Herdsman Lake Loop - Ngurgenboro
- Out and About
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
Herdsman Lake Regional Park is Perth’s largest inner metropolitan wetland and consists of permanent water bodies, seasonally dry wetlands and open parklands. It is part of a narrow chain of wetlands that extends parallel to the coast from Yanchep in the north to Mandurah in the south. It is home to over 100 species of birds and serves as an important breeding ground and a summer refuge for migratory birds.
This park has a rich history and cultural heritage. Local Noongar and Yellagonga Aboriginal people used the area as a food source and called it Ngurgenboro (Noogenboro). It was also settled by Europeans and the heritage listed Herdsman Lake Settlers Cottage, on the western side of the lake, provides an insight into early settler life.
A shared pathway extends all the way around the lake forming a 7km loop trail perfect for cycling or walking. Pets are permitted but must be on leash and they are not allowed at the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre. Parking is available at the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre at the southern end of the lake in Wembley or at the northern car park off Jon Sanders Drive, Herdsman. Toilets are available at the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre, when open.
We started from the Discovery Centre and walked clockwise crossing a small channel and turning right to follow the limestone path which skirts the lakes western foreshore.
The path continues through Maurice Hamer Park where there is another small playground then skirts the wetlands and diverts to the right at the access to Halcyon Way.
The path continues past the Floreat Waters Tennis Court and crosses the channel. Here you can divert 200m to have a look at the Herdsman Lake Settlers Cottage or continue on past a small wetland area on your right.
Where the paths intersect head to the right to loop around Floreat Lakes. You can also take the left hand path but the right hand path is much prettier as it heads north between the lake and the channel.
You will seamlessly cross the channel before heading west towards the lovely homes in Floreat Waters. This is where the trail offers a sidetrip to a lookout - well worth the 250m!
Continue around the lake heading north to Popeye Lake Playground and the northern carpark. There are information panels here and stunning views across the lake to the city skyline.
The trail continues to follow the lake through the bush with occasional lake views and a side trail to Balgay Bird Hide. Although this section takes you through paperbark forest the constant noise from traffic on Jon Sanders Drive made it the least enjoyable part of the walk.
The trail heads west again away from Jon Sanders Drive passing the East Herdsman Playground and continuing on to Moondine Park. This section also forms part of the Yange Kep Bidi.
Once back at the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre be sure to detour and explore the stunning Olive Seymour Boardwalk where you can see many different birds out on the water. For more information on the boardwalk and the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre view the separate blog: https://www.outandaboutfnc.com/post/2018/05/10/olive-seymour-boardwalk-herdsman-lake
Discover family resources for exploring Herdsman Lake Regional Park at Nature Play WA. The Every Kid in a Park project, by Nature Play WA, connects kids with WA's greatest assets - the amazing outdoors! It supports families of children of all abilities in accessing and enjoying local parks, nature reserves, beaches, and national parks all around Western Australia with free resources such as an app, an activity booklet and much more.
On reflection I would probably choose to walk the western side of the lake and leave the eastern side for a bike ride. The western side is stunning and if you walk south along this trail as opposed to walking north as we did you have the city views in front of you. There and back along the western side between Popeye Lake Car Park and the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre would still be about 7km and a 2 hour walk. An alternative shorter walk is to loop around Floreat Lakes: https://www.outandaboutfnc.com/post/popeye-lake-loop-herdsman
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I love wandering along trails, both marked and unmarked, and sharing my discoveries with my Out and About FNC community. If you enjoy reading my blogs please consider a small donation which will be used towards the costs of keeping the website up to date and relevant.
In the spirit of reconciliation Out and About- Family Nature Connection acknowledges the traditional owners of the Wadjak Boodjar (Perth land) and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
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