There are four Claremont Meanders: Glimpsing the Past trails exploring the heritage and history of Claremont. There are very detailed maps on each walk which can be read in conjunction with historical notes. We set out on several occasions to follow these maps but found there was just too much information and detail on them. Many of the sites on the map are no longer in existence and reading the illustrated map doesn’t differentiate the historical and current sites. In

We particularly enjoyed this trail as it had lots of beautiful historic buildings, a scattering of parks and playgrounds, public art and fabulous river views. Walking the shady streets of Claremont, some covered in jacaranda blossom, was a pleasure even on a relatively warm day in November. This is one of four Claremont Meanders: Glimpsing the Past trails exploring the heritage and history of Claremont. Refer to the Claremont Meanders blog for details of the other three t

The green and shady areas of public open space found in Shenton Park include the tranquil waters of Lake Jualbup, part of the wetlands system of the western suburbs. Lake Jualbup ("a place where water rises in the season of spring") was an important wetland and a source of water and food for the Noongar people who lived in this area and moved with seasonal changes along the Swan River and Swan Coastal Plains. Lake Jualbup is also an Aboriginal burial area and is registered wi

It had been years since we had visited Rockingham Beach and Foreshore so with news that the area has been recently redeveloped and the extra enticement of the Castaways Sculpture Exhibition being on display we headed down the freeway. The Castaways Sculptures, made from recycled materials, were scattered along the beach with a few on the boardwalk and the school entries on the grassed areas. See separate blog on these unique and inspiring sculptures. It is good to see t

We ventured out to York in 2019 during the York Festival (late September to mid October) to catch the Wara Art Trail. It is a lovely drive to York (97km from Perth) and depending on the time of year it can be verdant green (winter) glowing yellow (early spring when the canola is in flower), dull yellow (wheat harvest) or shades of brown (summer). The Wara Art Trail showcases spectacular larger than life straw sculptures. In 2019 the sculptures depicted a Murray River Cod

Burswood Park is home to a unique collection of bronze sculptures celebrating Perth's historical figures. The sculptures have been designed and produced by artists Joan and Charles Smith. Make sure you get up close and look at the intricate details and facial expressions of the sculptures. The Heritage Sculpture Trail meanders through the park and along the riverfront showcasing the bronze sculptures and other public works and landmarks. It is an easy 30-45 minute walk an

We chose to spend a day of the school holidays exploring what Burswood Park has to offer and it certainly kept us busy all day! BURSWOOD PARK PLAYGROUND We started our adventure at Burswood Park Playground, a fully fenced shaded playground on the banks of the Swan River. There are parking bays here and toilets, picnic benches and barbecues are a short walk away. Additional parking is available across the road at Burswood Carpark. The Burswood Heritage Sculpture Trail pass

Whiteman Park is a 4000 hectare piece of bushland located close to the Swan Valley in Perth's north. As well as being a biodiversity hotspot offering many nature activities it also houses a wildlife park and several museums. Entry is from Beechboro Road North (off Tonkin Highway), Drumpellier Drive or Marshall Road. Access is also available from the Whiteman Park Train Station with shuttle bus (weekends only) or Heritage Tram connections (check timetable) into the Park. Th

This 4.8km trail starts from the Riverton Bridge Park and takes 45 minutes each way or 90 minutes return. The dog-friendly Lo Quay Cafe is located at Riverton Bridge alongside Fern Park Playground, a small but interesting shaded playground with nature play elements. Bring a change of clothes as the playground includes a water play feature. There is plenty of parking and public toilets are also available. An alternative is to head along the northern foreshore from Riverton B

Bushmead is a new development built on the old Commonwealth owned rifle range. It features The Giant Playground, Rushmore Green Toddler Playground and the Kadina Bush Trail which has been developed in conjunction with Nature Play WA and features as one of the trails on their app. THE GIANT PLAYGROUND This playground takes advantage of mature trees for shade and has lots open green space surrounding it. The playground is designed around three giants: Snottygobble, Argyle an

This wonderful piece of bush is an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot with numerous unique species and habitats. The Warwick Bushland Jarrah Loop Trail is a 1.3km flat packed limestone trail to the north of Warwick High School and opposite the Warwick Stadium. Information signs have been erected along the trail detailing the flora and fauna found in the reserve. We walked this trail early in September on a Spring Wildflower Walk organised by Friends of Warwick B

This interpretive trail follows Piesse Brook in Kalamunda National Park to Rocky Pool before returning the same way, a round trip of 3.4 km taking around an hour all up. Rocky Pool is a great place to stop off and enjoy the moment, have a trail snack or if the water is low in summer perhaps even a paddle. Starting from Schipp Road off Hummerston Road in Piesse Brook this trail follows Schipp Road which is a wide, mostly compacted dirt trail. Piesse Brook is evident at the b

A wildflower walk through Landsdale Park mid August revealed a multitude of gorgeous flowering plants. Exploring the bush trails for wildflowers at a slow pace this walk took about 2 hours but at a faster pace you could easily make it around in less than an hour and still stop to see lots of amazing plants. Landsdale Park is open for public access through a gate on Landsdale Road, just behind Landsdale Farm. A limestone interpretative walk trail runs through the park mark

The Children's Forest situated between Whiteman Village and Mussel Pool in Whiteman Park provides an exciting link between the two main areas of Whiteman Park. The Children's Forest is an easy 200m walk from the Village and 50m from the Mussel Pool area. The Forest itself extends for about 300 metres north to south but because it is made up of a series of zones, each with separate gate entries, the walking trails around the forest possibly extend to several kilometres as th

I came across the North Perth Walk on a website and thought it looked interesting. This is a part of Perth I am not familiar with so we decided to explore. The North Perth Walk takes you on a self-guided historical walking tour of the North Perth Town Centre. The 16 sites showcase early life in the suburb by identifying places that once stood here along with existing historic buildings from the early 20th century to the 1950s. The walk takes in sections of Angove, Albert, Vi

Interpretive signage marking the Alkimos Beach Interpretive Trail was revealed for Reconciliation Week so we set off to explore this network of trails through the Alkimos Beach development. Family Loop Trail Turn onto Graceful Boulevard off Marmion Avenue until you get to Bristlebird Circuit. The map has the trail starting at number 1, Bryde Park, but as there was no street parking we headed a hundred meters down the road and found street parking at number 2, Bristlebird P

After visiting Perth City Farm one Saturday morning we decided to explore the Claisebrook Cove Art Trail. There are several car parks around Claisebrook but most charge even on the weekend so we found a shaded spot on Fielder Street opposite the ABC building with free unrestricted weekend parking. There are plenty of other streets with free weekend parking but during the business week you would have to pay. Alternatively you could catch the train to Claisebrook Station whic

Mundaring Weir is one of the world's greatest engineering projects. Completed in 1903, the Weir was the start of the water pipeline, designed by C Y O'Connor, that pumped water 700 kilometres to the Kalgoorlie goldfields. This is a popular day trip destination and there is plenty to fill your day. Mundaring Weir is located in natural bushland in the Perth Hills and there are a number of bushwalking trails you can enjoy before settling down for a picnic and exploring the herit

We discovered not one but two amazing parks in the northern suburbs. Discovery Park in Banksia Grove is a massive green space with lots of features. A stream runs along the western perimeter with several bridges crossing over it and picnic benches and barbecues alongside it. The best part about this shallow stream is the rocks.....conveniently placed for the kids to cross over the stream, wade through the stream or just wander along the path or grassed areas alongside it.

Broadbeach Park is a great place to go to for a play on the playground but also provides an opportunity for a lovely walk through the green zone and back or alternatively if you are game to cross busy Whitfords Avenue you can return via the beach itself or the beach dual use path. Broadbeach Park is on Broadbeach Boulevard in Hillarys and there is limited kerbside parking on Waterston Gardens on the eastern side of the park. Initially we set off on the paved path on the ou