Donnelly River Village

Description

Donnelly River Village is an old mill town established by the Bunnings Brothers in 1948. When it closed in 1978, it became a popular holiday destination and many of our guests have been holidaying in Donnelly for the past 30 years.

Most famous for its friendly wildlife that roams the village, Donnelly provides a rare and delightful experience for international visitors and locals alike, handing feeding kangaroos, emus and ring-necked parrots as they congregate at the general store and around the cottages. At night, lay apples along the verandah to attract possums and if you are quiet, you may even see a quokka. Kookaburras and magpies abound and every evening just on dusk, black cockatoos return to their roosts in the central park area.

In the centre of the village is the school, which now houses two bunk rooms, a kitchen and bathroom, a games room and an exceptional museum that tells the history of the village. Running behind the school and through the centre of the park is the very popular Flying Fox and is available for hire.

The Village butchers’ shop is now a TV room which has satellite TV and a DVD player. Part of the Donnelly tradition is the daily 5 pm screening of a movie for the kids during holidays and every Saturday evening. There is also an open pool table to enjoy.

But wait, there’s more – Donnelly has an oval, basketball, tennis and volleyball court and sports equipment can be borrowed from the store. There are also bikes available for use.

In Summer, kids can enjoy the swimming lake set a few 100m from the village. There are kayaks to play with and a sandy beach offers a graduated and safe entry into the lake. In Winter, the focus of your stay may well be the outside fire pits located behind most of the cottages. Toasting marshmallows, singing with a lone guitar or watching the night sky and the nocturnal visitors are all great ways to destress and unwind.

Donnelly is the intersection for the Bibbulmun and the Munda Biddi and as such, offers well-graded walking and cycling trails out from the village. Transportation can be organised to take you out along the track and you can walk back at your leisure over hours or days.

The Village hub is the general store which sells supplies to guests and track users alike. Well stocked with groceries and the ubiquitous lollies, the store is warm and welcoming and houses a very fine café which serves excellent coffee and homemade cakes, soups, stews and more to satisfy the peckish visitor. The Donnelly carrot cake is a local favourite drawing a regular crowd from surrounding towns and the lasagne is the talk of the walkers as they make their way to this oasis in the forest.

Donnelly River Village is not Pet Friendly. Unfortunately, due to the wildife on our site and our cottages we cannot accept any pets. Service dogs are excluded if prior warning is given.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

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