Nanga Brook

You know you're from Nanga Brook when planning a drive involves checking which roads are closed. Because around here, the closures have more twists than the King Jarrah Walk Trail.

That trail is our daily grind – or weekly, if we're being honest. It's 17.8km return, five hours, rated "hard." Summer? Forget it. "The summer months will prove too hot for the vigorous walk," they say, so we stick to autumn through late spring. We wander through the forests around Dwellingup, past the 400-year-old Jarrah tree and the old logging railway formation with cuttings and old bridge sites. And for the dogs? The dog-friendly camping at Nanga Brook's Lake Brockman Tourist Park has us covered – or at least, that's what Urban List tells us.

But getting anywhere? That's where the drama starts. When the South West fires hit, the roads closed like a pub at 2am. Forrest Highway was shut between Pinjarra Road and Raymond Road. South Western Highway closed between Coolup townsite and Johnston Road. Nanga Road itself? Closed between Nanga Brook Road and Driver Road. So if you wanted Bunbury or Busselton, you were detouring via Collie and Boddington. The Southbound festival organisers said they were "working with the WA Police and Department of Fire and Emergency Services," but we just laughed and stayed local.

Who would hate it here? Summer hikers who ignore the "too hot" warning. Festival-goers who think a detour via Collie is acceptable. Anyone whose GPS still thinks Nanga Road is open.

Who would love it? Trail runners with a death wish, dogs who love a long walk, and people who think the best event is the one you don't have to drive to. We've got the 400-year-old tree, the old bridge sites, and a tourist park that welcomes your mutt. Just bring your own road map – and maybe a helicopter.