The hills are alive

waterless waterfall

It was a public holiday on Monday and we had a family outing in the Perth hills. First stop, John Forrest National Park, off Great Eastern Highway. As we got out of the car, two kangaroos hopped across the car park... they were the only animals we would see for the rest of the day.

We decided to take the Heritage Trail to check out a waterfall and tunnel. We'd been warned that there was no water at the waterfall but I didn't mind, I was actually excited about the idea of standing on rocks that would normally have water gushing over it.

Plants in dry, desert-y, muted greens and grasstrees flanked the trail. Every step was accompanied by the crunch of loose rocks and pebbles underfoot and calm blue skies overhead.

2.2km later, we found refuge in the Swan View Tunnel. It was a little eerie but the echo of our voices soon drowned everything out. Bits of the train track were visible through the ballast and I could sense history in those walls. 

We rested and recharged soon after, and trudged back to base. I'd love to be back again when wildflowers are in bloom and to take on the other trails. 

After lunch in Mundaring a.k.a. the heart of the hills, we visited idyllic Mundaring Weir. The dam is a magnificent structure and the view from the dam wall was breathtaking, best enjoyed in silence...

After a bit of camwhoring, we headed home via the Zig Zag in Kalamunda. It's a scenic drive that provides a panoramic view of Perth. The roads are narrow and there are a few hairpin turns. 

I can now understand how things might get even more exciting and hair-raising here late in the night.

An awesome day trip to places I'd never been to! :)
♥