Nanga Brook Road
26 km
distance
24 min
Contour time
4.7
avg score
Sealed
surface
Scenery
Western Australia
Nanga Brook Road runs through Dwellingup area jarrah forest in the Peel region, 100 km south of Perth. Dwellingup was...
Road quality
4.7 RQS
Every segment scored on 40+ data signals.
Accessibility
Fully sealed
Best in Sports car. Peak season: Year-round.
7-day forecast
Good paved surface through Dwellingup jarrah forest with consistent corners and very light traffic. Sports car or motorbike are right for this road. The WA jarrah forest has a different character to eastern Australian eucalypt - denser, more uniform canopy with good shade.
Scored 4.7/10 by Contour's road quality algorithm across curviness, surface, elevation and traffic. Best suited for sports car drivers.
The road
Nanga Brook Road is one of the best driving roads within two hours of Perth and almost nobody outside the Dwellingup locals knows about it. The 26-kilometre sealed run threads through the heart of the Peel region jarrah forest on a road that was originally built for timber haulage and now carries almost no traffic at all. The jarrah forest here is different to eastern Australian eucalypt country. The canopy is denser and more uniform, creating a consistent shade tunnel that makes the road feel enclosed even on bright days. Jarrah is a slower-growing hardwood than most eucalypts and the trees along this road are mature enough to have developed the characteristic rough grey bark that distinguishes old-growth from regrowth. Dwellingup itself was rebuilt after the devastating 1961 bushfire that destroyed most of the town. The rebuilt town sits in the middle of Lane-Poole Reserve, which protects the Murray River system and surrounding jarrah forest. The Murray River swimming holes accessible from this route are some of the best freshwater swimming within reach of Perth. The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway runs genuine wood-fired steam trains through the jarrah from Dwellingup on select weekends - the kind of thing that sounds like a tourist trap but is actually excellent.
Nanga Brook Road is one of the best driving roads within two hours of Perth and almost nobody outside the Dwellingup locals knows about it.
Why this road
The region
Nanga Brook Road runs through Dwellingup area jarrah forest in the Peel region, 100 km south of Perth. Dwellingup was largely destroyed in the 1961 Dwellingup bushfire - the town was rebuilt and the forest has recovered. The Lane-Poole Reserve surrounding the town protects a large area of jarrah forest and the Murray River system.
Before you go
Fuel in Dwellingup. Road is sealed and open year-round. Very light traffic. Good surface throughout. The Lane-Poole Reserve camping areas are accessible from this route. Dwellingup is the base for the Munda Biddi Trail (cycling) and several walking tracks.
See a routing error?
Flag itWorth stopping for
Lane-Poole Reserve
The Murray River swimming holes within the reserve - some of the best freshwater swimming in the Perth hills.
Dwellingup Heritage Trail
Steam train rides on the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway run from Dwellingup on select weekends - a genuine wood-fired steam locomotive through the jarrah.
Route
Start
Dwellingup
End
Nanga Brook
Gallery
More roads like this
