After seeing a story about three new walking trails at Hillarys Boat Harbour we set off to discover them. The trails are intended to encourage families to visit the harbour and enjoy the various sites on offer while supporting the many small businesses. We squeezed the trails in over two days as the weather was sunny one minute, pouring the next. I quite like the heavy skies as a background in the photos as it looks gloomy and ominous but you can't beat sunshine and brig

The City of Bassendean has three Wicked Walks. One covers the historical town of Bassendean, one covers the parklands of Eden Hill and the third covers the wetland sanctuary of Ashfield Flats. After a wet stormy morning the sun came out to shine and tempted us outside to explore the 2.6km Ashfield Flats Trail. You can start the walk at either end with limited parking bays off Ashfield Parade or a much larger parking area at Sandy Beach Reserve. We parked under the mature

Maylands has a wide variety of urban art ranging from murals to sidewalk art. The Maylands urban landscape along Guildford Road is not particularly pretty but many of the older commercial buildings have had murals painted on their walls making the streetscape considerably brighter and more interesting. We started from the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple on Guildford Road. The temple is usually open to the general public from Tuesday to Sunday however it was closed due to covid

We started our walk at Point Reserve which was magnificent in the early morning light. Point Reserve lies across from where the Helena River intersects the Swan between Iho Park and Kings Meadow Reserve on the Guildford side. The riverfront properties here own the land all the way to the river so either side of the reserve is private property limiting access. It is a beautiful reserve to visit for a wander along the river's edge. The river is popular with kayakers and it is

We've driven past Stirk Park next to the Kalamunda Town Centre on a number of occasions without realising what a beautiful park it is. I think it is at it's best in autumn when many of it's magnificent trees show their true colours! We set off to find a fairy on the Kalamunda Fairy Door Trail and as some of them are in Stirk Park this was our starting point. We found three of the fairy doors after much searching but believe there might be more - sadly many get damaged as t

Kalamunda is a magical place, but you may not have met the tiny folk who also live here. Fairies! The little fairies who roam Kalamunda have disclosed the entrances to their magical homes. Tiny fairy doors once hidden from view have magically become visible. Take your time, roam around, look closely - there's magic to be found. In the main street, or down a lane, no two fairy doors are the same. Follow the map, come out and play, you may just find a fairy along the way. J

EDIT MARCH 2026 - Playground is closed for renovation. Grab your picnic and head to Opportunity Playspace at Rotary Park in Wanneroo, a playground designed for a half day visit. It is an all abilities playground with barbecue and picnic facilities, water fountains, toilets and a bike repair station. Although the road side section is fenced the fence does not fully enclose the playground. Being so close to the lake there is a snake risk here and in Spring there can be swoop

Starting at Mindeerup Piazza at Mends Street Jetty with it's Giant Numbat and Frilled Neck Lizard this walk takes you down to Coode Street Jetty and back exploring the Scented Garden on the way. If you are doing the return loop you can walk through Sir James Mitchell Park exploring the Scented Garden one way and return on the foreshore path. The return loop is about 3 km and will take about 45 minutes. Paid parking is available along the South Perth Esplanade near Mends St

This paved, flat walk is perfect for young and old of any fitness level and offers stunning coastal scenery with well placed benches along the way if you need to rest. It can be walked in either direction and if the full 2km between Cottesloe and Swanbourne is too far you can walk a shorter section. Parking in Cottesloe can be a challenge so we parked on Napier Street and set off to explore the Cottesloe Civic Centre with it's lovely gardens and great ocean views. Convenient

Shh! Don't let this secret out! Nestled in a copse of trees along the waterfront of North Cottesloe is the Secret Gnome Garden. This delightful hidden "garden" between Marine Parade and Little Marine Parade is a delightful discovery for both children and adults. We discovered the Secret Gnome Garden on our Cottesloe to Swanbourne walk. Walking along the coast keep an eye out for an unusual house. Cross the road to explore the bushy bit and you will encounter a path lead

Allen Park is a pocket of coastal bushland in Swanbourne, classified by the National Trust for it's high conservation value. It includes a number of sports grounds as well as 8 ha of bushland surrounding Melon Hill. Melon Hill is a 40 m high dune which formed part of the coastal defences up until 1991 when it became open to the public. You can access the hill from the car park at Odern Crescent, the Heritage Precinct on Claire Copse/Kirkwood Road or from Sayer Street on the

This is a loop walk so you can start at a number of places. Limited car parking is available at Peninsula Farm or at the small shopping centre where Noggos Kitchen and Coffee is situated. Larger car parks are available at Maylands Golf Course, Maylands Foreshore, Clarkson Reserve or Tranby Reserve. We started our walk from Peninsula Farm at Wu-rut Woorat, land of the Wadjuk people for thousands of years before European Settlement. The entire Maylands peninsula was granted

On this walk we meandered along the North Fremantle Esplanade with it's mooring pens and luxury riverside apartments before following a section of the Rocky Bay (North Fremantle) Heritage Trail with it's historic buildings. We diverted along the high cliffs of Rocky Bay for the Rocky Bay Cliff Walk and on to the landscaped paths along Mimim Cove with it's million dollar views. The turnaround point at Mt Lyell offers fabulous 360 degree views up and down the river. We actual

I happened across the Midland Railway Workshop site one day when I got a bit lost. The area captured my interest so I decided to return to explore. We wandered around on a weekend and the area was deserted. During business hours on weekdays there is a little more activity around so choose which you would prefer. Starting from the Midland Hospital site we explored all the way down to Coal Seam Dam weaving in and around the various buildings yet somehow we still missed se

Think Joondalup and Neil Hawkins Park and Yellagonga Regional Park probably come to mind but walking in and around the city centre is full of surprises. Staring from Lakeside (free 4 hours parking as opposed to metered street parking!) cross at the lights at the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Collier Pass and head straight down the path into Central Park. This is a lovely serene and mostly underused park with boardwalks around the lake, windy paths through the bush and

Stunning river views are not the only thing on offer around Deepwater Point which sits on the Canning River, Djarlgarro, midway between Canning Bridge and Mt Henry Bridge. There are several walks you can do depending on the time you have available or you can choose any one of these areas and just spend some time enjoying the river or the playground. Apart from the stunning views we found Canning Bridge with it's surprise artwork underneath and Mt Henry Bridge with dedicated

Fremantle has plenty to see and do and you have probably discovered many of the sights already. This trail takes you off the beaten track a little to discover some less well known parts of the port city while tracing nearly 200 years of Fremantle's European heritage. You can download a map from https://www.visitfremantle.com.au/play/fremantle-walking-trails or pick up a hard copy from the Fremantle Visitors Centre in Walyalup Koort. This is a long trail and the full trail

The Castaways Sculpture Awards Exhibition is a celebration of sustainability and creativity as artists use a variety of recycled and repurposed materials to create a wide range of sculptures which are exhibited on the Rockingham Beach Foreshore and Boardwalk every year in October. This was a wonderful way to discover the delights of Rockingham Foreshore and Beach! Castaways also includes a maquette and small sculpture exhibition held indoors. Schools are also involve

Wanneroo has many amazing pieces of public art scattered across it's suburbs. Some are located in very public places which you might pass every day without "seeing" the art. Others are tucked away in small pocket parks and you need to be "in the know" to find them. Local residents might be surprised to "find" them in their local park too! The Public Art Safari is divided into three sections: North, Central and South. A map and guide is available from the City of Wanneroo

Ascot Waters is a lovely residential development nestled on the banks of the Swan opposite Ascot Racecourse. We had come here to walk the Kuljak Island Trail but had to explore further when we saw how lovely this area is. Entrance to Ascot Waters is off Garrett Road at either Waterway Crescent to the north or Resolution Drive to the south. Both intersections are marked by a large white racing horse so you can't miss them! Where you start and finish your walk will depend on