Stories Along The Edge: The Easy Rider

When you explore The South West Edge road trip, you’ll meet all sorts of local characters who will give you a glimpse into their world. Immerse yourself in their stories along the edge.

Louise Stokes moved her family to Nannup nineteen years ago from Cowaramup on the back of a single street. “We actually moved there for a little cottage we saw on Golgully Road and we thought, imagine living there, that would be awesome,” Louise recalls. The cottage wasn’t for sale, but the family found Holberry House and settled into a life with environmental beauty and community at its centre.

Acceptance is the defining characteristic of the Nannup township, as described by Louise. A place where the outgoing will be put to good use, and quieter types will be left to enjoy the tranquility of their own space. Louise herself definitely falls into the category of the former: as well as being a face for visitors as the owner operator of Holberry House accommodation, she has also spent many years working in community and tourism services.

“There are so many amazing single tracks out there, gravel tracks, that we just head out in the morning and follow a road and see where it takes us. You see some of the most incredible scenery. The trees. The old growth forest. And the bird life. There’re always black cockatoos following you. We had Noel Nannup here once, an Indigenous elder, and he explained that this place traditionally has a really good balance, and the ability to reconnect people quickly back down to the ground. Just beautiful open space, clean air, and a place where we can all reconnect back to nature.” - Louise Stokes, owner/operator of Holberry House in Nannup.

This means a walk down the single main street with Louise takes a little while. All of the greetings.

The longevity of residence also makes her uniquely positioned to provide nuanced perspective on Nannup’s regional character.

“If you really wanted to make money and that was your sole purpose in life you probably wouldn’t be living here,” Louise is succinct. “People are here for the lifestyle, for the sense of community, and just to take a step back – to be able to just go for a walk.”

Or a ride.

Louise is out on her mountain bike three times a week, hitting the trails that run off the Munda Biddi cycling route – a kind of arterial track that stretches for 1000 kilometres from Mundaring in the north, to Albany in the south. Her kids were the impetus that sparked her cycling interest, years ago. They’ve since left home but she’s still out there.

“It’s just beautiful,” Louise smiles. “There are so many amazing single tracks out there, gravel tracks, that we just head out in the morning and follow a road and see where it takes us. You see some of the most incredible scenery. The trees. The old growth forest. And the bird life. There’re always black cockatoos following you.”

Mountain biking has come to mean economic growth to a town previously reliant on logging. That’s still there, too, but growth into new areas promotes new ways of expansion for business and tourism within the community.

It means a lot to Louise to see avenues for long-term development and survival of her beloved Nannup community: “We had Noel Nannup here once, an Indigenous elder, and he explained that this place traditionally has a really good balance, and the ability to reconnect people quickly back down to the ground,” Louise tells. “Just beautiful open space, clean air, and a place where we can all reconnect back to nature.”