Serpentine Pipe-Head Dam and Serpentine Dam

 After Leaving Ellis Brook Reserve I headed towards Jarrahdale it about a 30 min drive roughly, I stopped for lunch on the way through. My first stop was Serpentine Pipe-Head Dam this is one of my Favourite places to go to look for birds to photograph there is also a picnic area with BBQ’S and picnic tables under cover, toilets including accessible, there is also a playground for the children. There are a few walk trails to check out some taking you some Granite outcrops and along the Serpentine River. It is very quiet here but does get busy at certain times of the year, it is also seasonable so can be closed at times especially during a high fire danger warning, there is no swimming around here as far as I know, but there is a Recreation Lake for Sailing Model boats. I believe it is all a part of our Drinking water Catchment. 

 

 

After having a wander around and taking some photographs I hopped in the car and headed out towards Serpentine Main dam this was also a short stop took a few photographs and headed off. There was a Kangaroo that I could get reasonably close, to get some photos of it but if I got too close it would let out a little growl. The main dam is much larger than the pipe head there is also a café here and a lower and upper picnic area, the lower one has more Tables and BBQ’s, than the upper area, with visits from Kangaroos, Currawongs, Parrots and many other types of birds. It can be very nice in the Autumn months when the trees are changing colour and start to lose their leaves. The Upper Car park has the café close by and great views from the dam wall, which you will drive over from the upper to the lower picnic areas there is no stopping with your car, but you can walk along it. Both Picnic Areas have toilets as well 

 

I didn’t stay long at the main dam, just a quick look around but here is a photo of the grumpy Kangaroo 

I will plan another trip to the main dam in the future

 

All images are copyright Mark A. Gray, All rights reserved 

Ellis Brook Valley Reserve

 

    Also Known as the 60-foot falls Ellis Brooke is a couple of kilometres of the Tonkin Hwy in on Rushton Road Martin, itis a very nice area to walk around there are four walk trails here ranging from easy to difficult. The Springtime is best time to go there are over five hundred species of Wildflowers, a breeding site for several different birds, there is a picnic area with 2 BBQs, tables, and a composting toilet.

The gates open at 6am and close at 7pm

The Walk trails are as follows

Sixty Foot Falls (difficult) 2 km loop trail with views of the city and Old Barrington Quarry.

Blue Wren Ramble trail (easy) 1.4km single Journey 2.8km return.

Eagle View Trail (moderate) 430m return.

Easy Walk trail (easy) 500m return.

 

For more information about the trails or to read about Ellis Brook Reserve please follow the link below

 

City of Gosnell’s - Ellis Brook Valley Reserve 

 

This trip I just did the main walk to the top of the falls and back, I will plan a trip to the old Barrington Quarry sometime in the future.

 

Also Today I went for a drive to Seprentine Pipehead Dam and Serpentine Dam which I will cover in the next post, it was only a short trip here today, will plan some more in the future.

All Images are Copyright Mark A. Gray, All rights reserved

John Forrest National Park

John Forrest National Park is one of Perth's Oldest Conservation Sites, first listed in 1898 it was named as John Forrest National Park in 1947, (Sir John Forrest was an Explorer, Statesmen and was Premier of Western Australia between 1890 and 1901). It is a good starting point for many walk trails as well as mountain bike trails (approved trails only), there is 2 waterfalls and and old tunnel plus a variety of flora and fauna. The picnic area has barbecues, picnic tables and toilets with plenty of shade, there is a nice little walk around the banks of Jane Brook,

More information about John Forrest National Park can be found in the link below.
John Forrest National Park

 It is only a half hour drive from Perth and a great destination for a day trip, John Forrest Is also a part of the Family history on my wife's side not a direct line but more like a 2nd or 3rd Cousin a few generations ago.

We used to do a lot of day trips a few years ago, now we only go if time permits, the kids are a lot older now and some have sports and another work , I also are back on day shift instead of nights now, we had a lot more time back then.

   We spent a few hours the park had some thing to eat, and then went on one of the easy 2 km walk trail to the falls, other trails are the  Railway Trail which I think is 5 km return trip that takes you to an old tunnel, there is also the 15 km trail which takes you along some parts of the Darling Scarp with fantastic views, more information on the trail in the link above plus some Pamphlets to download or view.

Here is a few images from the our trip there

All images are copyright © 2011  Mark A. Gray all rights reserved

Serpentine Pipehead Dam and a quick stop at Serpentine Dam

 Today I went for another trip at the Pipehead dam and a short stop at Serpentine Dam Main Picnic Area, my main goal today is to try and get some photos of the Blue Fairy Wrens and other birds flying around. After arriving at the Pipehead Dam I did my usual walking around with the Camera taking a few photos and keeping an eye out for some of the wildlife around including wildflowers, there is still a few wildflowers round, but they are starting to die off for the year, there was a few birds around but failing to get most on camera, here is a few pics from the Pipehead Dam I managed to get some pics at least.

 

 

                I hopped back in the car and headed towards the main dam, I have done a few trips here recently, I had a quick walk around the main picnic area then headed for home, I managed to get a half decent Photo of a fairy wren this time.

 

 

All Images are Copyright Mark A. Gray – All rights reserved.