10 cracking country pubs to pop into on your next WA road trip

There’s something about an ice cold pint of beer that just goes down a little sweeter when you drink it in a character-filled country pub in Western Australia’s beautiful big backyard. As you can imagine, we’re not short on excellent pubs across our vast lands, and below you’ll find 10 fair dinkum drinking holes worth pulling into on your next out-of-town trip:

Treendale Farm Hotel, Australind

It’s hard not to start this list with Treendale Farm Hotel after it just recently won Best Regional Venue in Australia at the National Hospitality Awards, along with three other WA Hospitality Awards. And after one visit into this southwest gem you’ll understand why! Just five minutes off Forest Highway and about 15 minutes before you get into Bunbury, it’s the perfect spot for a lunch break on your way south. There’s a huge beer garden, sports bar, restaurant and a heap of kids play areas to help ‘em burn off a little bit of energy before the next leg of your trip.

The Rose Hotel, Bunbury

A little further down the road you’ll find one of the region’s most iconic heritage pubs, The Rose Hotel in Bunbury. Built way back in 1865, it’s been a feature of the southwest city ever since – a reputation that was only further enhanced when the current owners took over in 2015 and commissioned some fantastic restorations. They want to preserve the Rose for future generations in Bunbury and have a million-dollar heritage restoration project in partnership with the Heritage Council of Western Australia planned to start this year. It’s much more than just a fantastic-lookin’ pub though – it’s got a delicious family-friendly restaurant, great meal deals most nights of the week, cosy motel accommodation, sports bar and bottleshop. It also gets nice and rowdy on the weekends (in the fun, kids dancing to DJs and bands kinda way).

Beerfarm, Metricup

If you love your beers frothy and your faces friendly, a pop-in to Beerfarm should be high on the list. An independently-owned Aussie brewery, their focus on sustainability and working with the land is only matched by their emphasis on good times and great beer. They sling some serious eats too, and there’s always something going on for people of all ages across their expansive venue. Having been closed for renos the past few weeks, they’ve just opened back up at the start of this month!

Caves House, Yallingup

Caves House is basically the super club of the south (minus the tack), featuring four main rooms, a terrace, billiards room, long bar and the popular outdoor deck. One of the biggest and best beer gardens in the southwest, Caves plays host to some great live music on the weekends, runs a rad little outdoor cinema during summer and is a great option for accommodation down south too (just make sure you book well ahead).

Settlers Tavern, Margaret River

Settlers Tavern is the perfect pub; the food is wholesome, the staff are friendly, and the vibe is second to none. But what this Tav is most renowned for is being the quintessential live music venue of the southwest – band posters and fanbase paraphernalia adorn the walls like a trophy cabinet of good times gone by. Throw in the occasional comedy night and food and drink specials, and it’s easy to see why Settlers Tav has been such a fixture of the region for so long.

The Exchange Hotel, Kalgoorlie

Kalgoorlie’s main street is literally lined with epic heritage pubs, and The Exchange may just be the cream of the character-filled crop. If you’re looking for an authentic Kalgoorlie experience, The Exchange has you covered with saddle bar stools, memorabilia-covered walls, rollicking cover bands on the weekends and of course, skimpies. Chasing something a little more chill? Paddy’s Eat & Drink is their family-friendly restaurant next door serving up big meals and ice-cold cocktails on the alfresco where you can enjoy a bit of people watching with your dinner.

The Roey, Broome

The Roey is Broome’s longest standing hospitality establishment and may just be the centre of partying in the northwest tourism hotspot. There’s the relaxed front bar filled with locals, casual bistro Pearlers, sports bar and of course their huge outdoor music venue, Oasis. The latter fills up on the weekends when visiting DJs throw down party jams all night, along with Thursday’s infamous Wet T-Shirt comps.

Matso’s Brewery, Broome

Australia’s most remote brewery! With outside seating in the courtyard and verandah offering fantastic views over Roebuck Bay, one of the best things to do at Matso’s Broome home base is grab a tasting paddle board and sample some of the range, including mango, chilli and ginger beers. You can also go on a tour of the brewery and have a decent boogie when it gets a bit busier on the weekends. Sure you may enjoy Matso’s at home, but nothing quite beats an ice cold one in the warm Broome sun on a Sunday arvo.

Whalebone Brewing Co, Exmouth

One of two great breweries in Exmouth (a town somehow big enough for the both of ‘em!) Whalebone is run by two local families and you feel that warm vibe at every step of the way. From the refreshing, laid back style of the ales on offer to the yummy pizzas and great kids play area on site, it’s a popular spot for a good reason. Even better news if you’re headed up that way soon, Whalebone has just reopened following six weeks of renovations!

Parkerville Tavern, Perth Hills

Finally we’ve got one that’s a little closer to home… The Parkerville Tavern is a two-storey federation-style pub right in the thick of the action in the hills, and as such you’ll find it buzzing on the weekends with visitors and locals alike. There’s a huge beer garden with a playground for the kids, so it’s pretty popular with the daytrippers during the day before getting a bit rowdier later with live music on Friday and Saturday nights.

Header Image: Exchange Hotel

–

This article is sponsored by LocalsCo. and endorsed by us. Please see our Editorial Policy for more info.