News & Events

If you missed out on checking out the Fishing Australia tv episode featuring Clover Cottage and the trophy lake, you can download episode 3 on season 12 from iTunes Store.  Cost is $3.49.  The program was made in March 2012 on the hottest day of the year!!!

Check out these great fishermen and their catches!

It was an exciting day for Paul when he launched the new canoes for Clover Cottage . These WA  made canoes by Finn Kayaks  have replaced our previous Canadians.

For the enthusiastic fly fishermen, you now have the choice of hiring a twin hull dinghy to paddle on the fly fishing trophy lake.  The twin hulls provide efficiency and the ability to safely stand and move about without capsizing - making it perfect for fishing out onto the lake.

Fly fishing in the dinghy

Gardens in the central South West of Western Australia will be open to visitors in 2012 as part of the Festival of Country Gardens

The dates for Spring 2012 are:

Prelude: Friday 12 to Sunday 14 October and

Main Festival: Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 November 2012.

Every garden is open each day of the Prelude and/or the Main Festival from 10 am to 5 pm.

Garden gates will be opened in picturesque country villages and the small towns for exploring what is behind the garden fence.

The locations are in the scenic, inland south west of Western Australia that includes Balingup, Bridgetown, Donnybrook, Manjimup and Nannup.

In addition to gardens opening there will be morning walks and evening sundowners with a garden theme over the Festival days, so that visitors and local people can enjoy a garden-inspired holiday.

Be prepared for a visual feast in August by Nannup’s 4 day “The Power of Flowers” theme for the annual Flower and Garden Festival.  Visit the website for more information http://www.nannupgardens.org.au/index.html

Held from the 16th – 19th August the festival is packed with displays, floral art, crafts and practical tips on home gardening.

The Nannup Flower and Garden Festival is a fabulous 4 days of colour, inspiration,    friendship and song!    Can’t visit during the Festival? No problems.  For a couple of weeks either side of the Festival,  Nannup is ablaze with beautiful flowers.

Fishing Australia 2012 features  the South West of Western Australia, including Clover Cottage Country Retreat and the surrounding area.   The new series premieres Saturday 18th August at 5-30pm on WIN, Imparja and NBN, with encore screening on GO the following day at 12 noon. For Perth viewers it will be featured on Channel 9

Clover Cottage will be a featured episode on Saturday 1st September. The episode was filmed in  March 2012.  Make sure you are ready to watch right after the football!!!

Scarlett  (11 yrs) from Perth “Clover Cottage was so so good  I had so much fun.  …….  How I wished I lived here.”

Hissan    (Perth)  ”I had so much fun here.. going fishing and playing with Floyd (Golden Retriever) and the animals… and I had the best 4 days. Thank you for the best holiday.”

Just love seeing our young visitors enjoying the simple things that country life gives without even trying… open space,  our quirky and very friendly farm animals, fishing, tennis, board games, canoeing (with a grown up)  and spending time together!

While  a young guest was booking out this morning with his family  after a 4 day stay with us, he said,  ” We are definitely coming back… Mum was sooooo relaxed!”

What a food and wine experience the Truffle Kerfuffle Experience was this year! Well known visiting chefs, cooks and food growers cooked, talked and enjoyed the local fare and gourmet delights.

Saturday June 16th saw some 2500 people visit Fonty’s Pool for the second annual Truffle Kerfuffle – Southern Forest Food Festival. The weather was brilliant, the food and wine were amazing and the masterclasses and truffle hunts were very informative and entertaining.

Thank you to everybody who attended we trust that you will be back, with all of your friends on June 15th 2013 for our third annual festival. We wish to thank all of our sponsors and volunteers for their tremendous support and efforts during and leading up to the event.

Sophie Zalokar from Foragers, Anna Gere from Master Chef, Matthew Evans and Ross O’Meara from SBS  Gourmet Farmer and David Coomer from  the iconic Perth restaurants Star Anise and Pata Negra made the whole experience a top happening to complement to top quality food and wines on offer.

So ensure you book ahead for the 2013 Truffle experience and have the chance to taste, drink, indulge and experience what we have hidden down here in the Southern Forest of WA!

Feel like trying out some country cuisine in a beautiful historic setting?  Next time you are heading down south to Clover Cottage for a cosy winter weekend break, consider including a special dining experience  at Dingup House. This beautiful home was built in the same era as Clover cottage in 1870 for Thomas Giblet.  It was a meeting place for families in the district in the 1890s, including the Wheatley family.  Resident chef Peter and his wife Lynn invite you to join them for  a special  meal which showcases local produce.  As bookings are essential, remind us to book for you when you come and stay!

Experience the culinary tastes of local produce created by resident chef Peter.

Now the leaves are turning red and orange , the rain has finally started to fall and the trout are  moving again!  Time to consider a fly fishing trip down to Clover Cottage!  Paul has been growing trout through the summer months  for stocking both the home lakes at

Trout fingerling photographed September 2011

Clover Cottage and the beautiful Balbarrup fly fishing lake.

Keep a lookout the episode about  freshwater fishing at and around Clover Cottage on the TV series FISHING AUSTRALIA.  Should be showing on WIN and Channel 10 soon.

Inspecting the growing trout