Hyde Park is only 2km outside of the city off Vincent Street in North Perth/Highgate. Originally known as Third Swamp this area was gazetted as a public park in 1897. After falling into disrepair the park was restored in June 2012. It is a lovely park with lots of green spaces around two wetland lakes. There are lovely flat walking paths which circumnavigate the lakes. Total distance is 800 m so one lap will take around 30 minutes. Hyde Park is a great place to experienc

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

Perth City Farm was established in 1994 when a degraded, contaminated site was transformed into an urban farm where people can learn about sustainable living. The half hectare site lies alongside the railway lines in East Perth. As well as hosting tours, workshops and environmentally friendly events it is also a wedding venue but the reason we went along was for the Saturday morning fresh produce market and to investigate the recycling station. Perth City Farm sits right a

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

After heading out for a morning bushwalk along the Victoria Dam Trail we needed a coffee and conveniently Masonmill Gardens was just minutes down the road. The small cafe area has tables outside overlooking the beautiful gardens and once we had our caffeine fix we had a wander around. There is an 18 hole mini golf course set amongst the gardens and a small nature playground area near the restaurant. The rest of the gardens were beautiful in mid autumn. There are stunning ro

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

This gem of a park is hidden around the freeway interchanges in Perth. From Elizabeth Quay Train Station it is about a 20 minute walk along Mounts Bay Road. After passing under the freeway you will see the motorcycle parking bays. The safest option, particularly if you have young children is to stay on this side of Mounts Bay Road and follow the path which seems to head for the freeway but actually comes out at an underpass below the exit ramp and leads straight into John

Starting at Neil Hawkins Park and heading north this time was a different experience to the southern walk. Depending on the time of year you will get glimpses of the lake through the trees or when the lake level is high you can see the water seeping into the paperbarks giving a lovely wetland feel. The path is dual use so be aware of cyclists (fast and slow). It is fully paved and flat so is universally accessible. The walk between Neil Hawkins and Drovers Place is 3.5km e

Warradale Park Nature Play Area is part of the larger Warradale Park which is encircled by Warradale Terrace in Landsdale. The Nature Play Area is fully fenced with dual child proof gates to ensure the safety of your child within the play area. Parking is located just up the road at the Warradale Community Centre. There are also toilets located at the Community Centre. A drink fountain and several picnic tables are located within the fenced Nature Play Area. Much of the

There is more to Cottesloe than the iconic beach view of the Indiana or the magnificent Sculptures by the Sea held each year in early March. The Cottesloe Coastal Walk Challenge is about finding 30 walking along the coast north or south from the main beach. We chose to walk south following the dual use footpath along Marine Parade. This provided stunning ocean views out to Rottnest Island, Fremantle Harbour and even Garden Island heading south and stunning views of Cottesl

UPDATE - The secret garden surrounding the Careniup Wetlands is no longer a secret and it is also no longer as visually stunning. Much of the garden's appeal was the morning glory vines twisting and turning across fallen logs and growing trees providing a sense of magic. Morning glory is an invasive weed and over the past few years the City of Stirling has undergone massive rehabilitation works - getting rid of the weeds and restoring biodiversity and habitat to this import

Luckily it was an unseasonably cool summer's day as this walk was a bit more ambitious than originally thought but the kids (10 and 7) managed it without complaint. I think the drawcard of seeing turtles helped and fortunately the turtle pond did not disappoint. We set off after discovering the Jo Wheatley All Abilities Play Space on the Esplanade at Dalkeith. This is a fabulous fully fenced playground with parking, picnic and barbecues and toilets. We walked towards Mati

We headed down to the Jo Wheatley All Abilities Play Space in Dalkeith on a very cool summers day. The playground, located on the Esplanade, is right on the river front but is fully fenced with child safe gates at all access points. There are plenty of parking bays including ACROD bays and there is also off road parking for overflow. A Changing Places toilet block is located inside the playground with another toilet block immediately outside the gates. There are picnic ben

While visiting the Jo Wheatley All Abilities Play Space we thought we would also explore Birdwood Nature Playground as it sits just up the hill and within a few minutes walk from Jo Wheatley. Being explorers though we set out to do a loop from Jo Wheatley to Matilda Bay up to Mason Gardens to see the turtles and then back via Birdwood Nature Playground. Our loop took us 3 hours and was 13km long and although the 10 and 7 years olds didn't complain we were lucky it was a rat

The walk I did was another Wildflower Society of WA guided walk with David Pike sharing his in depth knowledge of the natural environment we passed through. There are plenty of well marked trails on both sides of Elliott Road to explore without the need for a guide. For the moment exploring the more extensive southern part of the reserve will have to wait for another day. As Trigg Bushland Reserve is quite extensive I would suggest downloading a map and planning your trail.

I have driven past this so many times without ever realising it was here. It is a bit of a tricky turn off from Stirling Highway at Boundary Road but recently signs have been erected to advertise the Buckland Hill WW2 tunnels which form an important part of Perth and WA's history. Although the Leighton Battery site is always accessible the museum and tunnels are open from 10 until 3 every Sunday with tours departing every 30 minutes. Entry to the tunnels is $8 per adult a

A multipurpose paved 2.5km path loops around Lake Gwelup Reserve. There is plenty of parking at the Scouts Hall and adjacent public carpark off Huntriss Road where you will also find toilet facilities, picnic benches, drink fountains and a playground. Tennis Courts are also located here and are free to use. If it is too busy here informal verge parking is available along Segrave Street. Having last walked this trail in 2018 we decided we were due a refresher and were not dis

On a weekend late in November the Rotary Jacaranda Festival Weekend is on in Applecross, celebrating the magnificent flowering Jacaranda trees with a fabulous market. Parking can be an issue as this is a popular event and some parking costs $10 a car so we chose to walk in to the festival eliminating the need to park. We started our walk at Ardross, parking at Troy Park (we did have to park on the edge as a cricket game was in progress at the club and the parking bays were

Historic Heart of Perth is a non-profit organisation established with the aim of revitalising Perth's east end and promoting it's great assets. Historic Heart of Perth provides 5 self guided, flexible themed walks covering Architecture, Art, Coffee, Small Museums and the Stadium walk between the city and the new Optus Stadium utilising the brand new Matagarup Bridge to cross the Swan River. Originally walked in 2018 we refreshed this walk in 2025 accessing the Historic Heart