Finding Stories Where You Least Expect Them: Northcliffe, WA

Image: The Wonderful Northcliffe Pioneer Museum (Source: Southern Forests)

Some of the best stories come from the least likely places. They’re tucked into small towns, hidden along quiet trails, just waiting for someone to notice. On my trek along the iconic Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia, I found one such place: Northcliffe, a town of fewer than 800 people, 628 kilometres south from Kalamunda, the start of my walk.

The Magic of Small-Town Hospitality

After weeks of sleeping in my $12 Kmart tent or basic walkers’ huts, the promise of a hot shower and a soft bed was irresistible. I’d booked a room at the Northcliffe Hotel, and in true country-town fashion, although the pub was closed — the staff had left the door unlocked, with my room key left hidden for me. It felt as if the town itself was inviting me in, hinting at the stories that were waiting to be discovered.

Image: Another unexpected gem, Northcliffe's Naughty Noodle Bar (Source: Pete Mitchell)

Museums, Art Trails, and Hidden Stories

Despite its size, Northcliffe is packed with charm. There’s the essentials; post office, school, and church, but also the Pioneer Museum and the Understory Art Trail. The trail, born from the ashes of the devastating 2015 bushfires, weaves through native forest where sculptures of locals cast in ash and charcoal stand alongside whimsical macrame quokkas and stones carved with quolls. Walking amongst the art, I felt the town’s resilience, creativity, and history with every step.

Image: A macrame quokka and joey, 'Understory Art Trail', Northcliffe (Source: Pete Mitchell).

The museum, meanwhile, is a time capsule. One room shows the tough lives of 1920s Group Settlement pioneers, another recreates a 1960s classroom that transported me back to my school days. Each detail, no matter how small, had a story to tell.

Image: One of the hauntingly beautiful sculptures crafted from charcoal and ash at 'The Understory Art Trail', Northcliffe. (Source: Pete Mitchell).

Everyday Life as Storytelling

Even everyday tasks in Northcliffe hold narrative magic. I did my laundry at Dawn Shybottom’s Washhouse, named after a fictional laundress famous for “the whitest whites and the brightest of brights,” immortalised by local author Collette Mountjoy. In Northcliffe, inspiration hides in laundromats, cafés, and old building, waiting for the eye of a writer.

At the Naughty Noodle Bar, I savoured a chocolate brownie and strong coffee while soaking up the café’s playful energy. Small-town life may seem ordinary, but when you slow down and pay attention, it reveals layers of personality, humour, and history.

Image: A 'killer' brownie and cream from the Naughty Noodle Bar, Northcliffe. (Image Bibbulmun Track Foundation)

Lessons for Writers

Northcliffe reminded me that travel shouldn't just be a physical journey — it’s a creative one too. Every café, museum, or forest trail can spark a story. Inspiration is often found in the quiet corners of life, in small towns and overlooked landscapes. By paying attention to details — the scent of eucalyptus, the hum of cicadas, the traces of local history and a quirky laundry — writers can turn ordinary experiences into extraordinary stories.

Leaving Northcliffe, I carried more than memories of a completed trek. I carried stories: tales of resilience, whimsy, and a cohesive community. Even the smallest details — a chef with a passion for Japanese cuisine, a macrame quokka, a thoughtfully curated museum display — became material for future writing.

Seek Stories in the Unexpected

The lesson is simple: slow down, observe with mindfulness, listen intently (even to the silence), and 'see' the stories that hide in plain sight. Northcliffe shows that even the superficially humblest towns can offer rich narratives, waiting for writers ready to find them. Inspiration, as I discovered, often lies in the places you least expect — far from the crowds, in the quiet heart of a community, where every detail tells a story.

Image: The old corrugated iron craft shop on the main street Northcliffe. (Source: Pete Mitchell)

Note: This blog post is based on my article “A Town with Stories to Tell”, published in The Weekend Australian newspaper 4-5 October 2025.

Image: A copy of my short story as it appeared in The Weekend Australian. (Source: Pete Mitchell).