Spotlight on Toodyay

It doesn’t matter what time of year you drive into Toodyay, you’ll soon notice it’s Christmas. Arrive after dark and the sparkling lights of Christmas 360 will be giving the high street a jolly, festive air — even if it’s still nowhere near the big day (Christmas 360 closes on Christmas Eve and re-opens in April). This warehouse-sized store contains around 52,000 yuletide items from tiny baubles to towering trees.

People come from all over Australia to get lost in the aisles, with some Christmas-aholics apparently making several trips a year to stock up. Popular items include Christmas jumpers and a dedicated ‘Australiana’ range of decorations. How long you’re happy to browse may depend on your tolerance for the constantly-piped Christmas carols, but only the most stubborn Grinch would deny the place has a certain magic.

As it happens, Christmas isn’t Toodyay’s only surprising obsession. Just down the high street is The Cola Café and Museum, a 1950s American-style diner where you can enjoy browsing an extraordinary collection of Coca-Cola memorabilia. The museum is the passion project of local man Brian Dawes’s lifelong obsession with the world’s favourite soft drink, featuring everything from antique bottles to 1980s yo-yos and sponsored sporting memorabilia. As such, it’s a collection that works on a number of levels. There’s the story of Coke itself, the story of the obsessive Brian and also a social history of Australian life over the past century or so.

Brian no longer owns the café, but the museum continues to grow thanks to donations from around the globe. Visitors of any age are likely to get nostalgic over relics from their own childhoods while enjoying old school hot dogs and the soda fountain.

Toodyay’s third — and maybe most impressive — passion project is the Toodyay Miniature Railway. Built in 1996, the railway is the work of local hobby club members, many of whom built the terrific tiny trains that draw passengers on a 1.1km stretch of bushland track beside the Avon River.

There are miniature steam engines, diesel engines and even a replica of the Avon Link passenger service that runs along the full-sized track a couple of hundred metres to the west (the replica has been dubbed the “Avon Blink” in tribute). The club responsible has around 10 members who volunteer their time to keep the wheels turning and, as you’d expect, it isn’t difficult to get them talking about their love of trains. (At least one of them has built his own miniature railway in his garden.) The railway runs the first and third Sunday of each month, but expect long lines of train enthusiasts of every shape and size.

Dining options and more

If you’re after a more traditional start to your day, it’s hard to go past the Toodyay Bakery. This local institution tends to be bustling at breakfast and lunch, but there’s plenty of room upstairs — and out on the balcony — as well as out the front. The bakery has won countless awards for its gourmet pies, sausage rolls and crusty breads, with current customer favourites including the hot pink vanilla slide, beef brisket and jalapeño pie (for the adventurous breakfaster), and their white sourdough. One of their apprentice bakers recently won the prestigious 2025 Excellence in Baking Official National Apprentice Baker of the Year.

Simpler fare is available a short drive away at Dolly Foxgloves, the self-proclaimed “cutest café in town”. It’s a modest little place offering jaffles, sweet treats and barista coffee as well as a tidy selection of local crafts, gifts and vintage clothing. There are some gluten-free options available and the relaxed vibe makes it a good spot to catch up on some reading and emails or even chat to some of the locals dropping by for a caffeine fix.

Looking for something stronger? Roam Distillery is a bit further away from the main strip, but the cellar door is worth checking out. The food selection is crafted from produce from their organic biodynamic farm, but the main reason to come is to sample their organic gin, vodka and limoncello. It’s the last tipple that seems to have everyone excited, available in both “creamy” and “traditional” flavours. Bear in mind that the cellar door closes for winter, so plan to visit in spring and beyond. And of course, make sure you have a designated skipper.

Coorinja Winery is one of the oldest wineries in the state and continues to bring the crowds to its cellar door. The cellar itself is a stunning heritage brick building, while the wines and port come highly recommended. Getting in isn’t quite as easy as it used to be — the winery is only open Fridays and Saturdays, but owner Michael Wood (his family have been growing grapes in the region for more than a hundred years) can open up by appointment.

Family fun

Sandalwood Downs is a much newer attraction, offering family-friendly farm visits and accommodation on 100 acres near Toodyay. Kids will enjoy mingling with a menagerie of free-range fauna including alpacas, peacocks, camels, emus, pigs, lambs, dogs, cattle, kangaroos, goats, a dear called Rudolph (one for the Christmas fans there) and all kinds of birds including a colourful macaw.

Most of the animals have been rescued and now happily roam though vast paddocks. Families can stay in the farm house at the heart of the property (it comes with a jacuzzi) or camp at one of 12 sites (caravans are also welcome). If you’re just coming for the day, book ahead as tour numbers are kept small so as not to overwhelm the animals and to ensure a happy and immersive experience for all.

Older kids might prefer Hoddywell Archery, which allows wannabe Robin Hoods to practice their aim across two trails that weave through 50 acres of natural bushland. Proprietor Ernie started the place around half a century ago, building the shop and office himself out of local timber.

It remains Australia’s first and only dedicated public archery park. Ernie will equip you with a bow and some sage advice — such as “don’t do it like they do on telly”— before setting you free to try your luck on a range of targets. There is a caravan park available for short stay accommodation, but at the moment this is only for adults (no kids) with self-contained caravans.

Local history

If it’s local characters you’re after, there’s no getting away from Moondyne Joe — famous convict, bushranger and prison escapee. His likeness pops up all over town, but most notably at the Newcastle Gaol Museum. Across the road from the old police stables, the 1865 stone-and-mortar construction was built after Joe escaped one too many times from the Toodyay lock up. You can find out more about his story in the cells, each of which is themed around different aspects of the gaol’s past. The braver visitor can also experience (for a very short stint) what it would have been like to have been locked inside one of the windowless cells.

Back on the high street, one of the town’s other iconic buildings - Connor’s Mill Museum - is still in working order and offers demonstrations of traditional milling practices. Built by local businessman Daniel Connor in 1870, it was a steam-powered flour mill until 1920, when it was repurposed as a powerhouse.

One of the other standout examples of high street architecture — the former post office — celebrates a mix of traditional and contemporary crafts. Uniquely Toodyay is packed with pottery, soaps, jams, pickles and all sorts of other treats from local artisans. It’s the ideal venue to pick up a souvenir or two before you start the 90-minute drive back to Perth.

Before you do depart, take one last, good look at the town from Pelham Reserve. Just 500m from the town centre, the lookout has a vista north-west over Toodyay. If you’re tempted to linger, there are five different walking trails with sites including a rifle range, WWII bunkers, a reservoir and a memorial garden. There are also signs sharing stories of the area’s Nyoongar people.

If you’re here in Spring you’ll be able to spot wildflowers but almost any night of the year (cloud allowing), it’s a haven for stargazers. On a clear night, you might even be able to see those Christmas lights twinkling down on the high street.