South Perth Foreshore
South Perth foreshore has a 4.5km riverbank walking/jogging path, by the Swan River, stretching from Ellam Street to Mill Point Road. The foreshore incorporates Mill Point Reserve, South Perth Esplanade Reserve, Clydesdale Reserve, and the very huge Sir James Mitchell Park.
The Lakes Area
Most walkers or joggers like to walk or jog on the riverbank path. The Lakes area, located just 50 m away from the Swan River riverbank, offers an opportunity to walk around the scenic and peaceful freshwater lakes for a change if you feel like walking away from the riverbank.
The Lakes area consists of three man-made lakes – Lake Hurlingham, Lake Douglas, and Lake Tondut. Lake Tondut is within the Clydesdale Reserve, whereas the nearby Lake Hurlingham and Lake Douglas are within the Sir James Mitchell Park.
The lakes area incorporates sealed walking/jogging paths and wooden bridge connections back to the adjoining streets and the riverbank walking/jogging paths. Being very close to the riverbank, the Lakes area offers great views of the Perth city skyline over the Swan River.
These three lakes were constructed in the late 1980s to assist in stormwater management. Today, these freshwater lakes receive urban stormwater from the surrounding suburbs, which is used for irrigation of the reserves.
The Lakes area has been developed as an ecological area for swan habitat and breeding, and already has an abundance of birdlife. The largest of the three lakes, Lake Douglas has two floating islands installed to encourage swans and other birds to nest.
Waterbird Refuge
Waterbird Refuge is another work-in-progress project that has the primary aims of protecting the foreshore reserve, improving habitat for native waterbirds, protecting the riverbank from erosion, and providing a retreat for bird watching and learning. At the time of writing this blog, the construction of the Waterbird Refuge was already ongoing. Check out South Perth City Council webpage to learn more.
Want to discover more great walking locations around Perth? Check out the “By the Waters” blogs.
Google Map has mistakenly named Lake Hurlingham and Lake Douglas as Canning River