Editing Perth (section)

=== Bushwalking ===

==== Kings Park ====
 
About half of Kings Park, or roughly 200 ha, is native bush. That much bush just 5 km away from the city centre! It is full of walking trails. You can find more info at the website of the management agency, go to: http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/

==== Bold Park ====

Bold Park is also managed by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, and recently had an upgrade in its facilities. It has some walking tracks, including one that takes you to the top of Reabold Hill and gives an amazing view to the city centre to the east, and to the coastline just to the west. You’ll notice how green and full of trees Perth is when you look out from this vantage point. Bold Park is next to Perry Lakes, where you can have a BBQ or picnic and maybe see some turtles in the water. To get to Bold Park, drive from the city towards City Beach, along Oceanic Drive, and you’ll see a sign to turn off into the park. Go check out City Beach afterwards! Info at: http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/

==== Other spots to check out ====

Trigg Bushland is a bushland near Trigg Beach, with lovely coastal bush and some walking trails. Make sure you also visit Trigg Beach and go snorkelling at Metam’s Pool.
Star Swamp bushland is a little north of Trigg, and has coastal and swamp elements of vegetation, and some lovely walking trails.

Herdsman Lake is a natural wetland and lake in Wembley with limestone walking trails around the lake.
Lake Monger is an artificial lake in Wembley/Leederville that has been revegetated with wetland species. It is chockers full of black swans and other birds. It has a 3.5km circle bike/walking path around it, so it’s great for outdoor exercise.

Wireless Hill in Booragoon is very nice bushland with some walking trails and good views.
Woodman Point is a bushland park on the coast south of Fremantle, with some nice walking trails through it.

Whiteman Park in the northeast of the metro region is a huge bushland reserve, mainly Banksia woodlands, with walking trails.

==== The Perth Hills ====

The Perth Hills contain an abundance of bushwalking tracks leading through these hills among the suburbs facing the city. Kalamunda, Lesmurdie, Gooseberry Hill, Walliston and Darlington all contain a number of bush tracks to wander along for a great escape to the outdoors. Perhaps the most accessible and closest to civilisation in the Perth Hills would be the Railway track which runs from the Zig Zag in Gooseberry Hill to central Kalamunda. It is an historical track that follows the path the trains ran a few decades ago.

The top of central Kalamunda is also the beginning of the Bibulmun track which runs nearly 1000 kilometres down to Albany. The Bibulmun track passes through several towns as it heads south and is divided into about 50 sections, each of which are approximately one day’s walk. The first section from Kalamunda runs through to Mundaring Weir and is highly recommended for easy accessibility to and from the track via public transport, not to mention the pubs located near each end of the section.

Other attractions among the Perth Hills that are also easily accessible are Lesmurdie Falls (Lesmurdie) and Piesse Brook which runs through the valley east of Kalamunda and Gooseberry Hill.

Another notable walk is the Cape to Cape walk on the south west coast of WA. It stretches along the full extent of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge covering a total of 135km of coastline. It starts at the lighthouse of Cape Naturaliste (west of Dunsborough) and finished in Cape Leeuwin (just south of Augusta).

John Forrest National Park is an excellent example of the Jarrah forest vegetation of the area, and the old railway tracks now make excellent trails. It’s 1600 ha in size, and about 26 km from Perth city centre.

The following websites are useful for aspiring bushwalkers:
* http://www.naturebase.org.au
* http://www.bowa.iinet.net.au
* http://www.perthbushwalkers.asn.au/
* http://www.john.chapman.name/wa-w.html
* http://www.perthbushwalkers.asn.au/