Herdsman Lake - Noogenboro is a stunning wetlands area which is home to over 100 species of birds so there is plenty to capture your attention.
For a short kid friendly walk wander along the 800m Olive Seymour Boardwalk section located at the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre. You will learn the Noongar names for the birds that call these wetlands home.
This is where you will see bird life up close as the birds feed amongst the reeds. The water is so still it's like looking at a mirror image of the sky. In some places the water is a deep black but if you watch carefully for tell tale bubbles you might see a quick glimpse of a fish or a tadpole as it flits by. There are also turtles and frogs if you look closely. The paperbarks create a very eerie landscape and creative minds could come up with lots of amazing tales!
Be sure to call in to the Herdsman Lake Discovery Centre run by the WA Gould League. The murals on the outside are worth a visit on their own!
Entrance fee is $5 per person and admission fees support environmental education. Inside there are marvellous interactive displays of wetland creatures, a discovery playspace and upstairs you can look out over the magnificent lake and see how many birds you can spot! While you are here enjoy a coffee from Twitchers coffee window, browse the gift shop or find out about upcoming events (entry is free if attending events) which can also be viewed on the website.
There is a small playground about 800m west of the Discovery Centre and you can wander along the dual use path to this but be warned this is tiger snake country so you need to be vigilant and keep the kids close.
For a longer walk you can walk the 8km loop around Herdsman Lake which will take around 2 hours (see pictures below). Most of this walk is compacted and flat so it's possible to ride bikes or scooters however be warned some sections can be under water, particularly after the wetter months. There are no toilet facilities along this walk except at the Discovery Centre, when open.
We walked this before I started taking photos so only have a few poor quality images to show. This is a walk that is on our list to do again but that list is so long!
Herdsman Lake in flood in October 2016.
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In the spirit of reconciliation Out and About- Family Nature Connection acknowledges the traditional owners of the Wadjak boodjar (Perth land) and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.