Harvey offers your first taste of the South West as you travel south from Perth. Lunch on fine cheeses, craft beers and award-winning wines and pick up some fresh orange juice and Harvey beef. Or stay a while in the tranquil jarrah forests and fully indulge in the local produce and outdoor adventures.
If you’re taking the Kwinana Freeway from Perth to the Forrest Highway, the Harvey turnoff will get you to Harvey in under 90 minutes. Or, take a leisurely country drive from Mundijong on the South Western Highway.
There’s also the option of cycling or walking your way here from Perth on the famous Munda Biddi Bike Trail from Mundaring, or the Bibbulmun Track from Kalamunda – stretching 1000 kilometres to Albany on the south coast.
The Harvey Visitor Centre is a good base from which to plan and begin your Harvey experience. It’s nestled beside the picturesque Harvey River and pretty Stirling Cottage – a replica of the original hut built by the first Governor of Western Australia when he established the Harvey River Settlement in the mid-1800s.
Lovers of May Gibbs, author and illustrator of the children’s classic Snugglepot and Cuddlepie stories, will be enchanted by the display at the visitor centre, celebrating her work that’s believed to have been inspired by her stay at the original Stirling Cottage.
Fill your own picnic basket and head for one of the many beauty spots – including the wildflower picnic site, Stirling Dam, Harvey Dam, Logue Brook Dam and Lake Brockman.
The clear waters of Harvey Dam, Logue Brook Dam and Lake Brockman are the top choices for those who love to get on the water. Canoeing, water skiing and swimming are popular at Logue Brook Dam and Lake Brockman, and both dams offer seasonal trout and marron fishing. Get permits if you’re keen to catch your own dinner.
Make sure your visit also includes a climb up the Big Orange. Sitting on top of a 10-metre tower, this local icon gives you a look inside Harvey’s history and sweeping views of the orange orchards.