Lesmurdie Falls

This has to be the most popular waterfall around Perth, and every time I go it's busy — big drop, plenty of  water, dog-friendly, and you get a view over the city from the top. It's become a bit of a yearly thing for me. It's about a 30 to 40 minute drive from the CBD, out in Mundy Regional Park, and easy enough to find if you just search the name. There are two car parks, one at the top and one at the bottom of the falls. Only the top one has toilets, and even though neither is small, we still end up squeezed onto the roadside pretty much every time we go. If you park at the bottom, you head to the base of the falls first. There's a fairly steep shortcut nearby that cuts straight up the hillside to the lookout at the top, but it's rough going with kids, so if you've got them with you it's easier to go back to the car park from the base and take the gentler slope up instead. Do it the other way round — park at the top — and you walk the easy slope down to the bottom, cross over to the base of the falls, then climb the shortcut back up if you're up for it. The trail itself isn't long, so it makes a good half-day trip rather than a full one. You pass a creek and rocks scattered along the way, and there's something genuinely relaxing about walking through the bush with nothing but the water for background noise. The rocks near the falls get slippery, so it's worth watching your footing, especially once you're close to the water. From the lookout you can see out over Perth in the distance, and on a clear day it's a great spot for photos. I've had the best luck going a few days after rain, when the falls are running at their fullest — that's when the whole place looks its best, and if you bring a tripod for a slow shutter, the water comes out beautifully soft in photos. Some sections of the path get a bit muddy and there's loose gravel and steps in places, so proper grippy shoes make a real difference. It doesn't get especially hot out there, but the sun in WA is still strong, so bring water and sun protection regardless. It's dog-friendly on the trails as long as they're leashed, and we always run into other people out walking their dogs, plus wildflowers and wattle blooming if you time it right. The best surprise on my last visit was a kangaroo, fairly close by, though I kept my distance and just got a few photos rather than pushing in on it. If you've got time, Ellis Brook Falls is a short drive away and worth adding on. There's no real waterfall there most of the year, but it's a solid spot for a walk with the dog, and there's a rock pool and some rock formations at the bottom that make for good photos too.