In November, Chef, Little Chef and I had a family break in the charming Great Southern town of Denmark, enjoying a farmstay. We’d been kindly invited by Warren and Leonie from Misty Valley Country Cottages and absolutely jumped at the chance to discover the area. We didn’t know an awful lot about the Great Southern region and have previously stuck to Margaret River simply because it is a little bit closer to Perth. Well, now we’ve been telling everyone that they must take a trip down to Denmark! It’s a wonderful spot and worth every second of the 4 and a half hour trip from Perth.
Misty Valley is about 10 minutes drive out from the centre of Denmark on a windy road that is flanked by tall trees and many winery cellar doors. As soon as we drove up the gravel road and arrived at the little farm, something inside of me relaxed. The setting is stunning, surrounded by rolling hills and lush paddocks. When we opened our car door, Lucy the Golden Labrador, was happily waiting to greet us. This really delighted us as we’re all big dog lovers and still miss our own Golden Labrador fur baby, Bailey, who passed away last year.
Soon after Lucy, we were also warmly greeted by Warren, our host. Warren is a really lovely man and he made us feel welcome at his farm. He was full of great ideas for places to visit and dining out as a family. He suggested that we try Boston Brewery for our dinner that night. Warren told us that his hens had been very busy and we bought some freshly laid eggs from him, for our breakfasts. Warren’s wife Leonie, had also baked us some double choc muffins to welcome us, which were still hot out of the oven and oh so gooey! It’s safe to say that they didn’t last long!
We stayed in the “Lake Mist” cottage, which is one of two cottages on the farm. It’s secluded, in the middle of the bush, you can just make out the neighbouring cottage through the trees. It was very spacious for the three of us.
There’s the main open plan living area, which comprises of the kitchen, dining room and family area. The kitchen has “all the mod cons” with a large fridge, microwave, toaster and kettle. The cupboards and draws are well equipped with cutlery and cooking utensils. We were provided with tea and coffee essentials, as well as hot chocolate and a packet of lollies and chocolates – a lovely touch.
The family room has plenty of space to lounge around and watch TV. There’s a DVD player and CD player too, as well as a selection of books, jigsaws and games.
We mostly ate out, but when we did eat in, we had all the basic equipment we needed to cook up a storm. The dining table seats 6. Outside, there’s a balcony with table and BBQ off the family room, a lovely place to sit with a book, overlooking the Misty Lake and bushland.
The bedrooms are clean and comfortable. There’s space for up to 8 people, with a queen sized bed in the main, another queen bed in bedroom two and in bedroom three there are two bunk beds. Two families can comfortably stay in the cottage, or you could take along the grandparents.
The bathroom is also clean and has with a shower and vanity. The bathroom doubles as a laundry and you’ll also find a laundry trough, top loader washing machine, ironing board and iron in there too, which would be essential for an extended stay. Also outside is a little swing set, made from tyres, which Little Chef loved. There’s also a few climbable trees and so much space to run around and explore. LC took his bike along and he was soon tearing along the long gravel driveway.
Our first night was a little chilly and we enjoyed relaxing by the wood fire. It warmed up the entire cottage and made us feel very cosy. There is an air conditioning unit too, for the warmer months.
Each morning we took the short stroll through the bush to the farm. We were greeted by Warren and Lucy the dog and LC had lots of fun helping with the morning’s chores around the farm. Each day was different. He got to feed the chooks and collecting the eggs.
Warren showed LC how to feed the horses and ponies and groom them too. LC was so excited to have his very first horse ride on one of the little ponies, Mystique and Zantiki. Warren led him around the farmyard and the pony was very calm and placid.
On the second morning at the farm we helped feed the horses and chickens again and we also fed the cheeky goats. We’d see them lining up at the gate, all in a row, waiting for their nosh. They’re very greedy!
Another highlight for LC was a fun ride on the quad bike. Chef got to take him for a spin around on the farm’s tracks and they had an absolute blast!
Lucy did a good job trying to tire out Little Chef. She’s obsessed with sticks and tennis balls, so LC literally had a ball playing with her and chasing her about. She has a lovely nature and is very good with kids.
On our final morning at Misty Valley Warren herded his friendly cow Holly into the milking shed and showed LC how to milk a cow. It was really interesting and he loved the experience. Chef even had a go too and we got to take the fresh milk home with us in a big bottle, as well as more freshly laid eggs.
We were all very sad to leave Misty Valley. We’ve absolutely fallen in love with the Great Southern region of Western Australia. With so much to see and do in the Denmark area, a 5 night stay would be recommended, if not longer. Our three night stay was just a taster of what we could expect on future trips to the Great Southern. We’d absolutely stay at Misty Valley again. It was charming, comfortable and what really made the stay for us was Warren and Leonie’s wonderful hospitality.
And what did we get up to in Denmark and the Great Southern region of WA? Stay tuned for more foodie adventures on our trip very soon!
Misty Valley Country Cottages, 52 Hovea Road, Scotsdale, Denmark WA 6333
More info at… www.mistyvalley.com.au
** We stayed as guests of Misty Valley Country Cottages. All opinions are my own. **