Woodlupine Brook Reserve in Beckenham is a narrow park that follows Woodlupine Brook between Mills Park Reserve and Roe Highway, where it disappears under the road. The brook has been developed as a living stream combining it's drainage function with grassy parkland. Footpaths criss-cross over the stream at various intervals allowing you to interact with the brook as you wander through the park. We started our walk heading east from Mills Park Nature Playground through lands

Starting at the Manning Stairs we hiked the 193 steps to the top….certainly one way to get the heart rate up! There is a platform with a bench at each 50 step interval so you can have a rest and enjoy the views back over Manning Lake, or south over the Davilak Ruins. Once at the top follow the spiral footpath to the lookout for 180 degree views east across Manning Lake and south as far as the eye can see. Looking west you can see ocean glimpses across the ridge of bushland.

We came to explore the Davilak Trail in Manning Park and to look at the Azelia Ley Homestead and Davilak Ruins but decided to do a loop around Manning Lake and I am so glad we did as it is absolutely STUNNING! Perhaps we got lucky with high water levels and early morning winter sunshine streaming through the paperbarks but it was a truly memorable walk. Having just completed the Davilak Heritage Trail and wandered around Azelia Ley Homestead we found ourselves at the large

Walyunga National Park was quite badly impacted by fire in early 2021 but is well on the way to recovery. We have visited this park many times to explore the various trails. The Kangaroo Trail is a short 4km trail which includes the 1km Walyunga Aboriginal Heritage Trail (River Trail). Although it doesn't have the steep climbs of the Kingfisher and Echidna Trails there is still about 1km of steady uphill climbing. The remainder is about 1km downhill (what goes up must come

Starting from either the carpark on Rosslare Promenade in Mindarie or from the car park at Quinns Beach Surf Life Saving Club this path meanders along the coast for just over 1 km, taking about 15 minutes each way. Heading north you get lovely views over the water to Quinns Beach and heading south you get views down the coast to Mindarie Harbour. There are interpretive signs along the way... and you can keep the kids busy scanning QR codes or see if they can spot the osprey i

We walked along C.Y. O'Connor Beach as part of our longer loop from the Omeo Wreck to South Beach but I felt this beach deserved a blog all to itself as it is absolutely stunning! We came from the north after exploring Catherine Point (not worth the bother!) and were immediately struck by the number of seashells on this beach. There were many along the tide line but even more under water where the wavelets were breaking. Very pretty! This is a designated dog beach but we fou

We came across this park by accident but hopped out to have a wander around. From our starting point on the eastern edge it just looked like a park with a walking path around a lake. The lake was quite pretty as we wandered the path, passing some swings and enjoying the birdlife. As we got further around we came to a picnic gazebo and discovered a second lake which had a playground on the far side, built to jut out into the lake. This second lake definitely had a bit of w

After exploring the Urban Art in South Fremantle and on another occasion exploring from the Omeo Wreck south to Woodman Point I felt we had to close the gap and explore north from the Omeo Wreck to South Beach. Previously at the Omeo Wreck I noticed there was a Noongar Tourist Trail which went between Socrates Park and the Port Coogee Marina so this was our starting point. The Noongar Tourist Trail visits a number of parks which feature the glass Kidogo Artworks before movi

The Nyungar Tourist Trail is located within an important traditional gathering place for the Nyungar people at Wardan Gepa Boodjaralup (the sea shore) at Port Coogee. The trail features Ngarkal (Seagull) Beach and The Lookout plus Kidogo Glass Artworks. The trail includes signage and audio that shares important Aboriginal stories in traditional Nyungar language. We couldn't really hear the audio as we were walking around so decided to listen later and fill in any gaps. Kidog

The John George Walk Trail is a 5.5km loop walk between Woodbridge and Viveash. You can start the trail at Reg Bond Reserve in Viveash or from Swan Riverside Reserve at Woodbridge. The advantage of starting at the latter is that there are toilets and a coffee hub inside the Woodbridge Play Space, which is a fantastic place for a picnic and a play as a reward for the kids walking or riding the trail. Woodbridge Play Space is one of few all age and all ability playgrounds in

Harold Boas Gardens tucked away in West Perth is a popular venue for wedding ceremonies and you can see why when you wander through this beautiful shady haven. The gardens, first developed as Delhi Square from 1897-98, were redeveloped in the 1970's into their present form and named after prominent architect Harold Boas, who was instrumental in the design of many Perth buildings including the Emu Brewery on Mounts Bay Road. The gardens are also popular with local office work

Also in the Ellenbrook area, Central Park in Aveley has a pretty walk winding around two small lakes with a bridge crossing through the middle section, which is where the nature playground is located. The path around the northern lake is mostly shaded whereas the southern lake is more open. Walking around both lakes takes about 20 - 30 minutes. The playground has a flying fox, bird's nest swing, wood maze, tunnel and roller slides, musical play features, spiderweb climbing fr

Aviary Creek Playground is a state of the art, landmark playground in Aveley - one of many amazing playgrounds in the Ellenbrook area. It is hard to miss the 3 storey high waterwheel climbing structure and bright blue and yellow slides as you drive along Egerton Drive. The park and adjoining lake have been designed as a multi generational open space catering for all age groups. Aviary Creek's structures and slides are suited to both older and younger kids. The older ones c

There are so many ways to explore Fremantle and every which way you do it, you will discover something new. Previously we have explored Fremantle from a history and heritage perspective so this time we chose an Urban Art theme. This tied in nicely with our visit to Sculptures at Bathers. This blog has been updated as we have discovered more murals. I hate paying for parking so parked on Ord Street, alongside Fremantle Park, for free but there are plenty of paid parking st

Fishing Boat Harbour at Freo is not just about the fish and chips! The food might be the main reason you head there but don't forget to have a look around and enjoy the unique heritage the harbour has to offer. Enjoy a ride on the iconic Fremantle Tourist Wheel or wander through the Esplanade Park where you will find a Parkour course, skate park and a playground. Continue towards the railway and make sure you pat Blondie the dog on your way across the tracks before posing

Oh my it is so hard to choose my 5 favourite walks/hikes for 2020! In the end I chose walks and hikes that were a little off the beaten track and which were a real surprise. These are in no particular order as they were all amazing walks. Of course the time of year can make or break a walk so I have included when I did the walk/hike so you can choose the same time of year. Salter Point to Clontarf This walk was undertaken in June and it was just beautiful walking along th

Discover Subiaco and it's surrounds, including 6 local parks, using the Nature Passport developed in partnership between the City of Subiaco and Nature Play WA. The Nature Passport will have the kids creating, imagining and exploring nature through activities such as inventing a scent, building a muddy sculpture or going on a "wildlife" safari. Suitable for all ages, the Nature Passport is available to collect from all City Facilities (we picked ours up at the Library) or y

Jutting out into the Swan River at Dalkeith, Mandyooranup (place of banksia) offers wonderful views across Karrakatta Bank to Claremont Jetty and down river to the Point Walter Spit. On a hot day it is the perfect place to catch the breezes coming off the river. The Reserve is quite large with the upper level offering broad grassy areas with mature shady trees scattered around - perfect for a picnic. There is a short scenic drive and limited roadside parking inside the rese

Most people head to Araluen for the annual spring display of tulip blooms but Araluen is spectacular all year around. We visited late in November to take advantage of the 90th birthday special entry rate of $5 per person. An advantage of coming in the "off" season is that you almost have this beautiful park to yourself! We had a quick stop at Raeburn Orchards as it was on the way and we hadn't been here before. There is a cafe, gift shop and fruit and veg for sale so it is w

After spending the cooler months hiking Perth's amazing trails we decided to opt for an urban "hike" discovering urban art and parks in Armadale. We parked at the Visitor Information Centre, where you can pick up a handy pocket sized map of the Rediscover Urban Art Trail. You can also download the art trail map in PDF form at: https://www.perthhillsarmadale.com.au/sites/default/files/assets/ReDiscover_Armadale_Map.pdf The first mural as we headed west along Jull Street was