24th July 2014
John Forrest NP is situated on the Darling Scarp, a fault line which runs north south through WA on the edge of the coastal plain. Known as the Perth Hills, the scarp rises steeply and there are great views to the west over the city.
Huge granite boulders are dotted all over the slopes.
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| John Forrest NP |
The forest is largely jarrah and marri and at this time of the year there is plenty of water so the understorey is verdant. Jane Brook runs through the park and is a tributary to the Swan River.
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| Jane Brook which flows into the Swan River |
Engineers late in the 19th century were looking for a route to take a steam railway over the scarp to the inland areas beyond and this is one of the places that was achieved. Better routes were found in the mid 20th century but the railway continued to run until 1966. I think this was mainly as a tourist attraction to bring people into the park.
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| 1895 railway tunnel |
We did an 11 km return walk along part of this old railway track, which is also excellent for bikes. The sun shone brilliantly until about 1pm and it got quite warm, definitely the driest day so far in Perth!
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