The first day of the Noongar season of Makuru, which marks the cold and wet months of June and July and a public holiday for WA day, led us to explore the Kalamunda Railway Heritage Trail. Although we explored both sections I would recommend walking or riding the shorter Northern section with the kids before a picnic in beautiful Stirk Park. Explore the Find a Fairy Door Trail or visit the Kalamunda History Village for a full day out. The original rail line was built in 189

We discovered wonderful Neil McDougall Park while walking around Como after exploring Como Jetty. Enjoy the birdlife as you walk around the small wetlands lake with it's central island which is a wildlife refuge. The short walk around the (unfenced) lake is perfect for little legs or as a bike/scooter ride. In 1914 Neil McDougall established a dairy farm at this location. The former farmhouse, built in the 1930's, now known as Hazel McDougall House, fronts Clydesdale Stree

EDIT FEB 2026 - With the planned redevelopment of the Burns Beach Foreshore scheduled from March to August 2026 the shared use path will be closed with detours in place while construction takes place. Starting from the Cafe at Burns Beach head south along the paved shared use path. The path winds up and down some fairly steep hills so this walk is excellent exercise. It is about 15 minutes each way (depending on your pace) to the Iluka Foreshore Park where you can turn arou

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

Bardon Park in Maylands is a large, open, riverside park with great views of Perth City and Optus Stadium. Being situated on a hillside slope it has an upper and a lower section with grassy hills perfect for rolling down! The upper area, closest to the car park, has a fantastic playground with nature play features including a climbing frame uniquely shaped as an arch, balancing beams, a bird's nest swing, a fort, flying fox, musical play and water play. The playground also

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

The shared use path around Lake Joondalup has some stunning lake views. Having frequently walked on the Joondalup side we decided to explore the Wanneroo side. Starting from the Rotary Park Opportunity Playspace we walked south one day and north the next day. Both walks, on flat paved pathways, were about an hour long return. Setting off south from the playground we walked past the soccer and AFL fields at Scenic Park with it's small playground. The path then opened out wit

After walking south from Rotary Park to Studmaster Park we decided to follow the shared use path north. This flat walk is not as scenic as the southern section but the wide open spaces make it a great place to ride with your kids as you can see well ahead. Again we started from the Rotary Park Opportunity Playspace on Scenic Drive in Wanneroo. We walked past the lovely Moreton Bay fig trees spreading their roots next to the path just past Rotary Park. There are some exerci

We set off to walk the 4.5km loop around Lake Goollelal in April 2020 and were pleasantly surprised to see that someone had been busy placing teddy bears and stuffed toys at regular intervals the whole way around the track so the kids can "go on a bear hunt" while under Covid 19 restrictions. The bears have since been removed but this is still a lovely walk or cycle ride. The addition of a boardwalk in 2025 has made this a spectacular walk so keep reading! Lake Goollelal is t

Walking barefoot along the sand on Burns Beach is one of my favourite things to do, whether it be on a mild winter's day or early morning or late afternoon in the heat of summer. Burns Beach is not a great swimming beach - in fact it is quite a dangerous beach for swimmers - as it has lots of rocky outcrops. It is these rocky outcrops that provide interest and make each walk different from the last as you navigate the rock surfaces, wade through tidal pools or watch the wate

Carine Regional Open Space in Duncraig is a great place to go for a walk, run, bike ride, play or to kick a ball around. There are plenty of wide open spaces ringed by a network of paths. Some paths are paved, others more natural, but they are all flat. If you walk around the perimeter in an anti clockwise direction starting from the rainbow bee-eater mural on Beach Road you can measure the distance. Starting with 0 m there are lines painted across the footpath every 100 m un

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

Miller's Pool (Goorgygoogup) is a lovely restored wetlands located almost under the Narrows Bridge at Point Belches. It is only a small area but has great views across the river to the city and down river to the South Perth Foreshore. This is a popular area for cyclists riding along the foreshore and crossing the road to access the Narrows Bridge so be alert. If you head under the bridge you will find a network or paths through the landscaped gardens of Mill Point Reserve (

Walking along the South Perth foreshore from Mill Point via Mindeerup Piazza and the Scented Garden to Coode Street Jetty , then on to the South Perth Lakes in Clydesdale Reserve we decided to return along Mill Point Road for a change of scenery (even though the scenery along the riverfront is completely stunning!) Walking along Mill Point Road next to the Zoo we came across a small sign about the gate to the old zookeeper's house. This is why I love walking - you discover

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 beautiful little park is a hidden gem right in the middle of Joondalup. Entry by car is off Grand Boulevard, opposite Collier Pass, into a small car park or you can easily access this park on foot from Lakeside Drive. There are a few trails that loop around including the boardwalk across the small lake in front of the TAFE. Paths are paved and ideal for kids on bikes and scooters. Some pass through bush while others border the parkland. Kids can explore the rocks and

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