Ultimate Avon Valley family weekender 

Stock up on lollies for the road at the charmingly rustic Penny Farthing Sweets before heading north. In just 25 minutes you’ll reach Northam, Western Australia’s largest inland town. Its central location, plentiful accommodation and dining options, and lots to see and do, make Northam the ideal base for exploring the Avon Valley.

Northam is also the gateway to the Western Australian Wheatbelt, where in 2015, a row of eight grain silos on the edge of town became the canvas for Australia’s first silo mural. It began a movement that spread across the Wheatbelt, with the PUBLIC Silo Trail now ending in Albany.

If you would like to explore the area by water, the Avon River flows through Northam and offers canoeing and white-water rafting, as well as wildlife like white swans.

Northam contains 185 heritage-listed buildings, some dating back to the pioneer era of the 1830s. One of these, the historic town pub, has been transformed into the Farmers’ Home Hotel, an upmarket wine bar, café, and luxury hotel, all wrapped in a heritage frontage meticulously restored to its original 1866 glory. Stop for a drink at the cheekily named Temperance Bar or take a break at the café, which backs onto the Avon River.

Just down the road at the Bilya Koort Boodja Centre, you can also explore the rich, ancient culture of the local Nyoongar people. State-of-the-art interactive and interpretive exhibitions immerse you in the Aboriginal experience pre- and post-European settlement, and have been developed in consultation with the land’s traditional custodians.

Stay: Many charming historic cottages in and around Northam have been given new life as stylish holiday rentals, including Salty Cottage, which has ample space for the whole family. Or if you have longer, break up your trip and soak up history with a night in York’s most majestic – and eccentric – B&B, the historic Faversham House. A grand nine-bedroom estate that dates back to the town’s earliest days, Faversham regularly hosts weddings, parties and even murder mystery dinners.

Head north and in an hour you’ll reach Australia’s only monastic town; New Norcia was established in 1847 by Spanish Benedictine monk Bishop Rosendo Salvado. Today, Benedictine monks still live in the town and pray together seven times a day. New Norcia is full of Spanish-inspired architecture, including the monastery, where you can join the monks in prayer, or sample some of their artisanal baked treats.

When you’re ready to head back to Perth, jump on the Great Northern Highway heading south. Be sure to stop at Bindoon Bakehaus & Cafe for a Banoffee Éclair, made famous by Prince Harry during his 2015 visit.

At Bullsbrook, just 45 minutes north of Perth, make a pitstop to reward the kids at Perth’s Outback Splash, featuring high-speed water slides, giant mazes, mini-golf and an animal park.