Shepherds Bush, off Barridale Drive in Kingsley, is a lovely 17ha pocket of bushland perfect for a nature walk. We walked in late July when the Noongar season changes from Makuru to Djilba and more wildflowers are starting to bloom.
If your kids are keen bike riders this playspace is ideal as it includes a kid's bike skills track with road signs, pedestrian crossings and a petrol pump: perfect for the little ones. They can even practise their parking skills in the marked bays! There is a small playground with swings next to the bike skills track.
Further along is the Kingsley Pump and Jump track for BMX and mountain bike riders. The colour coded tracks cater for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders. I was lucky to get a bike free photo as it was very busy!
If your kids are too old for the bike skills track and not confident enough for the Pump and Jump Track they can easily ride on the trails through the bush reserve or they can explore the adjoining Robertson Road Cycleway.
The trails in the bush reserve are there and back trails but as each trail is about 3 minutes walk (1 minute cycle) each way you can easily track back and forth up and down each trail. The bush trails emerge into the suburb which has been planned with cul de sacs backing on to the reserve allowing residents easy access. Some of the trails have a slight incline but most are flat. The main paved trails are nice and wide making them universally accessible. There are some dirt offshoot trails if you want to explore further.
The bush here is reminiscent of the Yaberoo Budjara Trail although the tree canopy is not as high. What we noticed most was the number of beautiful grass trees. Although the wildflowers were not prolific there was a variety in flower if you looked closely. Interpretive signage is scattered along the various trails, informing you about the Noongar seasons, the bird life and the flora in the reserve, which is cared for by the volunteers at Friends of Shepherd Bush.
We did a small loop, exiting the reserve and following the Robertson Road Cycleway/shared use path for a short distance before reentering the bush on another trail. Our walk covered 2.3 km and took 30 minutes.
The Robertson Road Cycleway is a dedicated bike path that runs for 2.4 km from the Mitchell Freeway through the centre of Kingsley to Goolellal Drive, including safe passage across Barridale Drive and Moolanda Boulevard via overpasses. Some sections of the path have separate cycle and walk paths. The Cycleway is the long green line on the map below.
Parking bays are available along Barridale Drive. There are picnic benches and a barbecue at the playground and in August 2020 construction will start on toilet facilities.
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