Entries about walk

This turned out to be one of those days where looking back over it, you think 'There's sooo much more I could have got done'. But then, considering the things that popped up... you actually didn't do too badly!

As mentioned in a previous blog post, Clancy had needed to visit a doctor earlier in the week, where he had been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia and told to visit the hospital emergency department if things worsened. Well things had slightly degenerated since then, so it was decided a trip to emergency was warranted before we left Hobart, to confirm that things were still ok. And clarify what level of physical activity would be recommended or not. Considering we'd planned to do a lot of walks involving carrying both children, this could drastically alter our travel plans. If not destroy them altogether.

We figured going in and being able to act on whatever results were given during regular business hours would be the best thing to do, just in case a total new set of plans were needed to be made. Having experienced numerous emergency room wait times elsewhere, we were pleasantly surprised and got seen rather quickly! The staff member who assessed Clancy was great, and explained things very well. The verdict on how much he was able to do was also rather reassuring. Stating that easy to moderate walks should be fine so long as Clancy took it easy, and didn't try carrying Sonia for any of them! Worked fine for him! I didn't mind too much either, as it meant we wouldn't have to totally change our previous plans. Alter them yes, but not start again from scratch and miss out on many of the things we really wanted to see.

So having gained this knowledge, it was time to get back to exploring Tasmania! And for today... it was the Arve Road and Tahune Airwalk.

Geeveston

• We got to Geeveston in time for us to once again enjoy a local bakery's hot food.
• Clancy then took Sonia to find the towns local playground, while I visited the library to quickly print off some documents and feed Kaden.
• Looked like there was a nice area of parkland with a creek/river running through it to explore if we'd had the time for a walk as well.
• There were also many wonderful woodcarvings of local people who'd had an impact on the community.
• The Forest and Heritage Centre then became our meeting point, where we all enjoyed the museum, tasting different types of honey, and picked up information on Arve Road, and tickets for the airwalk.
• Sonia really enjoyed the playground and interactive items in the museum

Arve Road

• This's the road out to the Tahune Airwalk from Geeveston.
• There were numerous well signed things we could look at or do along the way.

Keogh's Creek Walk

• A nice short loop walk, with boardwalk running beside and crossing over Keogh's Creek.
• Sonia enjoyed being able to run free and explore (until she got reigned in by us telling her she had to be able to see us!), and climbing up into the base of a big tree.
• I carried Kaden in the Ergo carrier, but could have easily used the pram.

West Creek Lookout

• This was a nice lookout to see the tops of trees and bushes covering the slopes of a deep steep valley right beside the road.
• The sign about bushfires, and how some firefighters saved themselves in the fire of 1967 really caught my interest having experienced a few smaller fires myself in farmland.

Arve Picnic Area

• This area looked really nice beside the Arve River as we drove past

Big Tree Lookout

• We actually stopped in to look at this one on the way back out from the Tahune Airwalk.
• The lookout platform was under repair, however we were still able to see the tree and read the information signs.

Tahune Airwalk

• This was a great walk and well worth the cost to go on it.
• I carried Kaden in the Ergo baby carrier as we weren't sure how many steps were likely to be involved.
• Following the main walking tracks from the river up to the start of the airwalk platform there were quite a few steps. But the platform itself would've been fine for a pram, and it looked like they catered for wheelchair access as well with a labeled parking area beside the start of the actual airwalk platform entrance.
• Looking out through, and then over the trees was awesome. Gave you a totally different perspective. Enabling you to appreciate the bush on a whole new level.
• The view from the cantilever lookout was awesome!
• Sonia once again loved being able to run free. She also liked the perspex at the end of the cantilever lookout. Totally scaring Clancy as she leant against it to look out!
• Sonia didn't really want to keep walking after we got off the airwalk platform. Continually asking to be carried. We managed to encourage her to keep walking, counting the number of steps in each block of steps with her, and making Clancy tally them all up together! (Got up to about 67 steps. Started counting part way through though). Plus keeping an eye out for fungi.
• There were some nice picnic areas beside the river.
• I would've liked to have been able to do more of the walks available, but once again, kids and time did not allow.

Sonia and her starry pink gumboots!

I grabbed one of Sonia's shoes to take as a size sample (she was fast asleep), and went to see if they had anything... nope... smaller, and much bigger... but none anywhere really near Sonia's size. Back to the car, where Sonia'd woken up and I realised the Mitre10 we'd parked in front of was also still open for another minute or two. So in we rushed to find plenty of kids gumboots in army camouflage colouring, or sparkly pink with silver stars. You can guess which one's Sonia wanted! Sorry, Kaden... pink it's going to be when you get older unless Sonia totally wears them out first! Finding the right size was then not as easy as we'd thought it'd be with all the different sizes available. I narrowed it down to 7's and 8's, with 7's looking like they fit really well right then, but 8's looking like they may have been a bit too big, but had better growth room available. Decided on the 8's, and off we went, just as they started shutting up for the night.

The next morning however, when Sonia was having fun running around with her new boots... I soon realised that we probably should've grabbed the 7's. When she'd put her feet into them and stood still, allowing me to squash the toes to see how much room there was, she'd pushed her feet as far forward as they'd go, leaving half an inch or so between her heel and the back of the boot! So yes, that's why the 7's would've felt too small for her toes to grow, and why they would've looked a better fit when she walked. Oh well, she didn't seem to have any issues walking in the 8's (or running and jumping for that matter!), so we kept them, and didn't need to struggle at any time to get them on or off whenever we got in/out of the car or campervan when we had that.

But in summary of the Arve Road and Tahune Airwalk day... we really did manage to see and do a fair bit. Especially considering the late start we'd had to the day. What with the much shorter number of daylight hours, and experiencing a day at Bruny Island, a day to do the Tahune Airwalk, and a future day to do the Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs, it was really confirming that being able to stay more local to see and do what was available in an area, would've dramatically improved a lot of things in general.

For a slower day where you're able to do a variety of things close together, the Hastings Caves and Thermal Springs are well worth it. The way the whole area has been set up accentuates all the natural sights really well, creating a totally relaxing atmosphere. Nice walks, interesting information signs, pool, outdoor and undercover picnic areas with big fireplaces, hot showers in the change rooms... They also cater for wheelchairs (excluding cave entry unfortunately). We all totally enjoyed our day exploring this area, and also managed to return in time to get all our accumulated clothes washing done!

Roads

• Clancy enjoyed the C636 road heading to Southport, saying that he'd like to do it on his motorbike.
• We found the dirt road off the C636 that takes you into the caves and thermal springs to be very corrugated and rather slippery, considering all the rain it had recently had, and continued to get while we were there.

Newdegate Cave

• You need to book your ticket at the information centre (this's well signposted) before continuing onto the cave parking area.
• We parked beside an old tree stump with a rather old looking can on top of it at the cave parking area, which rather fascinated me!
• It was then a further five minute walk along a boardwalk and up some steps to the cave entrance, where we had to wait for the tour guide to enter the cave.
• The cave had a lot of interesting formations, and the tour was very informative.
• According to the brochure we'd picked up, there were approximately 245 steps each way inside the cave.
• Sonia enjoyed the steps, but also wanted 'up' for a fair number of times too. It was definitely easier for her to walk up the steps than down.
• Kaden didn't really want to be in the Ergo baby carrier on Clancy's back though!

Thermal Springs

Me feel water dad!

• We enjoyed lunch at the information centre - Felt like forever waiting for the kids to finish so we could go see the thermal springs, but that's kids!
• Exchanged our national parks pass printout for the correct access pass while waiting for the kids to finish lunch. It came with a little passbook that you could stamp at each place you went to as well. Was really great for those places that still had the stamps. Many parks no longer had them unfortunately. Cradle Mountain National Park staff explained to us that their stamps for the passbook had been stolen!
• The thermal pool area was really nice. Could see why the brochure mentioned it being a local picnic spot. - Picnic and moss/grass areas, pool, barbecues, large sheltered area with numerous wood fireplaces, change rooms with nice hot showers, toddlers paddle pool.
• Sonia enjoyed the pools, but they were still too cold for me and Clancy. I'd probably enjoy them more in summer.
• The Platypus walk and Thermal Springs circuit walk were also really good. Going through various different types of bushland, allowing you to see and feel some of the thermal spring water at it's source, and also have a chance to look for platypus. We didn't get to see any.
• Sonia enjoyed running and looking at all the different things along the sides of the track while I carried Kaden. We could've used the pram, but didn't think the walks were really long enough to warrant a trip back out to the car to get it.

Vroom!!

After swapping our hire car for a campervan and visiting with friends in Hobart, we made it out to Mount Field National Park early enough to go for a quick walk into Russell Falls before having to start on making tea and re-organising the van. The track into the falls was well maintained and wheelchair accessible, so really easy with our pram and buggy board. The falls themselves = Amazing!! Well worth the good reviews they get.

We filled out the self booking and payment envelope, then set up camp in the national parks campground near the Tyenna River. The information centre and cafe were within easy walking distance, and the amenities were nice and clean (toilets, showers, laundry, outdoor undercover camp kitchen). My old age habit of immediately checking out the amenities and facilities as soon as a site was chosen had already kicked in! It was then time to put the campervan to it's first real test. Correction... put us as new campervanners to our first real test. Preparing and eating an evening meal, setting up the beds, and finally, sleeping! We survived, but if it'd been a true test... I wouldn't like to even hazard a guess at what our score would've been! As explained in my previous post 'The Campervan...', it was interesting. Some improvement was undoubtedly required!

The following morning continued to be interesting, but with some noticeable improvements thankfully. After breakfast, Clancy took the kids on a walk to explore the banks of the river while I finished attempting to get some order back into what had quickly become disorder. By the time they returned, I finally had it sorted, with the framework of a possible plan of attack for the evenings and mornings that were to follow in my mind. This was quickly explained to Clancy as we drove to check out the information centre, before getting ready to go for a walk past Russell Falls, and up some steps to see Horseshoe Falls.

Clancy wasn't quite feeling up to the steps involved, so he and Kaden enjoyed the warmth of the information centre, while Sonia and I headed out to the falls. It was the first time I'd really used the Kathmandu child carrier backpack for any length of time, and I found it not too bad. My hip joints were starting to tell me about it by the time we got back though, and it wasn't even that long of a walk! Felt like as if I'd done a really long day mustering through really hilly, rocky country, on foot, whilst pregnant! I put it down to being unfit and needing more exercise to get my muscles and joints used to it all again. Sonia didn't mind the carrier either, so long as she was able to keep her feet resting on part of the framework. The main advantage was that it made the time required for completing the walk a lot faster than if Sonia had walked as well. She did end up walking the last ten minutes or so after seeing some other toddlers running along the track in front of us.

Horseshoe Falls were really nice to see as well. We missed out on going the full circle to see Lady Barron Falls (had to return for lunch with the otehrs), but we did get to see our first pademelons quickly jumping across the path in front of us, before hiding under a fallen tree. Sonia thought they were 'baby roo', after previous contact experiences with the kangaroo my parents had raised. They didn't stick around too long though, before taking off again after being frightened by another group of people coming up the path. It took us a while to get used to saying 'pademelon' (small kangaroo/wallaby) without immediately thinking of 'paddy melon' (invasive melon plant)!

Regarding the time that it's taken us to complete the walks that we've been on so far, we've found that if using the pram and buggy board, it'd generally take us about 10-15 minutes longer than the signs recommended. If Sonia wanted to walk for part or all of the way, it would then totally depend on how far it was, and how well she walked! But on average, it would generally be about 20-40 minutes extra. If we carried the kids, the signs were pretty accurate with their estimates.

After lunch we drove up to the first lookout point on the way up to Lake Dobson. Considering the slipperyness, narrowness, softness of the road edges, and number of packed cars that passed us on their way down, we decided that would be far enough for us. We enjoyed the view, then turned around to continue on towards Derwent Bridge and Lake St Claire National Park.

Rosebery

• After rewashing and drying everything for the second time in Queenstown (following a full night of projectile vomiting from an 11month old boy), we managed to get to Rosebery in time for lunch.
• Didn't think we'd be able to make and eat lunch, then walk to and from Montezuma Falls before nightfall, so delegated that for the next day.
• Good parking area in town with playground and skate park nearby for kids to play in while I made lunch.
• Both parks looked to be getting a good workout by the local kids despite the wet, windy weather.
• Found a nice cafe opposite the IGA to get the hot chips that'd been promised for when lunch had been fully consumed. Seemed to be the local hangout for quite a variety of different age groups too.
• Then on to the Rosebery Cabin and Tourist Park - Signs up saying check in preferably after 4pm when office opens, but feel welcome to choose a site and see staff after 4pm.
• By the time we'd chosen a relatively sheltered spot and organised the van ready for the evening, it was 4pm.
• Paid for the site, then went for a walk to see Stitt Falls which were just below the caravan park, and continued on a loop past the town pool and oval, through some bush up to the townsite, and back around past the local mine to the campground.
• Stitt falls hadn't been on any of the maps we'd seen, but they seemed pretty good to us.
• Thought the sign at the entrance to the Rosebery mine site was pretty good too: 'Australia's safest mine? Not yet - we're working on it!'

Montezuma Falls

• Getting there and preparation

Rain continued on and off all night, and into the following morning. Not quite what we were hoping for... but it was either do the walk and see the falls today, or forget the falls and keep going. Decided we may as well try it and see how we went.

Not far out of Rosebery on the way towards Queenstown, is the turnoff to Montezuma Falls and Williamsford. It was bitumen for most of the way in, before turning to gravel to go down the hills past the old Williamsford cemetery and town site, to the start of the Montezuma Falls track (Approx 6km from main road into walk carpark). There was a decent sized gravel parking area, with two creeks flowing nearby. Some picnic tables, and a toilet not far into the start of the walking track.

I was starting to wonder, did I really want to do this? It was raining constantly, and Clancy wasn't feeling too well, so really didn't want to do the predicted three hour walk. Finally decided that Clancy would stay and have a sleep with Kaden, while Sonia and I went in to see the waterfall.

A 22 seater bus arrived at the carpark not long after us, with a group tour. I asked their guide, who said he thought a pram should be able to get through to the falls ok as there were a few steps, but no really bad sections that he could remember. Well.... it was ok for me. I did it with the stroller and Sonia, but wouldn't really recommend that method for anyone else unless it's good dry weather! The pram and I were totally soaked and muddy by the time we got back. Sonia managed to sleep for most of the trip back too, despite the bumpiness.

I'd read the track was an old tramway and therefore fairly level, and had been debating between the pram and Kathmandu child carrier backpack. I didn't really want to have to carry Sonia in the backpack by myself for 3hrs, with her constantly wanting up/down. It would've totally killed my back and hips by the end of the walk, and so therefore, with a bit of confidence from the guide, decided on the pram with raincoats, and whatever we could fit in our pockets. ie, water bottle, mandarines, muesli bars, and camera.

• The Track

The track into the falls is mostly one joined track, but there are atleast 2 sections where the track divides for those walking, and those with bikes. The bike sections ford across rocky creeks on a 4WD track, where as the walking sections often involved some steps, and a narrower bridge. We chose the walking sections, as the creeks were too high for the pram at that time.

Clancy and Kaden walked the initial 10-15mins in with us before turning back for the campervan. Not far past the toilet, you go down a steeper section to the first wooden bridge, and then up another steeper section with rocks as steps, to get back to the main tramway track. Sonia walked these sections while I carried the folded up stroller heading in, and I figured she could do the same on the way back out. In regards to the correlation between track and pram.... there were both good and bad patches of track.

- The Good: Wherever the track was rocky or like rough gravel, basic wooden 4WD bridges, walking bridges.

- The Bad: Deep mud, fallen rock slides, tramway sleepers where there wasn't a better walkway beside them.

- For walking: The only bad was the mud!

The tourist group that'd arrived in the bus not long after us, comprised mostly of Asian girls, some wearing very good neat casual clothes, heels, and wedges. Not quite what I would've thought appropriate clothing for that track on that day. But then again, who am I to judge. I was taking a 2.5yr old toddler through the same rain and mud in a pram! And at a fairly fast pace too considering the conditions. I passed the tail end of the group on the way into the waterfall, and then again on the way out as well.

• The Waterfall and Suspension Bridge

The waterfall, creek, suspension bridge, and history was amazing! Well worth the walk in good weather. The walk would be much nicer then too! Others may not have thought it worth the struggle, but I was glad I battled my way through the rain and mud with toddler and pram to see it all. There's quite a lot of spray from the waterfall that comes out over the viewing platform near the base of it, so trying to get good photo's was interesting. Water droplets on the lens from not only the continuing rain, but also from the waterfall's spray got rather annoying! Sonia and I enjoyed the food and water we'd brought along as well. Talking to the group's tour guide, we found out he knew one of our neighbour's from when I used to live on a farm in Toodyay, WA!

The suspension bridge was a lot of fun! Sonia and I really enjoyed it. It gave a totally different perspective and view of the falls and valley. Only two people were allowed on the bridge at one time, and I made sure I hung on to Sonia's hand like crazy the whole time we were on the bridge. I also made sure I had my camera well and truly secured to my wrist!

• The walk back

Heading back, Sonia wanted to walk and run, so she walked, jumped, or ran down the tramway sections while I carried the pram. That was much easier than on the way in where I'd bumped the pram around or over the tramway sleepers. She did end up totally soaking her shoes and feet in the mud and puddles, but that was unavoidable, so oh well. Once we got through the tramway sections (they're all mostly at the waterfall end of the track), Sonia got back into the pram, where I then proceeded to pull her backwards for the rest of the way on the back two wheels only. This was much easier, especially through the bad sections. And with the hood fully pulled down (Valco stroller hood fully pulled down nearly covers the whole seat!), and a raincoat covering from the hood to the footrest, she soon fell asleep out of the wind and rain.

I was expecting to have to wake Sonia so she could walk through the steep sections and first bridge close to the beginning of the track, but the group guide had walked back to check on the tail end of his group, and helped me carry the pram through instead. Very much appreciated!!

Got back to the campervan, where Clancy and Kaden were stirring from a good sleep. We woke Sonia up so she could get into some clean, dry clothes, and found that only her outer layers were wet! All her internal layers were still nice and dry! I grabbed the big umbrella and a change of clothes to go change in the toilet, while Clancy cooked up some nice hot two minute noodles for a late lunch for everybody.

Timing from the start of loading the pram, to getting changed and dry... we'd managed the walk in about four hours. Considering the conditions and everything else... I reckon we did pretty well!! When I got back to the campervan, I felt like I could have kept on walking with Sonia in the pram as she was at the end, for another hour or so. If I'd had her in the backpack, I reckon I would've had badly aching hips by the time I got to the waterfall, let alone the return trip.

• Recommendations

So, after successfully completing the walk with the pram this way, my recommendations are...
- If Dry: Go for it however you want. Walk, baby/child carrier, pram... whatever.
- If Wet: Gumboots!!! Umbrellas/good rain gear, pram if prepared for mud and a rough trip! Baby/child carrier if it's not going to affect you physically.
- Whatever the conditions: Enjoy the walk, the suspension bridge, and waterfall!!

As you can probably tell from the title of this blog, this day turned out to be a rather enjoyable highlight of the trip. With Sonia and myself finally being able to see a platypus in the wild. And for a decent length of time too, not just a quick glimpse!

But before we get to that, we couldn't leave Devonport without a visit to Mersey bluff,... and go through Latrobe again, without a return visit to the Anvers Chocolate Factory and Cherry Shed!

• Mersey Bluff

We hadn't originally planned to stay in Devonport, and wanted to keep moving relatively quickly, but didn't want to miss out on something iconic to that area either. So on leaving the Devonport Discovery Holiday Park, we asked the reception staff what they'd recommend that was quick and simple to see/do for toddlers around Devonport. They recommended the Mersey Bluff lighthouse. It was an interestingly painted lighthouse, with distinctive red stripes facing out to sea. We held Kaden, and had to keep an eye on Sonia with the cliff edges being so close, but she enjoyed being able to run around the lighthouse and look down on the crashing waves. The view across the mouth of the River Mersey wasn't too bad either.

• Anvers Chocolate Factory

There was no way Clancy would let us drive past this place again without picking up some more extremely yummy chocolate! After visiting it for the first time during the Latrobe Chocolate Winter Festival, we found this visit to be much more relaxed and enjoyable. Less people, easier parking, different things being made etc. We also found another rather fun children's activity available, that we previously hadn't seen. A bouncy truck. The truck was on springs, and Sonia really did not want to leave it! We finally managed to coax her out of it to go and taste some different chocolate samples at the Anvers Tasting Centre. Took a while to decide what we'd buy, and ended up choosing a mixed box of truffles. We'd previously bought a mixed box of pralines. Both very yum!

• The Cherry Shed

As with the Anvers Chocolate Factory, we couldn't bypass the Cherry shed again without restocking our supply of chocolate coated cherries. While Clancy picked up the desired treats, Sonia, Kaden and I went to have a last play and look out of the big cherries.

• Axeman's Hall of Fame

After missing this attraction during the Latrobe Chocolate Winterfest, I'd been looking forward to having a quick glimpse, but had since forgotten that there'd now be an entry fee involved. So yes, considering Clancy wasn't really interested, I'd already seen a fair bit of this sort of thing traveling around the south west of WA, our time frame, and the cost to go through, we decided we'd skip it this time as well, and push on to see if we could see a platypus instead. So after obtaining more information about the Warrawee Reserve, saying goodbye to the big flying platypus, and picking up some Subway for lunch, on we went in search of a good picnic spot, and the ever elusive platypus.

• Warrawee Forest Reserve

The Warrawee Forest Reserve isn't far out of Latrobe (follow Hamilton St, which turns into Shale Rd), with the last section of road through the reserve being gravel. We found a nice picnic spot nestled in a bend of the Mersey River, and enjoyed our lunch with a decent sized flock of friendly Superb Fairywrens or Blue Wrens as they're otherwise known. Sonia and Kaden really enjoyed watching them zip around chasing crumbs or whatever else they could find.

While I fed Kaden, and waited for Sonia to finish her lunch, Clancy wandered around looking at different things, and found about 22 marbles scattered around the picnic area we were at. Seemed like they kept popping up everywhere! After Sonia had finally finished eating, I took her down to be able to throw some stones into the river while Clancy watched Kaden for a while. Sonia really enjoyed being able to do this, seeing how far she could throw them, and how big a splash she could make. I enjoyed the numerous smooth, flat river stones that were around for skimming. I managed to get one to bounce atleast 10 times, but generally averaged about 5-7 bounces. I thought that was pretty good!

What's down here Dad?

Moving on from the picnic area, we found a boardwalk bridge that'd been removed for some reason. It would've allowed us to cross over the creek that ran between two ponds/lakes, as a shortcut to the main boardwalk and viewing platform. Instead, we now had to walk the whole way round the big pond/lake to get there. Clancy didn't really feel like having to return via the same route round the lake/pond to get back to where we'd parked the van, so decided he'd keep Kaden and stay near the gazebo on that side of the lake.

Sonia and I continued on around the big lake/pond to the start of the boardwalk, but decided we'd continue on down through the bush beside the following smaller pond, before coming back to check out the boardwalk. Whilst doing this, we spotted bubbles rising in the smaller pond, but didn't think much of it, as we'd seen similar bubbles in the big pond/lake, and nothing seemed to come of them except an occaisonal duck or other waterbird.

We continued on, following what seemed like an old track round the pond, and came to a sort of causeway across an outlet for the pond to flow back into the Mersey River. We squatted down behind some reedy bushes and continued to watch the bubbles for a while. Much to our surprise, a platypus surfaced, and started skimming across the surface of the pond directly for the causeway!! It changed direction a bit as it got closer, and duck dived to rummage around the reeds, bushes, and banks of the pond leading away from the causway. I managed to keep Sonia quiet, and tried to get as many photo's and videos as possible to take back to show Clancy.

I didn't really want to move in case we scared it, but this decision ended up being made for us. The platypus seemed to have had enough of scrummaging round the edges of the pond near where we were, and went to climb out and over the causeway! It spotted Sonia and I near the bushes not far away, and quickly dove back into the pond. I decided that would be the best time for us to make an appropriate get away, and leave him/her in peace.

We headed back to the boardwalk and viewing platform, where we found Clancy had driven our van to wait on the road above it. After getting a few more photo's and savouring the area a while longer, Sonia and I climbed the bushy bank to have fun showing Clancy the photo's and video's we'd taken of the platypus.

• Christmas Hills Raspberry Farm

And once again.... another not to be missed chocolate opportunity! Clancy ran in and picked up some chocolate coated raspberries, then stayed in the van with a sleeping Sonia, while I took Kaden for a walk around the lake near the cafe. It was a nice short walk that could have accommodated a pram ok. There were also various interesting signs providing information on the history, and flora and fauna of the area.

• The Honey Farm

The Melita Honey Farm is located in the small town of Chudleigh, between Mole Creek and Deloraine. It had a lot of fun interactive displays for both young and old alike, prividing a vast amount of educational information. I found the indoor glass beehive rather interesting, being able to see the bees working in the hive. Sonia however prefered to watch the bees coming and going from the regular box hives through the window outside.

She also enjoyed a display set up where you'd have to look through a small viewing window, to see colourful picture panels moving round at the push of a button. She did need my help to lift her up to the viewing window for that one though. And we all enjoyed tasting the many different varieties of honey and nougat available! We would've loved to bring some different varieties of honey home with us, but would have had to surrender them as soon as we landed back in WA due to quarantine regulations. So nougat it was instead.

• Deloraine Apex Caravan Park

We camped beside the Meander River in Deloraine at the Apex Caravan Park, and managed to enjoy an early night thanks to arriving a bit earlier, and constantly improving evening routine. This campground had required us to ring earlier to be able to obtain a key for the amenities, which we picked up from the caretaker living across the road and railway tracks. In the morning however, when I went to return the key, I didn't see the board on his front verandah for early morning key drop off's, and woke him up knocking on the door! So for those likely to be staying there and wanting to return their keys earlier, make sure you ask what they want you to do for this, and be very observant!

• Liffey Falls

It was a bit of a trip into the Liffey Falls State Reserve from Deloraine, with the smaller more bendy access road to the falls turning to gravel not long after leaving the A5 Highland Lakes Road. If we'd had a bigger style motorhome, I don't know if we would've made it round some of the tighter slippery wet bends ok. It was definately worth the trip in though, with a nice easy walk, and some rather picturesque falls.

The track to the upper cascades was a gentle to moderate downhill walk that we could've easily taken the pram on. There were quite a few steps involved to get down to the bottom of the main falls though (still only gentle to moderate steepness), so we carried both Sonia and Kaden in baby carrier backpacks (Kathmandu and Ergo) to help reduce time. Sonia didn't want to return in the backpack however, so she walked for most of the return trip back up to the carpark and picnic area. Numerous informative signs were posted alongside the track which also caught Sonia's attention, as they incorporated a variety of drawings from primary school aged children helping to depict the written information.

There were quite a few picnic tables available, including some undercover ones. As we were leaving, driving around the picnic/parking area circle, I saw the sign for the Big Tree. Clancy stopped and stayed with the kids in the van for a while, allowing me to quickly run in to see the 50m tall Browntop Stringybark tree and grab some photo's. Not far from the picnic area toilet.

• Pencil Pines at Pine Lake

I'd read that Pine Lake beside the Highland Lakes Road, was one of the best and easiest spots to see Pencil Pines. Considering it wasn't too far from the Liffey Falls turn off, we decided we'd drive up to have a quick look. The drive on its own was worth it, as there were some really nice views of the Great Western Tiers. There was ice on the rocks beside the road, and with a strong wind blowing over the lake, it made for a rather cold walk. As Clancy wasn't really interested in going for another walk and the kids had once again fallen asleep, I left them in the warmth of the van and ran down the boardwalk to see the trees closer up, and grab some more photo's.

• Deloraine

We got back to Deloraine in time for a picnic lunch at the Deloraine Train Park beside the Meander river. We found this to be a great spot, as it looked to be well maintained, had a fenced in playground for younger children, a bigger open playground for older kids, old train that could be climbed on, decent toilets, and nice views of the river and bridges. We were lucky it was nice and sunny at that time, as both Sonia and Kaden really enjoyed being able to play freely on the fenced in playground. Before continueing on to see some of the sculptures around the town, we went for a walk over the fun bouncy walk bridge across the river. Sonia had a lot of fun trying to get it to bounce with some help from mum!

• Scottsdale

After leaving Ben Lomond National Park and looking at some of our maps, we decided we'd head up the Camden Hill Road (C405) to cut through to the Tasman Highway (A3) to get to Scottsdale. This was another winding dirt road through forests and farmland with its fair shair of road kill. A nice drive, however the signage was a bit to be desired. We initially missed the correct turnoff for the A3, but finally figured it out when the next turnoff we came to had a sign at the junction explaining various road closures!

Phoning ahead to the number listed for the Scottsdale North East Park camping area in one of the brochures we had, we got the ok to camp there and found out it was a free campsite!! It was located at a really nice Lions park beside the A3 highway heading out of town towards Branxholm and St Helens. There were toilet and shower facilities (pay showers) available, power and water, a playground, picnic tables, shelters, and some short walking tracks. Considering our late arrival, we opted for a hot flannel face/hands/feet wash, and went straight to bed after a quick dinner. There was also a small lake beside the camping area, with quite a few large resident ducks. Clancy got a bit annoyed at them waking him up, but the kids enjoyed being able to chase them around in the morning!

Come morning, we decided to backtrack a bit to check out the Scottsdale Forest EcoCentre that we'd passed on the way into town the previous evening, only to find it didn't open on weekends. So onto the information centre, to find out that didn't open till 10:30am (was then 09:30am). After all that... we figured we may as welll continue on our way to Ralph's Falls via Legerwood.

• Legerwood Memorial Trees

Legerwood is a small town not far off the Tasman Highway (A3) between Scottsdale and Branxholm. Even if you're just travelling past on the highway, it's well worth the short detour in to Legerwood to see these amazing memorials to some WWI ANZACS, and read their stories.

• Ralph's Falls

Ralph's Falls are located approximately half - 2/3 the way along the Ringarooma/Pyengana Link Road or Mt Victoria Road (travelling from Ringarooma). It's a winding gravel road that'd only been opened relatively recently in 1998, joining Ringarooma and Pyengana, travelling through the Mt Victoria Forest Reserve. Considering the rather overcast day it was turning out to be, we weren't too sure if it was going to be worth it or not, but decided we may as well enjoy the drive and see how things developed. As it turned out, we ended up not being able to see a thing when we got there due to thick heavy fog.

The drive itself was interesting enough with some rather nice views before the fog closed in, and despite the extremely cold dampness and occaisional misty rain, I think we all generally enjoyed the short walk to Norm's Lookout. I wouldn't recommend it in foggy conditions, but if it's not foggy, I reckon there would be some amazing views. Once again we had to keep an eagle eye on Sonia, as all she wanted to do was jump off rocks or logs, and run along the wet slippery track. This behaviour was quickly stopped by a firm hold from Clancy as we got closer to the lookout however, as the last 50m or so was a bit too risky for that sort of thing from a 2.5yr old! The track became rather narrow and was very close to the cliff edge.

Near the carpark area, there was a decent sized BBQ/picnic shelter available, with utensils chained to the walls. Satisfying a toddlers curiosity looking through everything, we came across a Geocache by total accident! Clancy and I had previously enjoyed finding a few of these when we'd been based in Sydney, and hadn't even thought about possibly looking for some on our travels around Tasmania! So after signing the log and replacing the cache, on we continued to St Columba Falls.

• St Columba Falls

We were glad to find that these falls were below the cloud level that we'd previously experienced up at Ralph's Falls. There were good toilet and picnic facilities availalbe, and the top half of the falls were visible from the start of the track at the parking area. Some rather interesting historical information was available in the small shelter at the start of the track, including the background of the 'Pub in the Paddock', and a story about a lady who went missing for 9 days chasing a lost cow.

We were expecting quite a few steps so carried Kaden in the Ergo baby carrier, but the walking track down to the falls and viewing platform ended up being quite suitable for a pram. The falls themselves were awesome, and well worth the trip. We were also lucky in seeing an echidna crossing the road. Rather fat and fluffy compared to the ones I'm used to seeing in WA.

• Bay of Fires

After stopping for some lunch, lollies and information at St Helens, we headed on up the coast to Binalong Bay and The Gardens. The coastal red rocks were great! It would've been even more amazing on a sunny day, contrasting white sand, red rocks, ocean, blue sky, and green trees/bushes. This area is well deserving of the positive reviews it receives.

Kaden slept through most of the time we spent there, while Sonia thoroughly enjoyed being able to run and jump all over the large rocks and sand. I would've loved to have utilised one of the many free campsites available near the beaches to see the rocks at sunrise, but once again, we had to keep moving. This time it was so we could hopefully get down to Bicheno in time to join a penguin tour.

• Bicheno

As we were leaving Binalong Bay, we rang Bicheno Penguin Tours to see if there was any space available for us on the tour that night if we managed to make it down in time. There was, and thankfully, we got there with just enough time to pay for the tour and get on the tour bus, carrying the extra jackets we'd need to combat the cold wind. We weren't allowed to take any video's or photo's on the tour ourselves, but could later email the tour company to receive a copy of photo's that they had.

The kids were understandably hungry and tired, but did amazingly well to stay as quiet and as still as they did for the whole tour. We found it best to carry Kaden, and let Sonia walk (occaisonally carrying her as well). It was really good seeing all the penguins coming up through the rocks and steep banks to camp in all sorts of random hiding places. They were rather noisy, with interesting songs or calls, and apparantly smelt pretty bad when they opened their bowels. Thankfully, we didn't get to fully experience that side of them! The guides were also very excellent. Really knowledgeable, and interactive with all ages on the tour.

We'd organised to stay at the Bicheno East Coast Holiday Park, and had informed them that we could be late (ie, after reception shut, but before 10pm). No problem, just press the buzzer. Following the penguin tour, we ordered pizza from the nearby restaurant (very yum!), and finally got to the campground by about 7:15pm. Reception was obviously shut, so I pressed the buzzer and received a somewhat surprising response. A not very happy lady answered, stating we'd interupted her dinner!! I remained polite and didn't say much, but really felt like saying 'Sorry, but we did warn you, and the person I spoke to (I'd previously spoken to a man on the phone) said that would be fine, and to just push the buzzer when we got here!'

I'm glad I didn't say it, as the rest of our stay there was quite positive. We'd been given a very handy spot close to the bathrooms, laundry and enclosed kitchen, and Sonia and Kaden loved the playground that was available before leaving in the morning.

Bicheno

• Sonia, Kaden and I enjoyed the playground at the Bicheno East Coast Holiday Park while Clancy finished packing up, then off to start the days exploration.
• Diamond Island:

I'd previously read that it's possible to walk out to Diamond Island at low tide. Unfortunately for us, I later found out when we got into town, that low tide had been at 05:30am or 06:00am that morning. So no adventuring out to Diamond Island for us.

• The Bicheno Blowhole and Rocking Rock:

These were great to see (I think the huge rock sitting beside the blowhole is Rocking Rock, not 100% sure though!). With regular, decent sized spouts of water shooting up into the air, and plenty of large picturesque red rocks to enjoy running and jumping on.

Freycinet National Park

• Some of the beaches we visited:

1. 1. Friendly Beaches - Nice long stretch of sandy beach, with a few sections of rocks running down to the water. Seemed like there were some good spots available for camping as well if we hadn't needed to keep moving south.

1. 2. Richardsons Beach - This was easily accessed from the Freycinet National Park Visitor Centre, and provided some nice views over Great Oyster Bay. A short walk that was perfectly fine for a pram.

1. 3. Honeymoon Bay - We found this to be a really nice spot to enjoy a picnic lunch, and had it pretty much to ourselves for the time that we were there. Sonia and I enjoyed climbing up onto a soon to be island rock as the tide was coming in, then rejoined Clancy and Kaden to find more rocks that just begged to be clambered on. The water was calm and really clear as well, allowing us to see all sorts of interesting things amongst the rocks under the water.

• Cape Tourville Lighthouse:

The boardwalk/track up to and around the lighthouse was wheelchair accessible, and provided some amazing views looking south along the coastline.

• Sleepy Bay:

Another picturesque bay with contrasting red rocks, water, and sky. Nice short walk down some steps to the lookout vantage point. The track continues on to Little Gravelly Beach, but lunch was calling, so no visit from us this time.

• Wineglass Bay Lookout:

Well worth the time to climb all the steps to get there. The views are just stunning! After completing the Cape Tourville circuit walk and then clambering over a lot of rocks with Sonia and Kaden at Honeymoon Bay, Clancy really didn't think he'd survive the walk to and from Wineglass Bay Lookout, so opted to stay with the kids at the van and watch the wallabies around the carpark area.

I found that the first third of the track (or there abouts) would've been prammable, before the steps started, and never seemed to stop till getting right up to the lookout. A lot of track work seemed to be occuring while we were there as well, with numerous signs up explaining detours and closures of different tracks. I would've loved to have been able to share the awesome view from the lookout with Clancy, Sonia and Kaden, but ended up returning to find they'd enjoyed themselves just about as much watching the wallabies. The return trip dramatically got shortened for me, as I decided to have some fun and run (well, not really run as such, but more like a child pretending to be a horse!) down the steps! Hadn't really done this since coming down off a mountain with my brother quite a few years ago. Managed to stay on my feet and thoroughly enjoyed it! Reducing the total walk time for me down to about 45 minutes.

Coles Bay to Triabunna

• Another really nice, picturesque drive. With views of vineyards, bush, rolling farmland, and never ending coastline.

• Spiky Bridge:

An interesting convict bridge off the side of the Tasman Highway near Swansea, with stones set up like spikes on the top of the bridge walls.

• Triabunna Cabin and Caravan Park:

We'd rung ahead, and found that yes, this park was open at this time of year. They were quite happy for us to arrive late, choose a site, utilise the amenities and backpacker kitchen, then see them for payment in the morning. When we asked them in the morning, they highly recommended visiting Maria Island if we were prepared for longer walks and bike rides, as the ferry was free for the short time that we were there. Unfortunately for us, Clancy didn't think he'd be up to that with two young children in tow, so on we continued towards Port Arthur.

Busselton Jetty

We arrived into a very busy Busselton just before lunch time on Sunday, and were rather unsure how far we'd end up having to walk to get to the Busselton Jetty due to parking issues. We were pleasantly surprised and found a fairly well shaded spot really close to the jetty and information centre. Zipped into the information centre to pick up whatever information we could find (specifically a list of available campgrounds in the area, and what there was to do surrounding the jetty), then onto the jetty itself to purchase tickets to the Underwater Observatory (UWO) and have a quick look through the museum.

The first available tickets were for in 3hrs time and also included a return trip on the Jetty Train. This worked out really well, allowing us to enjoy a relaxed lunch and swim. We got a few interesting looks over lunch, having a picnic around the back of our dual cab hilux. We'd parked reversed up to a carpark island with pine trees in it providing plenty of shade, so laying the tailgate down for a table, Clancy sitting on one end of it, Sonia clambering all over the baggage in the tray, Kaden in his pram, and me on a camp chair... we enjoyed a quick, cheap, make as much mess as you want (within reason!), picnic lunch! Only thing we forgot was to take a photo!

Window 2	Fish!

Going for a swim, we found the water rather cold at first, but soon got used to it and rather enjoyed it. It was nice and calm while we were there, so mixing that with the gentle slope of the beach, it made for a rather fun and enjoyable, kid friendly experience. Clancy wasn't too enthused on getting wet, so Sonia and Kaden took turns begging Mum for 'spin/swing' out in the deeper water. Some older folk enjoying a relaxing swim nearby pointed out a decent sized crab slowly scuttling away in the water, not far from where I was spinning/swinging the kids. I'm glad they did, as not only did I not want to get nipped, but it was interesting to watch as it slowly continued on it's way.

To get to the end of the 1.8km jetty, you can walk, take the train, or possibly even ride a bike. We decided to take the train considering it was included with the UWO ticket, and would let us get away faster to head to our camp for the night. As it was a long weekend with rather warm weather, there were plenty of people enjoying the jetty. Fishing, walking, swimming, jumping/diving off the jetty... people everywhere! The train was well and truly at full capacity as well. One group of people who arrived a bit later during the boarding time ended up having to find individual seats scattered throughout the length of the train, rather than being able to sit together which they weren't too happy with. But yes, it was an enjoyable ride for all, and made the trip to the end of the jetty a fair bit faster and less strenuous than walking.

End of Busselton Jetty	Busselton Under Water Observatory	Window 1

The Underwater Observatory was great! It's basically a huge 9.5m diameter pipe or chamber with stairs slowly spiralling down around the inside of the walls. Windows at various levels allow you to look out at the fish and coral of the artificial reef growing underneath the jetty. Sonia and Kaden enjoyed looking out at all the fish and coral, but I think the stairs were a bit more enticing to them. Constantly wanting to run up and down. It's about 8m down to the ocean floor, and after listening to the guide's explanations on the way down the stairs, you're able to stay down there nearly as long as you want. Bearing in mind, if you miss the return train trip, you'll have to walk!

Window 3	More Stairs!

Ngilgi Cave

Ngilgi Cave, formally known as Yallingup Cave, is located not far from... you guessed it, Yallingup! After visiting the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse (where we'd picked up a cheaper dual ticket for both lighthouse and cave), we continued straight on to see the cave. And lucky for us, timed it just right to get onto the next tour before lunchtime.

Stalectite window	Stalectite

One rather wise thing that the staff recommended to us at the main desk, was to ensure that the kids (and us too if we needed) utilised the toilets before going on the tour. As it'd be about an hour or so before we got back and had access to facilities again. I'm guessing they'd had some misfortunate experiences! So yes, after a prompt visit to the toilets, and a quick play on the playground, it was time to start the tour.

The tour started with the explanation of an Aboriginal legend, a battle between a good spirit (Ngilgi) and an evil spirit (Wolgine), that gives the cave it's current name. This was also portrayed rather well in some eye catching (to kids atleast anyway!) artwork located around the start of the tour waiting area. Then it was on and down in to the cave itself via some rather steep steps.

Ngilgi Cave Formations	Ngilgi Cave Curtain

The guides provided a basic rundown of the cave at the base of the entry/exit steps, then let you wander through at your own pace. Letting you take as long as you wanted, with a guide located partway through to provide extra information and answer questions if required. At that point, they also had quite a few pieces of stalectites etc, that you could hold, and touch, and see what colours they made when light was shone through them, not just on them. Unfortunately for us, my attempts at photography did not turn out anywhere near as good as I'd hoped. These are the better few.

Ngilgi Cave Formations	Amphitheatre Roof

The formations themselves seemed fairly similar to those I'd seen in numerous other caves around Australia and the world, but it was still really interesting. Especially with all the different coloured lights they had set up to highlight the formations. What caught Sonia's attention, was a tunnel that had been made which allowed kids (and kids at heart!), to travel from the base of the entry/exit steps, down to a lower level of the cave. I followed her down, and had to keep reminding her to slow down so she didn't run into the person in front of her! Lots of fun for both of us. After that however, the main attraction for both Sonia and Kaden was trying to climb the hand railings, and once again... running up and down the many steps and walkways!

Ngilgi cave tunnel	Echidna carving

Kaden ended up falling asleep in my arms by the end of our slow cave journey, providing me with an impromptu workout climbing all the paths and steps to get out of the cave. Then while he continued to sleep, the rest of us started on a picnic lunch. To be ended with the promised ice creams and a look at all the interesting artwork in the nearby studio. Some really amazing pieces available if you have enough money.

Lesmurdie Falls

Lesmurdie falls are located in Lesmurdie Falls National Park, within Mundy Regional Park. The falls themselves are rather spectacular after recent rains, but expect to enjoy more rock climbing activities than water flowing activities during summer, or when there hasn't been rain for a while. The variety of wildflowers in late winter and throughout spring are also rather impressive to see.

There are two main access points to the falls. One at the top, and one at the bottom of the falls:

• Top of the falls

Falls Rd, Lesmurdie - This access point has a carpark, picnic tables, toilets, trail and park information sign.

• Bottom of the falls

Palm Tce, Forrestfield - This access point has a carpark, picnic tables, trail information sign.









Top of the Falls
Following the path down past the shaded picnic tables, you'll find a sign showing you the options of following the brook upstream to the cascades (150m), or downstream to the lookouts over Lesmurdie Falls (320m). These lookouts provide great views over both the falls and out through the valley to Perth. If you have toddlers that like to explore and climb like ours do, you may want to keep a close eye on them near the lookouts as there's plenty of toddler enticing things to see/do not far from the path, right beside the sharp drop.

Cascades above Lesmurdie Falls	Top of Lesmurdie Falls	Top section of Lesmurdie Falls

For those wanting to use a pram, the main concrete path leading down past the picnic tables does have several sections of steps. At present, there is the availability of going on the gravel beside the steps, but I'm not sure how long it will be before this gets eroded too much. Diverting off the concrete path near the first picnic table to follow a vehicle access track down to the track beside Lesmurdie Brook is another alternative. Whichever way you choose, you'll be able to get to the top of the first lookout, but that'll be it before more difficult and lengthier steps will require pram abandonment.

There are also some other trails leading off from this track above the falls, which will take you through the bush on the surrounding hillsides. Providing further great views of Perth and it's surrounds. Continuing further down the track from the lookouts at the top of the falls, you're able to walk down to the bottom of the falls. Bearing in mind that unless you have someone to pick you up from the entrance point down there, you'll need to make the return trip up the hill!

The first time I explored this area, I was about 6months pregnant, and had a rather energetic (except for going up hills!) 1.5yr old tagging along who wanted to jump off every rock she could find! I think I made it about a third of the way down before deciding to head back and see if there was a different access point to reach the base of the falls.

Bottom of the Falls
Whenever we're wanting a quick bush getaway for a few hours, this is one of the sites we most frequently visit. One, because its very close to where we currently live, and two, because it's a nice easy place to let the kids pretty much run free and explore as much as they want (bit more cautious of snakes during the warmer months though!).

Gumnut discovery	Running down rocks	This track mum!

Splash!	Trying to pick some flowers	Finding smooth rocks

The track to the base of Lesmurdie Falls from the Palm Tce car park follows along beside Lesmurdie Brook (480m). Prams can make it nearly halfway along the track, up to the second bench seat. After that there's quite a few rocks to navigate. Once you reach what looks like the end of the track, it is quite easy to walk/climb beside the rock wall of the hill beside you to get right to the base of the falling water.

Lesmurdie Falls	Climbing with Grandad

If you don't want to hike to the top of the falls, yet still want to get a different perspective of them, Lion's Lookout is not far up the side of the hill. The start of both the track up to Lion's Lookout, and up to the top of the falls are signposted along the main Lesmurdie Brook track. Once on the Lion's Lookout Track, you will need to take the left fork when it branches to get to the lookout. At the moment this track is being slowly overgrown in places, otherwise not too bad.

Here's the sign...	Lesmurdie Falls from Lion's Lookout	Too much bush mum!

So whichever access point you want to use, enjoy the falls, the views, and all that nature has to offer

John Forrest National Park

We’d previously driven past this national park numerous times a year when heading into or out of Perth, but had never gone in to have a look. So this year we decided to change that and check it out. Finding that several trips were in order to fully appreciate each of the main attractions. Making for some very enjoyable days out in nature.

History

The park is enveloped by the cultural history of the Nyoongar people who lived nearby or traveled through the area, and also further colonised history, as the original eastern rail line ran through there from 1896 – 1966. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, sustenance workers also did a lot of work in and around the parks headquarters, helping to make it the wonderful place it is today.

National Park Station	Train Crash	Swan View Tunnel

As one of the parks’ information brochures explains, the area was originally declared as a conservation reserve in 1898. Making it the oldest national park in WA. It later become John Forrest National Park in 1947 in honour of the famous explorer and statesman, Sir John Forrest (Premier of WA 1890-1901).

Access

As this is a National Park, there is an entrance fee (currently $12/vehicle without annual pass), and depending on what you’re wanting to do, there are several access points to the John Forrest National Park. The three main entrances that access the national park headquarters and developed area are located off the Great Eastern Highway between Midland and Mundaring.

The first signed entrance when heading east away from Perth is opposite the Bilgoman Aquatic Centre, which takes you on a scenic drive through part of the park before reaching the entrance toll booth. Near the beginning of this road is a lookout point allowing you to look west over Perth towards the coast. Take note that the gates on this road are shut by 4pm daily, so it’s recommended that all visitors should exit this area by 3:45pm to avoid being locked in!

The second entrance isn’t as well sign posted, but is the shortest route into the main park area. And the final entrance road is opposite the Glen Forrest Shopping Centre.

For parking and walk in access to various walks and sites, without having to pay to go through the main entrance, Pechey Rd in Swan View, Toodyay Rd between Red Hill and the Red Hill Auditorium entrance, and Victoria Rd in Hovea are other possibilities.

Things to see and do

There are quite a few tracks available to explore including the John Forrest Heritage Trail, which is a section of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail (RRHT). Some tracks are wheelchair accessible, some are for walkers only, others allow bicycles, and some that pass through the park boundary also allow horses and dogs for the sections located outside of the national park. All of these tracks allow you to enjoy the natural bush and wildlife of the area.

With regards to prams, we found both the RRHT and narrower trails between the main attractions that we visited were quite suitable and relatively flat. There were also informative signs located along the RRHT explaining various interesting points, but not along the narrower walk trails.

Waiting for mum!	Riding... riding...	Train, arrow, waterfall, tunnel... I choose... waterfall!

As explained further below, the gardens and picnic areas are also rather nice for young and old to be able to enjoy.

Some of the main highlights or sights to see include:

Swan View Tunnel	Swan View Tunnel	Inside Swan View Tunnel

• Swan View Tunnel

This is a 340m long inactive railway tunnel built in 1894-95 for the Eastern Railway. The jointed granite, and clay seams in the area caused difficulty with the construction, requiring a masonry-lined face to prevent rock falls. This however reduced the inner diameter of the tunnel, which along with the steep gradient, caused smoke accumulation. This resulted in near-asphyxiation of train crews, with the first serious incident occurring in 1903. The worst accident in the tunnel was in 1942 when several train crew workers were asphyxiated, causing one death. A new line was built around the tunnel for trains going up (east), which was completed in 1945. This Eastern Railway line route was finally closed in February 1966, coinciding with the opening of the new eastern rail route through the Avon Valley. (References and further information: ...1... ...2... ...3...).

Hint: Remember to take a torch! It is doable in the dark, but some form of light source is definitely appreciated. Especially if you’re riding a bike and there’s still puddles around. We forgot a torch, but managed to get through the tunnel ok using an assistive light app I had on my phone.

Shall we go through?	The bike stayed upright!

From the main picnic area of the national park, it’s about a 5km return trip along the RRHT. Going this way, you’ll pass the National Park Falls along the way. Or for free access and a shorter walk, you can park near the Pechey Rd, Morrison Rd, Swan View Rd intersection and walk or ride in to the tunnel from there.

• National Park Falls

Jane Brook drops sharply over about a 20m rock face before continuing to flow through further boulders, creating a rather picturesque scene. Late winter and spring (especially after recent rains) are the best times to view these and Hovea Falls as the brook generally dries up over summer.

Hold on... Look...	Don't go too far!	Exploring around National Park Falls

Exploring the rocks and bush around these falls with toddlers can be both a lot of fun, yet also slightly stressful. Requiring the need for you to constantly know where they are and what they’re doing, as there are both water and cliff hazards that they may not necessarily recognise.

National Park Falls Lookout	In the water, out the water, in, out, in, out ...	National Park Falls

It’s about a 2km return trip from the picnic area along the RRHT. An alternative route is following a section of the Eagle View Walk Trail which follows along the northern side of the Jane Brook (RRHT is on the southern side). Being a narrower trail and closer to the brook, this track provides a slightly different perspective of the brook and surrounding bush compared to the RRHT. The variety of flowers available to see along this track during spring is also rather spectacular.

Or, if you’re prepared for a slightly longer walk, you can park near the Pechey Rd, Morrison Rd, Swan View Rd intersection and walk or ride in past the tunnel.

• The national park main picnic and entrance area

As mentioned above, a lot of work was completed during the Great Depression of the 1930’s as part of relief employment, including gardens, paths, picnic shelters, and other infrastructure. It may appear more run down now than what it did then, but it is still a really nice place to enjoy a picnic and relaxing time out in nature (barbecues are also located throughout the picnic areas).

Picnic shelter	Hello!	Sit here mum

The kids (myself included!) really enjoyed exploring the numerous paths and interesting picnic shelters scattered throughout the extensive native gardens. Being able to set up lunch while the kids played nearby in the creek was also nice. Something to note however… Watch out for the magpies and twenty eight parrots who like to steal food from your plate/hands before (or even as), it enters your mouth! Miss 3yr old Sonia was none too happy when the cheese on the sandwich she was about to devour disappeared in a whoosh of wind and feathers brushing her head from a rather pleased and successful magpie!!

Picnic lunch time!	Twenty Eight	Paddling	Magpie

The John Forest Tavern is also located here, with some rather yummy food available. The tavern staff put feed out for the kangaroos as well, so about mid-afternoon, you’re pretty well guaranteed to see a good sized mob of kangaroos up nice and close if you wish to. From bigger older ones, right down to small joey’s.

• Hovea Falls

These falls occur where the Jane Brook cascades down a large granite sheet, occasionally weaving amongst bigger boulders sitting on top of the massive rock face. Not as spectacular as the National Park Falls if you prefer typical falling style waterfalls, but still very impressive in its own way.

Once again, constant monitoring of toddlers is required for water and fall hazards. Another thing we found to watch out for leading up to and around this area was meat ants. After quite a few unhappy encounters, followed by repetitive education and instruction (with frequent reminders!), Sonia finally realised that they weren’t too bad if you kept moving and stayed away from where their nests and trails were located.

From the main picnic area, it’s about a 2km return trip along the RRHT. If you’d prefer to walk down amongst the bush closer to the Jane Brook, there is also a nice track available to do that. Or, for free access, you can park at the end of Victoria Rd and walk in from there.

• Glen Brook Dam

You see and pass this dam upon entry into the national park through the main entrance point. There is a walk trail leading around the dam’s perimeter (Approx 2.2km), but unfortunately there are signs up to say ‘Swimming not allowed’ due to the disturbance this would cause to the animals who use the dam as a refuge and feeding area. According to one of the signs there, the water is also neither treated or quality monitored, and is mainly used for watering the gardens and fire fighting.

No swimming	Glen Brook Dam	Glen Brook Dam sign

• Rocky Pool

As the name suggests, it’s a rocky pool in the Jane Brook, not far from where the brook exits the national park. So far I’ve only seen this area with very little water present in the lead up to summer. Lots of fun clambering around and over the abundance of rocks that make up the stream bed, and exploring the few remaining pools of water. From this, I could imagine that during winter with a better water level, it would be rather nice, with quite a few small rapids along this section of the brook.

Bridge near Rocky Pool	Flower

Parking is located on Pechey Rd near where the brook goes under a bridge in the road. Tracks lead off in different directions from here, heading to different locations within the national park. So you could access this area from within the national park if you wished.

• Eagle View Trail

I have not completed this trail, but as the trail brochure states ...

The Eagle View Walk Trail is a 15-kilometre bushwalking circuit that leads you to several of John forrest national park’s less explored destinations. The trail is a bushwalker’s delight, covering a variety of relatively pristine habitats. It’s also more challenging than other trails in the park, but your efforts are well rewarded. Be sensible and allow plenty of time for the walk which, depending on your level of fitness, will take from about four and half to seven hours. This also depends on your interest in your surroundings as you go along.

Another good source of information about the trail can be found on the Inspiration Outdoors website.

So there you go, another excellent, not too far away place that’s just waiting to be explored and enjoyed

^{(References: Historical and other detailed information (not attained from personal experience) was obtained from the associated links inserted into the blog.)}

Whistlepipe Gully

• Location / Access points

- Whistlepipe Gully is located in Mundy Regional Park between Kalamunda and Forrestfield.
- Top of gully - the end of Orange Valley Rd, Kalamunda.
- Download Map...
- Bottom of gully - the end of Lewis Rd, Forrestfield.

	Waiting in the shade...

• Pram access

- From top of gully - I wouldn't recommend it. It doesn't take long before rocks and erosion on the track make it far too difficult.
- From bottom of gully - Perfectly fine up to the house remains. The walk from the Lewis Rd parking area up to the remnants of Wallace Greenham's house is on an old road. Some sections semi sealed, some gravel.

Wait for me! Boots... Off!	Splash!	Paddling fun

How deep can I go?	Whistlepipe Gully Creek	Righto, this way, lets go...

• What we liked...

- The walk and whole area is much nicer when water's flowing and flowers are out. Summer can get rather hot and dry.
- Not far into the walk from the bottom of the gully at the Lewis Rd end is a short, slightly overgrown track that leads in to a large rock near the creek. We found it to be a nice spot for the kids to paddle, or be able to just sit, relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
- Wallace Greenham's house remains. Lots of fun clambering around, trying to imagine what it would've looked like... how it all would've worked... wondering why it's now gone. You do have to watch out for kids slipping and falling down the rock water slide though!
- Numerous nice spots along the creek. Rather picturesque, and fun to play in. Especially for toddlers, and those who're kids at heart!

• What we did not like...

- Meat ants!! They're nearly everywhere, and come out with a vengeance in hot weather.

	Picnic lunch

• Other miscellaneous points...

- Dogs are allowed.
- I would love to see the plans for the house, or photo's if any exist. If they're available to see anywhere, let me know!
- Otherwise... I hope you enjoy this bush escape as much as we do.
- Edit 04/11/2016: Here's a great link for further information for those who're interested. Many thanks to 'mgglasby' for commenting and pointing me in the direction of this site.

Location / Access

• Walyunga National Park is located about one hour north of Perth at the end of Walyunga Road off the Great Northern Highway.
• National Park access fees apply.
• Note to remember - Try to bring notes for honesty self pay envelopes. We struggled trying to get a fairly large number of coins spread between several envelopes to fit through the posting slot!
• Being this close to Perth, it makes for a great day trip, or a relaxed overnight, or weekend stay.

Canoeing	Kookaburra	Kayaking

Facilities

• There are two main parking and picnic areas with toilets, gas barbecues, and picnic tables.
• Walyunga Pool - I consider this the bigger and better of the two picnic areas. Wheelchair accessible facilities and nice views over the river.
• Boongerup Pool - Not as easily accessed facilities.

Syds rapids	Avon River Slalom Course

Walks

• There are several different signed walk trails of varying length and difficulty.
• We found the Aboriginal Heritage trail and Syds Rapids trail good for kids. Either pram or walking.

Canoeing / Kayaking

• The Avon Descent runs through here over the first weekend of August, with Syds Rapids being a good spot for spectators.
• Boongerup Pool is fairly long, with steeper access banks, so we found not quite as good for young kids.
• A slalom section is located between Boongerup Pool and Walyunga Pool.
• Walyunga Pool is a smaller pool than Boongerup, but has a more beach like entry which we found great for younger kids.
• Water levels can vary greatly between summer and winter depending on rains.
• Watch out for kids when water levels are higher.

Hammock camping	Breakfast...

Camping

• Bookings need to be pre-arranged with the ranger, who will provide access codes to get through the gate to the camping area.
• The camping area is located off the main road along an unsealed track.
• Facilities include fire pits, picnic tables and a pit toilet.

We've found Lake Leschenaultia to be a great spot for either a day trip, or a camping trip from Perth.

It's an old railway dam, that is now a recreational lake near Chidlow.

Some of the many things available there are:
- Swimming
- Canoeing
- Camping
- Bush walking
- Bike riding
- Picnicking
- Cafe

Getting warm and enjoying a snack	Snack time!

Buggybuddies Jennie has written a great blog about Lake Leschenaultia, so if you're wanting further information, I recommend you look up or contact the Mundaring Visitor Centre, or read the linked blog.

The kids and I spent an enjoyable, relaxed weekend camping there in October 2015, with one of my sisters joining us for the final day.

Yes, I've got the paddle	Here's the paddle

• The kids highlights of the trip were:

- Kayaking
(Especially being able to paddle the kayak by themselves, thanks to the nice gentle slope of the beach into the lake allowing me to tag along and assist where required)

- Paddling
(Their idea of swimming. My sister and I did take them out to the pontoon once, swimming and carrying/supporting them in their life jackets. It was fun, but considering all of us are hopeless swimmers, we found it rather tiring!)

- Building sandcastles by the water

- Camping

- The toy excavator one of the lake staff gave them to play with

Which way Kaden?	Sonia's turn

We didn't walk around the lake on this particular trip, but have done it previously, and found it rather enjoyable. With plenty of interesting things to see and find along the way.

Blue flowers	Bobtails	Pink/purple flowers

Dead tree	White flowers