Heavenly Beverley : A Beautiful Day in Heavenly Beverley

Ladies and gentlemen, if you are not taking a day trip to Beverley today, make sure you get into your vehicle of choice and hotfoot it up to our fantastic little town as soon as possible.

The winter sunshine is magic. The rolling hills of the Avon Valley are a vivid green, a wonderful contrast to the chocolate of the soil. Lambs are galloping after their mums or lying in the sun or gambolling with each other. Come Monday and another winter storm will come through and hopefully make our local farmers very happy. And chase the rest of us indoors.

Yesterday, I met Julia (from Falcon) in the Gallery. She had decided, after one of her light fittings had fallen down during the last nasty weather episode, to pack up and push off away from the coast for some respite. Today, another couple (from Busselton) were en-route to Dongara, visited the Gallery, also heartily sick of the southwestern coastal blasts they'd experienced in the last few weeks.

What's there to do on a winter weekend in a small Wheatbelt town one hundred and thirty kilometres from the Big Smoke?

Winter remains a joyous time, with the first flush of the bright yellow canola crop. Fires are a communal activity, hearty soups warm our insides and the rise of the morning mist and fog are always spectacular sights. When we sit outside at night, the lack of light pollution brings a bright and clear star show that seems almost close enough to touch.

County Peak/ Mt Quajabin, a small extinct volcano has three hundred and sixty-degree breathtaking views from the top. And Yenyening Lakes, part of the vast Swan/Avon catchment, which changes from the blinding brilliance of salt pans to sparkling blue with the advent of enough rain. The Beverley Ski Club reforms in about five minutes every time the Lakes boast enough depth for water play.

We have the second biggest Gliding Club (by kilometres flown) in the world. The sight of these completely silent circling and cruising gleaming white aircraft with their sweeping wings is jaw-dropping. The Beverley Soaring Society promises a treat unlike any other for its participants.

Dead Finish Museum, our amusingly named former watering hole and teachers' accommodation (!) is run entirely by volunteers and opens on Sundays from 11am -3pm. There are plenty of displays to keep the young and old entertained plus a sneak peek through the floor into the cellar. The gardens are faithful to those earlier times in the Wheatbelt and maintained by the enthusiastic band who give this old building their hearts and souls.

Ferguson's Vintage Machinery is an absolute treasure trove on Hunt Road/Great Southern Highway. Barry and Kath Ferguson open their collection to the public most weekends or by appointment. Be warned - visitors have been known to being chiselled out against their will!

Avondale, the oldest farm in the area, now managed by the National Trust, is open to the public to enjoy one or two weekends a month. Tomorrow just happens to be on of the days Avondale is open! Go and meet Robbie and Comet, the resident Clydesdales, peek into the old homestead or lose hours in another machinery collection. Great place for a picnic. Just six kilometres out of Beverley on Waterhatch Road.

Back in town, both cafes and the pub will be doing a roaring trade for locals and visitors alike. The Station Gallery is home to the council's art collection and currently features an extraordinary Artist-in-Residence, Nada Murphy. Nada has been returning to Beverley regularly for the last few years and is a renowned West Australian artist. The restored Station and grounds are an absolute delight for a cuppa or a picnic.

And then there's us. Beverley started out as our sanctuary and has become our beloved home. Michael's restoration of the Forbes Building turned her from a decaying dump into a joyful and beautiful place. We even appear to have satisfied the resident ghost, who Michael believes was a young girl. During the renovation of his workshop, she would move his tools as a prank. He would then find the missing item a day or so later exactly where he'd left it. We think she realised that we meant her building no harm - if fact we were saving the Forbes Building. After that time, she left us, satisfied that she longer needed to protect the building that had become ours.

The East End Gallery exudes colour and passion and belief. I still pinch myself that we have created such a glorious and welcoming space. We meet people from all over the world. We have an eclectic collection of artists and artisans. Primarily, we promote and support Wheatbelt artists but we also enjoy the patronage of some fabulous artists from outside these areas.

Today, we had one of those unexpected encounters that make me thrilled to be alive. Jos and Hilly, artists from Mandurah, along with their daughter Elza (also an artist) joined us in the Gallery. Elza and her husband Caspar had made an appointment to view land at Kokeby and Mum and Dad had come along for the ride. We exchanged details, formed a mutual admiration society and chatted amiably for quite some time. Soon afterwards, Jos set up his easel "Plein Air" just outside the East End Gallery and began a "shorthand" study of the Bank House. I think artists may have difficulty enabling such an impromptu performance in some other towns.

Wow. Just wow.

So what are you waiting for? Come on out here and see us. Have a beautiful day in Heavenly Beverley!