Playful pocket Whiteman Park is regarded as one of the city's premier scenic reserves, located 30 minutes north of the Perth CBD.
Sprawling across 3,732 hectares, it offers many attractions that fuse conservation and heritage for all ages, surrounded by Banksia woodlands and native flora and fauna. With kids' playgrounds and barbeque facilities located within the park, a visit makes for an affordable and unique day out for the family.
Get your nature fix and be entertained with these top things to do in Whiteman Park.
WA Motor Museum
Calling all rev-heads, send your passion into overdrive with a visit to the Motor Museum of Western Australia. The museum houses the state’s most extensive collection of motor vehicles, with over 200 cars and motorcycles on display from the late nineteenth to the present day.
Formula One fanatics will guarantee to become star stuck with the most famous exhibit - the Red Bull RB 10 race car - once driven by Perth-born Formula One champion Daniel Riccardo.
$16.50 per adult, $7 per child (7 – 17 years), and $13 per senior. RAC members receive a discount. The museum is open daily from 10:00am – 4:00pm, 7 days a week (Christmas Day closed)
Caversham Wildlife Park
Get up close and personal with Perth’s cutest dwellers at Caversham Wildlife Park. The state’s largest private animal park is home to roughly 200 wildlife species and offers a chance to safely interact with some Australian icons: pose with a koala, hand-feed kangaroos, pat a possum, and feel the textures of reptile scales. Be ready to collectively coo with the crowd watching the daily penguin feeding. The young ones can make new friends at Molly’s Farm, posing with sheep, llamas and more.
Have a glimpse of what Aussie farm life is all about at a farm show, occurring three times daily. These shows include sheep dogs mustering sheep, whip-cracking and shearing demonstrations, and are entertaining for all ages.
$32 per adult, $15 per child (3 –14 years), $25 concession
Vintage Train Rides
Journey into the past onboard a vintage steam and diesel train. You’ll be saying ‘choo choo’ as you travel 6km along the Bennett Brook Railway through bushlands. After your voyage, check out the collection of locomotives, passenger and freight vehicles and railway structures restored to their former glory by volunteers.
Services run every half an hour on weekends from the Village Junction Station and hourly from Mussel Pool. There are also departures on Wednesday and Thursday, public holidays, and some weekdays during school holidays.
$10 per adult, $5 per child (4 – 14 years), $8 concession, $26 per family (2 adults, 2 children)
Bush Walking Trails
Strap on the hiking boots to experience Whiteman Park’s three bush walking trails: Werillyiup, Goo-Loorto and Wunanga. Each trek offers hikers a chance to appreciate the different landscapes across the sprawling park.
Weriliyup Trail: The 3km loop trail suits all fitness levels. It takes roughly 50 minutes to complete the trail, journeying around Horse Swamp.
Goo-Loorto Trail: The 3km return trail is considered easy. It takes roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the trail that meanders along the western side of the Bennett Brook – the outflow of Mussel Pool and Horse Swamp.
Wunanga Trail: The grade three trail winds through banksia and wetlands with two-length options requiring moderate fitness. Challenge yourself to conquer 4.3km (yellow trail), which takes roughly 2 hours to complete, or choose the 2.1km (orange trail), which takes 45 minutes.
All trails are signposted with each marking points of interest.
Nocturnal Woylie Walks
Experience wildlife under the stars with Nocturnal Woylie Walks. The guided tour visits Woodland Reserve, a protected habitat for rare fauna, including the endangered woylie.
Over an hour and a half, you’ll learn about the habitats of these rare species, exploring the reserve by torchlight. You may spot the park’s other residents: quendas, short-beaked echidna, tammar wallabies and bush stone-curlew.
Tours run every Friday at 7pm.
$20 per adult, $15 per child (under 16), $15 concession
Pedal Play
Exercise pedal power by hiring a pedal go-kart. It’s a fun way to venture around the park as a group or solo, with 14km of shared paths that wind through bushlands and picnic areas to explore.
Many go-kart options are available with children as young as four able to test their leg strength and speed. Larger and two-seater go-karts with single or dual pedals are also available for older children and adults. Or, for a family bonding session, hire the BERG Gran Tour that seats four.
Pedal go-karts are available to hire over weekends, public holidays (excluding Christmas Day), and school holidays.
Hire rates start at $20 per hour for the junior-sized karts and $45 per hour for the Gran Tour. Half-day and full-day hire rates are also available for each of the karts.
Whiteman Explorer
See the park in style onboard a beautifully refurbished historic bus dubbed the Whiteman Explorer. The one-hour guided trip takes passengers from the Village to Mussel Pool and back again, with historical insights shared along the way. The tour also includes a taster of the Revolutions Transport Museum.
Tours run every Monday at 11:00am and 1:00pm.
$2 per person
Discovery Bus Tour
Discover Whiteman Park the easy way with the hop-on/hop-off bus service. Discovery Bus Tour. Services depart hourly between 10:30am and 3:30pm every Sunday, with pick-up points throughout the park.
$2 per person, free for children under 4 years
Read more: Epic Day Trips from Perth