Just over half an hour from Perth, Ellis Brook Valley Reserve is one of the easiest ways to experience one of the richest wildflower displays on the planet. The reserve is home to over 550 varieties of spring wildflowers, with walk trails to suit all abilities.

It’s a seven minute drive from the nearby town of Gosnells and only a 35 minute drive from Perth to reach what many locals consider to be the best place to view wildflowers in the Perth area.

The wildflowers, brook and Sixty Foot Falls are at their best in September or October, after good winter rains.

Bring a picnic or cook lunch on the reserve’s gas barbeques, and see if you can spot the furry and feathered residents, including kangaroos, possums, echidnas and some of the 116 bird species found here.

There are four trails, ranging from the Easy Walk Trail (wheelchair accessible), to the challenging 2 kilometre Sixty Foot Falls loop which will reward you with spectacular valley and city views, as well as a fascinating insight into the area’s geology at the old Barrington Quarry.