Star Swamp Reserve

I wouldn't have been able to photograph them properly anyway, and I saw plenty at Wireless Hill a couple of weeks later. I thought I was going to be playing catch-up for most of the walk but young Miles is getting to the age where everything is super fascinating and he wants to explore at his own pace, not from the comfort of a backpack perched on Mum or Dads shoulders. This was just fine with me, as I could meander along the edge of the path, looking over the fence for wildflower finds. Enjoying the mature trees, native bushland and different varieties of flowering plants, I did notice that this place was also full of introduced species. Like most of these native bush blocks in Perth, invasive species have taken hold and seem to thrive quite easily. Bold Park, North Lake, Booyeembara Park, Wireless Hill, all are full of non-native grasses and introduced species that would take a lot of effort to combat.​ This is just part and parcel of visiting these places, and something to be noted should you decide to take a walk in one of these spaces.

Choosing to admire the native species where I could, there is still plenty of opportunity to do this, and I was excited to find a few new species along the way. I was impressed with the Firewood Banksia that were in flower, a contender for my favourite banksia, and there was Coastal Honeymyrtle and Wild Violet along here too. After taking a wrong turn, I course corrected everyone as we turned north along the eastern edge of the reserve. Walking close to Marmion Avenue, this was my least favourite part of the loop, as the vegetation here was very sparse, the road/shops were visible and it took you out of the nature experience. The mature trees that provided some cover before were gone, and it was just a case of moving along until the scenery got better. Luckily it did, with a section of large Balgas providing something nice to photograph, as we headed towards an area they have burnt in the name of science. A small area has undergone a light burn but if the aim was to see if that got rid of the weeds and activated the native seed bank, it didn't work.

Moving past the burnt area, it was a return to mature bush that was easy on the eye. The western side of the reserve is where the best sections of native bushland can be found, which makes sense given the lower elevation. Taking a left turn to return back to the car park, there were a few wildflowers along here that I'd not seen so far, including a favourite of mine, Basket Bush. Another thing I had photographed and not noticed was a mature and flowering Grand Banksia, that you can see in the gallery above next to Kit. With the group going slow through here, I had a chance to really scan the undergrowth for some orchids and was rewarded with the best looking Large Pansy Orchids of the whole walk, and close to the fence as a bonus. Moving on, the forest was wonderful through here, with large thick boi trees found around most corners, and a moist feel to the air now the afternoon was getting on.

The final part of the walk, where there are several paths leading back towards the east and cutting through the reserve, was a nice way to finish but I was wondering where this Star Swamp was. Usually the bushland and reserve are around the middle of such a wetlands area but here it's located on the western edge. After passing more great wildflower finds including a Purple Tassel, Dwarf She-Oak, Harsh Hakea and Pink Fairies Orchid, we came across the edge of the swamp. The Paperbark swamps of Western Australia always have an other-worldly quality to them, mainly due to the way the bark drips off the tree and looks like it's melting. Fantastic to photograph, we stopped here for a while, enjoying the scene ahead before moving on to finish the walk. A couple of lovely trees were found as we reached the end, with a large and funky bird waterer located in the bush to the right providing exclamations of wonder. Finishing off with a visit to the playground at the school, this was a fun Sunday afternoon activity with friends. Would recommend.