Ellis Brook Valley Reserve

Ellis Brook Valley Reserve is recognised as the richest wildflower location in Perth Metropolitan area. It is home to over 550 varieties of spring flowers.

Wildflowers at Ellis Brook Valley Reserve

The best time to visit the park is during spring when most of the widlflowers are blooming. It can be very hot in summer and sometimes the park is closed during hottest time.

One of the most fascinating wildflowers in Ellis Brook Valley Reserve for me was Drosera. It is the plant that loves insects and insects love this plant :). Drosera (or Sundews) capture and digest insects using their long tentacles with a sticky gland on top. These droplets look like dew glistening in the sun (hence the name Sundew). They are very pretty to human eye, and attractive to insects. The glands also produce enzymes to digest the insects. How creative nature can be!

Birdlife

The reserve is home to a lof of birds, including splendid fairy wrens, cockatoos and honeyeaters.

Walking trails

Ellis Brook Valley Reserve is also an excellent hiking place. There are four hiking trails of various length and difficulty. Reserve also has picnic facilities with bbqs, picnic tables and toilets.

Sixty Foot Falls trail is the most challenging but definitely worth the view. It looked quite magnificent in September with the water flowing at the waterfall.

Location

Ellis Brook Valley is located on Rushton Road in the suburb of Martin, in the Gosnells region and is half an hour drive from Perth.

History, waterfalls and wildflowers at John Forrest NP

John Forrest National Park is rich in history, natural beauty and wildflowers. It is Western Australia’s first (and Australia’s second) national park. It was declared as National Park back in 1900 by WA’s first Premier Sir John Forrest and renamed as John Forrest National Park in 1947 to honour the great politician and explorer. The park is located in the Perth Hills, approximately 30km east from the city centre.

The State’s main railway passed through the park until its closure in 1966. Now it is a Heritage Trail where you can see famous Swan View Tunnel. It is a 2.2km from the picnic area.

The park has a number of hiking trails, ranging from easy 300m Promenade loop around a small nature based playground to 16km loop trail.

There are two natural waterfalls within the park, bbq and picnic facilities.

The park is rich in flora and has about 490 species of plants. Late winter and spring are particularly good times to view spectacular display of wildflowers.

We enjoyed our visit to John Forrest National Park. It is a great place to visit over the weekend to learn about history, hike, relax and admire the views.

Looking for more places to visit with wildflowers or waterfalls around Perth? Check out our blogs.