Visit Bunbury Geographe is on a mission to find the best things about BunGeo, and we’ve enlisted some friends to help! First up – Ferguson Valley creative Tessa Eckersley, of Cabin Creative. I’m Tess, founder and director of the humble design and marketing studio Cabin Creative. After several years honing my craft as a graphic designer and photographer for agencies in Perth, moving back down south to my roots and creating Cabin Creative felt like the natural step in my life and career. And up here in my special home of Ferguson Valley, fresh inspiration seems to blow in on the afternoon breeze. Cabin Creative’s Tessa Eckersley Nice to meet you Tessa! As a creative, how has living in BunGeo influenced your business? I believe that the beautiful BunGeo region plays a crucial role in my ability to solve branding and marketing problems for local businesses and makes my studio just that little bit different. If I am ever lacking inspiration, all I need to do is turn to the Wellington Forest trails for some fresh air or down to Binningup for a surf. I can even just walk onto my verandah in Ferguson Valley and soak up the vista which stretches all the way down to Bunbury (I can literally see the tip of the milk carton from my studio!). What exactly do you do at Cabin Creative? When I’m not in the studio, you can find me with my camera shooting for local businesses in Bunbury, out and about recording weddings or even flying my drone around our beautiful ocean. At Cabin Creative, whether your project is big or small, one-off or end-to-end, we embrace your business and explore it from every perspective to extract what’s special about your brand to create vision solutions that set you off on the right path and connect with your tribe through simply beautiful, strategic design and marketing. So, Tessa, what are your top five favourite places in Bunbury Geographe? 1. Hackersley Estate I love Hackersley Estate because it is a completely charming, family-run, fine dining restaurant located right in my own backyard. Each time I go there I get a unique and authentic experience – from Adrie welcoming me with a wine tasting, to her husband Aaron creating insanely creative dishes that I compare to the style of Heston Blumenthal! It’s a great place for me to bring friends too, as they can meet the owners of the business and gain more understanding about the wine, food and business’s overall philosophy. I especially love going to Hackersley Estate in winter, because of it’s cosy ambience. You can easily spend an entire afternoon there drinking, eating, talking and enjoying the estate’s magnificent view. PLUS sometimes Adrie will serenade customers with live jazz… If you are lucky! Every facet of this place is special, making it more than a restaurant, but a hands-on, unique Ferguson Valley experience which you can’t find just anywhere. 2. Binningup I grew up in Harvey and the closest surf beach for us was always Binningup, so it is a nostalgic, happy place for me. I take my longboard out there some mornings and usually get the place to myself for a while, before everyone starts waking up. The sunrise here is beautiful on a clear day and you are surrounded by fairy floss skies as you paddle to the outer reef, where the water turns aqua and glassy. My partner shapes all of our surfboards, so I get to pick whatever colour or design I like (my inner designer cannot resist having control of the aesthetic of my surfboard!). Right now I am riding a 9”4 ft apricot-coloured longboard which matches perfectly with Binningup’s morning hues. After I finish my surf I always stop past Benesse in Australind for a coffee, before I head back to the Ferguson Valley to start my day of work. 3. Mount Lennard Mountain Biking Trails Anyone who follows my stories on Instagram will know that I love trail running! I Am so lucky that I live right next door to the Mt Lennard Mountain Bike Trails, which weave through beautiful state forest. If I have had a busy day and need to escape, I come out here and soak up some nature. The air is clear and you can hear the beautiful natural sounds of birds, Cicadas (or Tick Tocks as I call them!) and the crunch of gravel and leaves under your feet. I never wear headphones out here whilst running so that I can listen to these calming sounds and because a lot on mountain bikers are often on the trail and you need to be aware so that you can let them pass. The trails are extremely easy to navigate with little arrows everywhere. However, I do suggest taking a phone if you are planning on doing a long run as it can get a little confusing after about 13 kilometres in. You just need to look at your maps every now and then and you are good to go. Another great part about this trail is that it starts and ends at The Wild Bull Brewery, so you can end your run with a well-deserved beer and a hearty meal! 4. Cuprum Distillery Cuprum Distillery is new to Bunbury and I was lucky enough to recently be a part of a blind tasting to pick their signature gin! They are using native botanicals to create a unique, premium gin – the ’spirit of the South West’. The Cuprum Distillery building is unique as well – it has a grungy, old school whisky bar vibe to it, thanks to all of the copper and rustic finishes found around the place. Soon they will be selling their product (which I can’t wait for, seeing as I got a say in what it tastes like!) and will then be opening up for gin tastings, tours and workshops. I was never really interested in gin, however, this place is so intriguing and interesting that I am slowly being converted. The owners are lovely people who are happy to pass on as much knowledge as you like about their story, distilling process and products. 5. Corners on the Bay During the COVID-19 period, Corners on the Bay quickly got themselves online and created a takeaway menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This service was fantastic as I could pre-order my coffee and breakfast online, then simply swing by and pick it up. I am so glad they stayed open during this time and were able to offer this service as it made isolation life just that little bit better knowing I could still get my favourite takeaway brunch. Now that regulations are starting to relax, I can’t wait to sit down at the Bay again and enjoy my favourite ‘Corners Original Smash’ brunch with a coffee and a view overlooking Koombana Bay! Inspired? We hope Tessa’s favourite BunGeo places have given you some ideas for your next BunGeo adventure! For more inspiration, check out South West photographer Taj Kempe’s favourite places in BunGeo. Stay tuned for more insider faves from BunGeo local creatives that you can add to your travel bucket-list! BunGeo x