• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
SFA Understory primary logo Colour Fern

Understory

Art & Nature Trail

  • About
    • Our trail
    • Our forest
    • Our origins
    • Our team
    • Our community
    • Our partners
  • Blog
  • Visit
    • What to Expect
    • Prices & Bookings
  • Tours
    • Guided Tours
  • Art
    • Sculptures
      • ‘Archway’
      • ‘Rising From the Ashes’
      • ‘Wishing Wheels’
      • ‘Forest Stones’
      • ‘Shades of Grey’
      • ‘Bower’
      • ‘Marginata’ & ‘Calophylla’
      • ‘Treecycle’
      • ‘Bound’
      • ‘Competitive Ground’
      • ‘Feeding’
      • ‘Australia House’
      • ‘Layers & Then There’s Layers (Forest Folk)’
      • ‘Sundew
      • ‘Written on the Wind’
      • ‘Southern Owl’
      • ‘Whole, You Were Meant To Be Here’
      • ‘Fallen Ghost’
      • ‘Metameres at Work’
      • ‘Floating Town’
      • ‘Cascading Shelter’
      • ‘High Rise Housing
      • ‘The Golden Tree’
      • ‘Imagine More’
      • ‘Pathways’
    • Music
    • Stories
  • Nature
  • FAQS
  • Shop

Understory Art & Nature Trail

Understory Art & Nature Trail (entry boardwalk)

Experience “wonder-full”

Visit Australia’s leading art in nature experience

Connect with Nature & Creativity in the beautiful Southern Forests region.

NORTHCLIFFE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

DISCOVER ARTWORKS SCATTERED LIKE TREASURE

as you wander through ancient forest

With inspiration from our artists, look beneath the canopy and experience the unique (under)stories of the Southern Forest region.

Let imagination be your guide through this glorious natural environment

What will you find?

Open Daily – Northcliffe Visitor Centre


Understory Art & Nature Trail - Entry boardwalk

Our Trail

A 1.2km easy-walk circuit through stunning forest. From the majestic Karri canopy to coastal heath, with abundant native flora & fauna.

Get Inspired!Our Trail
'Whole, You Were Meant To Be Here' by Lorenna Grant, Understory Art & Nature Trail, Northcliffe, commissioned by Southern Forest Arts in 2006

Our Artworks

Music, stories, poetry and more than 70 sculptures created in response to the unique landscapes, people & histories of the Southern Forests region.

Get Inspired!Our Artworks
Cecile Williams pictured with her sculpture, 'Treecycle', commisioned by Southern Forest Arts for the understory Art & Nature Trail, Northcliffe, 2019 (Photo Fiona Sinclair)

Our Artists

Our artists come from all corners of the globe and include emerging and established talents.

Get Inspired!Our Artists
Rising From the Ashes sculpture series by Kim Perrier

CONNECT WITH NATURE

Understory is a love letter to the forest.

Deepen your connection to Nature through an experience of awe, wonder & joy.

We hope it inspires you to share our passion for conservation & creativity.

FOUNDING ARTIST
LET OUR ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU

Add value to your visit

Listening to audio tours on the Understory Art & Nature Trail, Northcliffe

Audio Extras

Links to a range of bonus audio extras including music, stories & artist interviews are included in your entry fee.

Get Inspired!Audio Extras
Southern Forest Arts provides Guided Tours for school groups on the Understory Art & Nature Trail in Northcliffe

Guided Tours

Pre-book a personalised tour with our experienced guides. We cater for small & large groups.

Get Inspired!Guided Tours
Understory website image - Children enjoying Forest Stones sculptures, Understory Art & Nature trail, Northcliffe

Family Friendly

Bring the entire family! We offer child-friendly audio tours & activity sheets. Everyone loves treasure hunting for sculptures.

Get Inspired!Family Friendly

Plan your TRIP

Understory is located in the small town of Northcliffe, approximately 4 hours drive south of Perth.

Meandering through the lush natural environment that is the Northcliffe Forest Park, the trail begins & ends at the Northcliffe Visitor Centre.

Find out how to get here, what to expect, what to bring, where to stay, eat & play.

Visit
WA Map - Understory Art & Nature Trail in Northcliffe

Quick links

Cover image - Understory Treasure Map (2021) Trail Guide for Understory Art & Nature Northcliffe, Western Australia

Trail guide

Click hereTrail guide
Bo Wong photo of Understory Art & Nature Trail 2020 (3) Northcliffe

Our forest

Click hereOur forest
Northcliffe Visitor Centre

What to expect

Click hereWhat to expect
Feeding with Francois Davin, Understory Art & Nature Trail, Northcliffe, Western Australia, 2006

Good for body, mind & spirit

Cultures around the globe have understood the benefits of spending time in Nature.

‘Forest Bathing’, based on a Japanese term, ‘shinrin-yoku‘, means absorbing Nature’s atmosphere.

Scientific studies have shown that being in Nature contributes to positive physiological, emotional & mental health.

Latest news

Art in Nature: The Transformative Power of Connecting with the Environment

Art and Forest Bathing As an eco arts organisation, we believe that art has the power to inspire, heal, and connect us with nature. For many of us, being amongst nature elicits feelings of relaxation and provides us with some distance from the electronic devices that tend to …

Read moreArt in Nature: The Transformative Power of Connecting with the Environment

Artist Focus: Rae and Joie’s ‘Ray of Joy’

Joie Villeneuve and Rae Gooch have built their collaborative art partnership on a foundation of friendship. For their latest piece, ‘Ray of Joy’, the two merge the mediums of painting and sculpture with prose and poetry.

Read moreArtist Focus: Rae and Joie’s ‘Ray of Joy’
2022 refresh of 'Competitive Ground' by Peter Hill Understory Art & Nature Trail, Northcliffe, commissioned by Southern Forest Arts

recent sculpture news

The sculpture ‘Competitive Ground’ was recently refreshed by artist Peter Hill. Originally commissioned in 2008, as an ephemera artwork, the piece was never intended to be permanent. Over time, the work had fallen into disrepair. Six new ladders were created by …

Read morerecent sculpture news

Frequently Asked Questions

You can find more questions and answers on our FAQ page here

Q

What makes this experience unique?

A

Understory is a nationally unique ‘site specific’ art trail. This means that every one of our original artworks has been created in response to the distinctive landscape, people and history of the Southern Forests region, by acclaimed local, national and international artists alike.

Q

How long does it take to walk the trail?

A

On average, people spend 45 mins to 1 hour enjoying the Understory experience. It depends how long you have to amble. We recommend a slower pace to discover all the artworks and soak in the atmosphere of the ancient native forest.

Q

How do I book a guided tour?

A

Guided tours are offered by local artists with a deep connection to the history of the trail and the region, ensuring a truly meaningful visitor experience. Visit our Prices & Bookings page for further information.

Q

Can I bring my dog?

A

No. Dogs (and other pets) are not allowed on the trail. Understory is situated in the Forest Park Nature Reserve. Please leave your pets at home or call us to discuss alternatives.

Members of the Southern Forest Arts Committee 2021
Past and current members of Southern Forest Arts (2021)

Supporting our local community

Understory is managed by Southern Forest Arts – a local ‘not for profit’ arts & culture organisation.

Understory entry fees support local & regional art, culture & conservation.

Meet our team
Second boardwalk on the Understory Art & Nature Trail

LISTEN TO COUNTRY (‘BOODJA NI’)

In the language of the Noongar people (the Traditional Custodians of this beautiful land) ‘Boodja Ni’ means ‘Listen/Listening to Country.

When you visit Understory you are encouraged to slow down, be present, honour the land beneath, the skies above and all that exists in between.

“We loved it all. The combination of art & nature was inspiring – bought us to tears (gentle ones). Fantastic work. Thank you.”

EVANS FAMILY, 2021

reviews

We love to hear from our visitors. Read what others have said about us by clicking the links below.

Tripadvisor-Emblem
Google Reviews logo
FB logo
'Refugium' exhibition by MIX Artists 2022, at the Painted Tree Gallery, Northcliffe
2022 SWAN Touring Exhibition, Painted Tree Gallery, Northcliffe
See our current exhibition

Painted Tree Gallery

Our beautiful rammed earth gallery is located at the Understory Trailhead within the Northcliffe Visitor Centre.

Virtual Tours

Enjoy these Virtual Reality tours of Understory and the Painted Tree Gallery

Coming soon – Understory VR tour

'Feeding' detail by Francois Davin (photo by Francois) Understory, Northcliffe, 2006

CONTACT US

Phone, email or message us and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can

Get in touch

Copyright Southern Forest Arts 2022

Understory is situated on the land, sea and rivers of the Bibulmun/Pibelmun people of the Noongar Nation; Country that was never ceded. We pay deepest respects to Elders past and present. We thank them for their ongoing Care of Country for 50,000+ years. We are inspired by the wisdom & gifts of the oldest living culture on Earth. We are grateful for the guidance of living Elders in the development of Understory.

PO BOX 395, NORTHCLIFFE, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, 6262 Phone: 0418 754 704. Email: info@southernforestarts.com.au