An easy day trip from Perth the small hamlet of Gingin was gazetted a town in 1871 and will celebrate it's 150th Anniversary in 2021. The Historical Gingin Trail (click to download link or grab a map from the Information Centre) is an easy 45 minute walk past several heritage buildings, along the lovely Gingin Brook and extending out to the Old Stock Route and the Cemetery. At the time of our visit the Stock Route was closed for maintenance so we looped through the town and

Lake Fresca is located in the Italian themed Bridges community in Ellenbrook off Milano Parade and Ponte Vecchio Boulevard. As a suburban park there is no street side parking around the park but you can use the small carpark at the retail precinct off Ponte Vecchio Boulevard. This is also where you will find the beautiful (and accurate) sundial tower, picnic benches and a fully fenced playground. There are no toilet facilities. Near the playground is the main blue bridge cr

In between showers during a crazy wet July we decided to head to Star Swamp Reserve. Wetlands are always at their best during or straight after lots of rain and Star Swamp didn't disappoint. The paths are well compacted so were not at all muddy underfoot. The Star Swamp Heritage Trail is one of 8 trails that run through the reserve. Trails are well signposted at all junctions and there is a brief description of the flora and fauna you might see on each trail. The Heritage

After exploring Manning Park we noticed a small playground called Joel's Playground nearby so set off to find it tucked away in a the new Shoreline development in North Coogee. As we turned onto Reinforcement Parade from Anchorage Drive we were delighted by a beautiful sculpture of a horse and rider - a tribute to the 10th Light Horse Regiment which camped and trained on nearby South Beach before heading off to serve in WW1. Around the statue we found plaques with historical

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

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 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

Rosehill Waters Estate is a new residential community set on the site of the former Rosehill Golf Course in South Guildford. We discovered this estate when we visited Noah's Playground which is situated within the development. Entering from the west on West Road we were immediately impressed by the entrance statement gardens and pulled over to have a wander through Lockhart and Berckelman Parks. These parks are designed for local community use so there are no parking bays but

The Constitutional Centre, Parliament Place, West Perth West Perth has so many beautiful historic buildings it is well worth exploring. Even on Saturday the street parking is ticketed ($4 an hour - ouch!) but we found we could park along Kings Park Road on the Kings Park side for free. We crossed Kings Park Road and walked around Dumas House, discovering the lovely serene Japanese Hyogo Friendship Garden. From there we climbed the slope to walk around the beautiful Old Obs

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

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

Within Perth City are numerous public art works reflecting the city's identity, both past and present. This trail includes a small sample or public art works between the CBD and Northbridge. The self guided trail will take up to two hours and you can join or depart the trail anywhere along the way. The city's free CAT buses intersect the route at various points. This Art Trail has now been superseded by a new trail ( see blog post of new trail at https://www.outandaboutfnc.

Woodlake Park, situated in the centre of Ellenbrook, is a lovely park curving around the lake in a horseshoe shape. Although the park does not completely encircle the lake, access through the Woodlake Peninsula estate on the eastern border allows you to walk/cycle or scoot all the way around. We parked at the Woodlake Village Community Centre on Highpoint Boulevard and followed a path from the carpark down to the lakeside, emerging at the western gazebo. This large gazebo o

Mt Hawthorn has lots of urban art packed into a small area so is ideal for a quick art walk. With loads of cafes and eateries, not to mention the Paddington Ale House, along this strip of Scarborough Beach Road and the fabulous shady Braithwaite Park nature playground a short distance away this is a great option to fill half a day with nature and culture. We parked undercover at the Mezz and then walked out onto Flinders Street passing the colourful mural on the outside.

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

In February (2020) Bather's Beach in Fremantle hosted the Sculpture at Bather's Beach exhibition. Although on a smaller scale than Cottesloe's Sculptures by the Sea there were still plenty of original artworks to see on the beach and around nearby Kidogo Arthouse. We entered Bather's Beach via the Old Whaler's Tunnel under the Round House. You can read about the history of shipwrecks and whalers as you pass through. Bather's Beach is a small beach but there were plenty of s