Get up close and personal with local people and produce while learning new skills.
Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean you should look the other way when the creative muse calls.
Whether you want to try your hand at a workshop for perfumery, pottery, photography or even cheese making, this is your chance to get up close and personal with local people and produce while learning something new and exciting. You might even take home a work of art!
Take a look at our collection of places to learn new skills.
Vasse Virgin creates natural hand-made skin care developed to suit all skin types. They craft skin and body care using Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil and only the finest quality natural ingredients, to produce luxurious products that your body will savour. This makes them the perfect place to learn how to make beautiful, all-natural skincare products, with workshops held in their purpose-built classroom.
Join in with a quick and easy workshop to learn how simple it is to craft your own natural beeswax lip balms. Using organic honey, shea butter, creamy beeswax and other organic ingredients, you can opt to keep the mixture au natural or choose a flavour from their range of essential oils. Why not try aniseed, orange or lavender? Lip Balm classes run for approximately 45 minutes.
Learn from highly trained staff the secret art of perfumery as they help you to create your very own fragrance, using pure essential oils. In this 2 hour class you’ll discover how to craft a personalised aroma using separate top, middle, and base notes.
Bookings for workshops are essential.
Ever wanted to have a go at using a pottery wheel? Artists in residence at Happs Pottery, Finn and Harry, will take you through a 90 minute class covering the basics of making plates, bowls and cups. After talking through techniques and the processes involved they will leave you to get messy. And what do you go home with? A handmade work of art (and clay on your elbow).
Booking are essential, this is a great wholesome activity for anyone keen to unleash their creative side.
Seeking the ultimate photographic and visual story-telling experience? This is your chance to be mentored by Russell Ord – an internationally acclaimed, and one of the world’s leading, surf photographers.
The Photographic Adventure Experience is an all-inclusive workshop exploring the pristine coastline and natural phenomena of the Margaret River Region.
Head on an off-road adventure in a fully equipped Landrover Defence. All camera equipment is provided with plenty of photoshoot opportunities along the way.
Workshops are kept small and tailored to individual needs, meaning more one on one time with a pro to perfect your skills. Bookings on application.
One of the great pleasures of wandering from winery to winery is anticipating a glass of the good stuff with a slice or two of cheese once you’re back home. How about, then, making your own cheese right in the heart of Yallingup?
Alana Langworthy, cheesemaker at Yallingup Cheese Company, runs popular workshops, teaching visitors all manner of technique. Classes run for two to three hours depending on the cheese being made.
“On arrival, participants are given a brief lesson about cheese production basics and hygiene,” says Alana. “They are then let loose in the commercial cheesery where they get hands on making cheese to take home that day.” Classes are interactive and include all equipment, ingredients, tuition plus a cheese and wine tasting.
“We make fresh curd and white mould-ripened cheeses using locally-sourced organic Jersey milk,” says Alana. So think camembert, mozzarella, brie, vache curd and mascarpone and feta. In fact it’s the organic Jersey milk which makes the cheese so superior. “We are supplied by a single herd in Jindong and their milk quality is second to none,” she says. “As our cheeses are small batch, you really can see the variations in the milk across the seasons.”
Being a cheesemaker has its perks, says Alana, not least of which is being able to conjure up the most delicious, natural cheese whenever she chooses. It’s one of the oldest artisan pursuits in the world, and Alana completed practical and written studies in cheese manufacturing here and in France before opening up her fromagerie last year as an adjunct to small wine producer of the year, Windows Estate.
“I have been in training for nearly 10 years and there is always something new to learn,” she says. If you’re stuck for inspiration about how to enjoy your newly crafted cheese, Alana has a few suggestions. “I love the pairing of Windows Estate bubbles with our camembert.”
“The c02 in the wine really cuts through the richness of the camembert paste. I have also been known to devour a whole St Julian with a bottle of Deep Woods Shiraz Et Al.” No surprise there – Alana’s husband is the head winemaker at Deep Woods.
As our cheeses are small batch, you really can see the variations in the milk across the seasons