Mushrooms, magic and medieval mayhem: Welcome to Balingup

Follow Myke Bartlett as he explores Balingup

Driving into Balingup can feel like a voyage into another world. During August, the small town is overrun by vast crowds in period costume for the Medieval Carnivale, and throughout the year, the high street is frequently invaded by a colourful — and slightly spooky — army of scarecrows.

This is a town with character and characters

Once a dairy community, Balingup has become home to an idiosyncratic mix of artists, academics, and artisans (and an old hippy or two). The story is that Balingup has the highest number of PhDs per capita of any Australian town.

You can get a taste of this heady brew over breakfast at The Mushroom at No.61 Café — the name a nod to the area’s reputation for delicious fungi (the perfectly fried mushrooms on offer make a delicious start to the day). Among the staff you’ll sometimes find a TAFE lecturer, industrial chemist, and former bank manager.

The high street has an appealing blend of the artistic and the enterprising. The Village Pedlars is the longest-running business in town and, appropriately, feels the most old school. Selling handmade goods alongside fresh produce and secondhand books, it has the appealing air of a farmer’s market squeezed into a small shopfront.

Leaning away from the rustic towards the alternative

Tinderbox specialises in all things natural, from spice mixes to essential oils. This Balingup institution is a beautifully curated space, with the medieval-tinged wooden interior promising a sprinkling of magic alongside the spice.

This mix of the fresh and fantastical culminates across the road at The Packing Shed. This cultural precinct squeezes in Mr Fosters Café, the Balingup Visitor Centre, a pharmacy, and Wylding — the latter a shop where you’re as likely to find protein powder or gluten-free snacks as you are spell books or a broadsword.

Until recently, the Shed has also been home to the Balingup Fruit Winery, which uses local crops to ferment a colourful and surprising range of fortified wines (including a rhubarb and lime “port” ideal for warmer evenings).

Night markets with local produce and entertainment take place at the Shed on the first Friday of every month. The new owner is in the process of renovating to include an interactive museum and expanded gallery, in the hope of embedding the place as the town’s arty heart.

For a small town, there are a surprising number of art galleries

One of the newest is the Balingup Art Gallery, located beside an appealing antiques store and run by a diverse range of local artists. Offering prints and postcards as well as original paintings, it’s a good spot to find a meaningful memento for your wall at home.

High-end mementos are also available from local goldsmiths Gallery 18. Over the past 30 years, the gallery has built an international reputation for custom pieces that seek to capture the story and character of the wearer. Unsurprisingly, the jewellers have become a nexus for the stories of many of the locals — generations of whom have come through the door at those significant moments when a ring might come in handy.

Dave at The Old Cheese Factory is a full bottle on local history

Just don’t ask him to sell you any cheese. There’s been no dairy at the site since 1977, but you’ll find pretty much everything else. Handmade goods, works by local artists, imported antiques, souvenirs, handcrafts and a labyrinth of secondhand books that puts most libraries to shame.

It’s not all about the arts and crafts, of course

The countryside around Balingup is stunning, particularly in the cooler months. Nearby Golden Valley Tree Park is the largest arboretum in the Southern Hemisphere and features an international and Australian collection of trees, some great walks, picturesque picnic spots, and a heritage homestead.

Come the night, there’s not a lot going on in town, but there’s plenty happening above it. Balingup Heights offers short stay accommodation atop a nearby hill and is a great place to go stargazing, with a number of lookouts perfectly positioned to look up and out across this unique small town.