SPRINGTIME SENSATIONS TOUR: OPENING THE FARM GATE IN THE SOUTHERN FORESTS

Tuesday 9th September 2025

This November, the Southern Forests Food Council are inviting visitors to discover the vibrant heart of Western Australia’s food bowl on a three-day Springtime Sensations Southern Forests Food & Art Tour, while staying at the RAC Karri Resort. 

Running from 25 to 27 November, the tour includes meals, tastings, transport, accommodation, and six special local experiences that will showcase the produce and the landscapes that make the region world-class and offer visitors the rare chance to meet the farming families behind it all. 

Through the curated visits, travellers will encounter the passion, quality, and diversity that define the area’s character, complemented by cultural treasures like the unique Understory Art & Nature Trail. Across three days and two nights, guests will explore farms, kitchens, and cellar doors, from chestnuts to chocolate, marron to sparkling wine. 

Chair of the Southern Forests Food Council, Dr Arthur Wilson, says the initiative is about connection and pride. “Inviting people beyond the farm gate on our agritours is a unique way to showcase our industry and region, and to share the passion and quality of our farmers and produce,” said Dr Wilson.

The Experiences

1.    Honey with Provenance

At Pemberton Honey Company, Mikey and Allexa Cernotta and their three daughters produce twenty-five tonnes of raw honey annually from the surrounding karri forests. Their prized jarrah, karri, and marri honeys, celebrated for flavour and health benefits, sit alongside soaps, scrubs, candles, and their soon-to-launch honey drink, Ambrosia. “Much like wine, each variety tells its own story,” says Allexa.

2.    Chestnuts with a World View

In Nannup, John and Linda Stanley of award-winning Chestnut Brae, harvest twelve tonnes of organic chestnuts each year, with 60% transformed into flour, ale, ice-cream, chestnutella, and even chestnut-fed pork and lamb. Inspired by Europe but rooted in WA, the farm is also a tourism drawcard with pick-your-own harvests, tours, and farm stays.

3.    Chocolate with Community Spirit

At Southern Forests Chocolate Company, Kate Frost and Chris Knight hand-craft preservative-free chocolates using local milk, cream, honey, and fruit. Their business has grown into a thriving community hub, mentoring local teens while supplying high-end retailers. “We’re not just making chocolate,” says Kate. “We’re building connections.”

4.    Diversity at Pemberley

At Pemberley of Pemberton, the Radomiljac family manage wine grapes, truffles, potatoes, beef cattle, and marron. Their vineyard alone spans 300 km of vines, producing award-winning wines in collaboration with top WA winemakers. Named Gourmet Traveller’s Best Cellar Door in the Southern Forests, their philosophy is simple: “Strength in diversity has always been our backbone,” says David Radomiljac.

5.    Art Meets Agriculture

The tour also includes Northcliffe’s Understory Art & Nature Trail, where site-specific sculptures and poetry emerge from the forest itself, encouraging visitors to look deeper into both nature and culture.

6.    A Taste of Green Tea

On the outskirts of Northcliffe, a local family has diversified from avocados into green tea. Their plantation produces and processes Sencha into loose leaf, tea bags, and matcha powder, a delicate process of steaming, rolling, and drying that guests will see firsthand before tasting the results.

Why It Matters

For producers, agritours are more than tourism. They are a platform to share provenance, showcase innovation, and connect consumers with the land. Each jar of honey, chestnut loaf, chocolate bar, or bottle of wine carries the story of resilience and passion in farming families.

Bookings Open Now

Tickets are limited. For full details and bookings, visit https://rac.com.au/travel-touring/wa-holidays or click here. 

Contact: Please contact Laura Bolitho on 08 9772 4180

or info@southernforestsfood.com

Website: http://www.southernforestsfood.com

Facebook: Genuinely Southern Forests

Instagram: @genuinelysouthernforests

LinkedIn: Southern Forests Food Council

Southern Forests Food Council:  

The Southern Forests Food Council was founded in 2010 by a group of passionate local producers who recognised that the wealth and abundance of produce grown in the region made it perfect for major food production and agri-tourism. Its role was formalised in 2012 after receiving a $5 million investment from the State Government. The investment is part of a $7 million allocation to the Shire of Manjimup for its Agricultural Expansion Project. The SFFC has received a further $725,000 over two and a half years through the State Government to focus on activities and implement strategies that secure its long-term sustainability and enhance the Genuinely Southern Forests brand.

The Food Council is committed to unifying the area’s world-class and diverse producers to strengthen the region’s economy, build resilience, attract investment and export opportunities, promote regional pride, and create sustainable jobs. It represents local producers, culinary and agri-tourism operators who live and work in what is WA’s premier food bowl, aiming to ultimately establish the Southern Forests as an internationally recognised sustainable agricultural region and culinary tourism destination.

The Southern Forests produces over 50 different types of fruits and vegetables, truffles and boutique produce, dairy, sheep, pork and cattle farms, as well as award-winning wineries and exceptional culinary experiences.  The Southern Forests region is heavily invested in agriculture, with $230 million of agricultural production coming from the region