Riverside Bushwalk

Preliminary Information:

Meet:         Car-park on the foreshore opposite the river end of Cunningham St UBD 307, N12

Details:       The walk is to Heathcote Reserve (Goolugatup) and is approx 8km return. The walk follows the river foreshore along the shared access path and across some grassed areas. We pass Applecross jetty with lovely views of the river before wandering up to the reserve which is on the hill overlooking the river.  The building/heritage precinct area is very interesting to walk around.  There is plenty of bird-life along sections of the foreshore so you may wish to bring binoculars.

Numbers are dwindling on these early morning summer walks: we start at 7.30 am to beat the heat. Sunday morning was actually quite chilly, with a stiff breeze as we assembled in the carpark. I managed to leave my phone behind, so all the photos are courtesy of MMcH:

Shadows of the Six

View across the river

Birds

An angel on the foreshore?

Our good deed for the day: a little lost dog was found running back and forth on the boardwalk near Applecross Jetty. We read his collar and phoned his owner who was driving along the road in a panic, looking for him. The two were soon re-united.

Then we climbed the steep slope up to Heathcote Reserve and enjoyed a coffee at the top.

The area was named after George Gage Heathcote, son of Admiral Sir Henry Heathcote, a midshipman on HMS Success, who is said to have been the first European to land there. It was one of the landing and camp sites of Captain James Stirling during his exploration of the Swan River in April 1827.  Later, Heathcote Hospital was built, designed for mental patients in recovery.

We noticed that a separate building, the old nurses quarters, has been renovated - no expense spared - and is now on the market for over $3 million!