Kings Park - Bushland Nature Trail
Updated: Sep 10, 2020
With a few hours to spare I decided to explore the Bushland Nature Trail in Kings Park. This trail is a 900m loop taking about 30 minutes to walk. Parking is available at the Botanic Garden car park off Forrest Drive or the nearby DNA Tower car park. There are toilet facilities at the Botanic Garden car park and vast green spaces for picnics directly across the road. The Trail can also be accessed from the Pines car park on Lovekin Drive.
I parked at the May Drive Car Park and walked up Broadwalk Vista, a 1.4km green strip connecting the east and west of the park. At the top of Broadwalk Vista is the DNA Tower and I climbed the 101 steps to the top for panoramic views of Perth. At the base of the tower I discovered the Firefighter's Memorial Grove.
From here it is a short walk to the entrance of the Bushland Nature Trail which is marked by an open Mia Mia sculpture and a mosaic featuring the Menzies banksia.
Being Spring I was expecting to see lots of wildflowers and I wasn't disappointed. The wildflowers are in their natural setting so you don't get the dense displays you see in the Botanic Gardens. The plants are all labelled and there are information panels as well so you can learn more about the plants you see. Guided walks are available from July to October which is the best time to visit this trail.
The trail is partly packed limestone but is mostly an elevated metal walkway which protects the delicate undergrowth but also means you are not able to see the flowers up close. I didn't take many photos as most of the plants were a bit too far away - I prefer close ups to get the detail of the flower.
On my return to the car instead of heading down Broadwalk Vista I chose a smaller trail running parallel to the wide open space and giving closer access to the wildflowers than the Bushland Trail.
There are so many other things to do in Kings Park. You can visit one of the four excellent playgrounds: May Drive Parkland, Variety Place Playground, Rio Tinto Naturescape or Ivey Watson Playground in the Lotterywest Family Area. There are lots of different walks to do as well as tracks through the bush areas to explore.
During the Kings Park Festival in September when the wildflowers are at their best you can design your own 30 to 90 minute walk through the beautiful Botanic Gardens.
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