Cooler temperatures mixed with sunshine and some rainfall equals perfect bushwalking weather. Although we always enjoy the exercise, the fresh air and the amazing scenery, nothing beats the excitement of listening to, finding and watching a spectacular waterfall.
All of the following waterfalls are within 1 hours drive from the Perth CBD making it perfect for a bushwalking and waterfall hunting daytrip.
Lesmurdie Falls
You can access these falls from Palm Terrace, Forrestfield, around 20kms from Perth. Keep driving to the end of the road where you will see a car park and a picnic area. The path to walk along is well used, flat and follows the run off from the waterfall ahead. As you get closer to the falls there are a few boulders to manoeuvre over to get to the base of the falls. It is a spectacular sight when you see the water gushing over the 50 metre drop. You can also see these falls from a different angle if you drive up to Falls Road in Lesmurdie and walk down to the viewing platform which is located above the falls.
Lesmurdie Falls
You will need to pay an entry fee to enter the Serpentine Falls National Park which is approximately 50kms southeast of Perth. Entry into the park is on Falls Road, off the South West Highway, Serpentine. Once you're in the park there are well maintained picnic spots and BBQs for your use. There are several walks that you can take which will give you fantastic views of the 20m waterfall. We took the Kitty's Gorge Walk and that took us along a picturesque brook which feeds the Serpentine Falls. The National Park is open from 8.30am to 5pm so don't leave it too late in the day for a visit.
Serpentine Falls
These falls are located in Ellis Brook, about a 45 minute drive from Perth. It is on Rushton Road and is well signposted. As you enter the park, there are signs for other walks around the area but to see the waterfall you need to drive to the end of the driveway and take the Goanna Walk. It is a loop walk and either way you go you will find the falls at the top, however, if you follow the straight path instead of taking the bridge on the left at the beginning of the walk, you may find the walk a little easier. Make sure you also take the time to enjoy the views of the city during your walk too. On your way around, you'll also pass an old quarry which the kids will love investigating.
Sixty Foot Falls
You will find Noble Falls along Toodyay Road, just after Gidgegannup which is 40kms northeast of Perth. There is a sign for the Noble Falls picnic area to the left and the Noble Falls Tavern to the right, making it very easy to find.
As you get into the picnic area you will notice that Noble Falls are not a big set of falls but rather a small brook tumbling over some rock pools. There is a 3.5km loop walk from the carpark area that you can follow, or you can just follow the kid's lead as they will love exploring this area in their own way. The facilities in the picnic area include BBQs, tables and toilets. There is also a playground for the kids and a big tree for them to climb.
Noble Falls
Both of these falls are in the John Forrest National Park which is 26kms east of Perth, on Park Road which is off Great Eastern Highway. There is an entry fee to pay to get into the park. Once inside, there are plenty of benches, picnic tables, little cabins which provide shelter and plenty of areas where you could set up a picnic. Or you could head over to the tavern which is also located within the national park. There are many well used walk trails and bike trails within the park so you can follow the signs or create your own pathway.
The Eagle View Walk will take you towards the Hovea Falls which is about 800m from the start of the walk. The National Park Falls (also known as Hope Falls) is on the same walk but about 1.2km in the other direction. The Eagle View Walk is a loop walk, about 15km long in total, but if you don't have 4-5 hours to spare, you can still enjoy the two waterfalls but you would have to back track on some sections.
Hovea Falls
National Park Falls
The best time of the year to spot the falls are in winter after heavy rains. Give it a go as finding a waterfall is definitely the highlight of any bushwalk.
