September is Waterfall and Wildflower season so we decided to hike the four trails within Ellis Brook Reserve in Banyowlah Regional Park. Most visitors hike the 60 Foot Falls Trail taking in the magnificent waterfall and Barrington Quarry but the lower walks are easier and have more prolific wildflowers. Blue Wren Ramble Trail Blue Wren Ramble is a 1.4km trail which winds it's way uphill linking the lower carpark and Honeyeater Hollow picnic area with the upper carpark and

We've hiked this trail a few times but have always walked clockwise so this time we decided to walk the trail anti-clockwise. From the Waterfall Gully Picnic Area stop to clean your boots to prevent dieback entering this beautiful valley. This is a loop trail so you can head to the left and cross the bridge for the clockwise loop or continue straight ahead for the anti clockwise loop. The trail immediately narrows and the stairs begin. The trail becomes rougher as you pass

This is a great trail for the kids as it is short but interesting. Djidi-djidi is a Noongar name for the Willie Wagtail and whilst we didn't see any of these on our hike we could hear lots of birds in the bush around us. Located in the Chittering Valley this short 1.5km return trail is a great add on to a day trip exploring the valley or heading further afield to Bindoon or Toodyay. In winter the valleys are lush and green and heading into spring the wildflowers and canola f

Baldwins Bluff is a challenging 6 km loop trail starting at Serpentine Falls then heading steeply uphill before levelling out on the ridge and offering stunning views across the valley to Serpentine Falls on one side and across the Swan Coastal Plain on the other side. We completed this trail at the end of the Kitty's Gorge one way hike from Jarrahdale to Serpentine Falls. There is a turn off from the Kitty's Gorge Trail before you get to the Falls. The trail starts with an

Lightning Swamp Bushland has a number of trails that criss-cross through it. The bushland is designed more for local use as it has no facilities. Access is actually quite difficult to find. We came in off Malaga Drive and did a few circuits before turning off at Mayer Close and parking on the street on Widgee Road. We then had to walk across Malaga Drive and walk up to the turnstile access point. The turnstile does move but makes pram or bike access tricky. A better acces

This beautiful reserve is tucked away at the back of Gidgegannup on Wooroloo Brook. You can access it by turning off Toodyay Road onto Reen Road and travelling 8.5km to the reserve which will be on your left. There is a sign at the entrance to the reserve but it is angled so is easy to miss. The track in to the reserve is red dirt and single lane so you may have to pull over to pass another car on the short road in - easy with a sedan but perhaps more problematic in a 4WD.

One sunny morning with rain forecast we set out to explore the Yaberoo Budjara Heritage Trail from Burns Beach Road. We regularly pass this trail and look at the dirt road going up the hill and think it looks a little boring but today we discovered that this road is an access road for vehicles and the trail starts on the western side of the Yaberoo Budjara sign. The map at the trail head provides information for this section of trail winding through Neerabup National Park

After walking the Railway Reserves Heritage Trail recently between Darlington and Glen Forrest we went back to explore the trail between Darlington and Boya. This section is only 2.1km each way so a round trip of just over 4 km which we completed in an hour. The trail is multi use so beware of cyclists. From Darlington it is downhill to Boya which means you are steadily climbing on the return. You can park at the old Darlington Railway Station which has long since disappear

This wonderful piece of bush is an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot with numerous unique species and habitats. The Warwick Bushland Jarrah Loop Trail is a 1.3km flat packed limestone trail to the north of Warwick High School and opposite the Warwick Stadium. Information signs have been erected along the trail detailing the flora and fauna found in the reserve. We walked this trail early in September on a Spring Wildflower Walk organised by Friends of Warwick B

A wildflower walk through Landsdale Park mid August revealed a multitude of gorgeous flowering plants. Exploring the bush trails for wildflowers at a slow pace this walk took about 2 hours but at a faster pace you could easily make it around in less than an hour and still stop to see lots of amazing plants. Landsdale Park is open for public access through a gate on Landsdale Road, just behind Landsdale Farm. A limestone interpretative walk trail runs through the park mark

It is always enjoyable going for a weekend drive to the country. Toodyay, just over an hour outside of Perth is a lovely country town with plenty of character. I regularly travel to Toodyay to visit family and always enjoy the drive, noticing how the different seasons affect the landscape. I prefer the drive along Muchea East Road off the Great Northern Highway. This becomes Chittering Road and then turn right at Julimar Road. This is a very pretty drive through rolling h