar door facilities. Verdelho, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet and fortifieds being specialities of the region.

Purchase a range of fresh produce and gourmet treats from outlets scattered throughout the area and you’ll have all the essential ingredients for a lunchtime feast at one of the Swan Valley’s popular picnic spots such as Bells Rapids, Middle Swan Bridge or Whiteman Park (picnic spots brochure available).

Al fresco dining is available at many Swan Valley wineries, so enjoy a gourmet lunch and sip on award winning wines.

Beer drinkers aren’t left out either, with the emergence of local boutique breweries in the region which are proving extremely popular. They offer extensive menus, too. More recently distilleries have started to emerge in the region.

If you are with the children then there is a wide range of activities, many of them free, but also including wildlife parks and supa golf. Ask the Visitor Centre for details. And if you want fresh air, the Swan Valley cycle trails may also appeal to your family.

After lunch, wander through art galleries for an insight into the creative world of local sculptors, painters, potters, printmakers and woodworkers, and purchase exquisite souvenirs of your trip.

While the Swan Valley can be explored in a day, turn it into an extended getaway with an overnight stay. Choose from a variety of bed and breakfasts, five star motels, boutique guesthouses or local caravan parks.

Continue your West Australian adventure by visiting York and New Norcia, located further inland. Take a look at the itinerary for these towns.

Or head straight to Perth again with a 30-minute drive back through Guildford.