Tourism heats up in Harvey and Waroona

Perth residents have scurried to the South West to escape for the school holidays, with some tourism hotspots in the region reporting a 130 per cent increase in visitors compared to the July school holidays. WA dairy icon Harvey Cheese was flooded with thousands of tourists just days into the school holidays. Cheesemaker Robert St Duke said his South Western Highway hub in Wokalup had seen visitors skyrocket by about 130 per cent. “We are getting bus load after bus load and we just can’t keep up,” Mr St Duke said. “They want handmade cheese, ice creams and pictures with the camels.” He said a lot of families were stopping through on their way down south, with some even snubbing Forrest Highway to checkout the inland towns. He also said many people from overseas who were stuck in Australia were visiting the South West. “We have had a lot of Singaporean nationals who said they would usually go back home during this period to visit their families, but can’t fly out so are travelling WA instead,” he said. The success comes after Harvey Cheese donated half a tonne of cheese to people in need back in April when COVID-19 regional borders blocked any tourists from reaching the cheese factory. Another Harvey icon — the giant Harvey orange — reopened again last Thursday. The tall-standing citrus lookout underwent a refurbishment during the COVID-19 lockdown and is expected to attract visitors from far and wide. Waroona has also benefited from the school holiday rush. Accommodation provider Lake Navarino reported a 30 per cent rise in bookings from the last school holidays. Families from Perth opted to choose the scenic location by the Waroona Dam to relax and unwind. However, lakeside camping remains closed after a string of bad behaviour at the facility the weekend after COVID-19 border restrictions were lifted. While inland towns along South Western Highway have seen a rise in visitors, the coastal towns along Forrest Highway have remained unchanged compared to the July school holidays. Seaside resort Footprints in Preston Beach and popular cafe Crooked Carrot in Myalup both reported the same influx of tourists as July.