The 2020 Kings Park Wildflower Festival, on now until the end of September, won my heart again this year. I’m a year-round fan of this park, which is almost on my doorstep. But some spectacular events like this Wildflower Festival take my breath away.
In January, 2020, I wrote what now seems a frivolous blog about how I’d like my year to shape up. You can read my ideas in ‘Twenty fun things to do in 2020 – a plan’. Number six on my list reads,
The Kings Park Festival in September demands more attention than I’ve given it recently. This year, I plan to be there with my camera on day one.
We all know what happened to 2020. Plans put on hold or worse, scrapped. Hopes and dreams faded or changed, even in Western Australia where we’ve been blessed that COVID-19 touched us lightly.
Most of us recognise our luck, even with hard borders that restrict movement in and out of the state. It seems almost a civic duty to be out and about, supporting businesses and tourism which suffer heavily from the economic effects COVID-19.
A little about Kings Park
The 400-hectare (almost 1 000 acres) Kings Park, home of the Wildflower Festival, sits on a scarp on the edge of the city. The two-thirds of the area reserved as bushland provides a habitat for native biological diversity. Here’s a map showing roads, tracks, playgrounds and facilities.
The Western Australian Botanic Garden occupies most of the rest, and displays over 3,000 species of the State’s unique flora. I took the photo below from one of the cafes in the Fraser Precinct where we had coffee. The area is in the top right-hand corner of the map.
Beautiful in all seasons, with exciting playgrounds and bushland, as well as extensive manicured gardens, in September the park thrills visitors with its wildflowers and displays.
A month-long program of events features talks and guided walks, art displays, gardening ideas and more. People walking on the bush tracks often see native orchids and other flowers.
Sadly, this year there were no interstate or international visitors to experience the season.
As I often do, I spent time in the Aspects of Kings Park Gallery Shop. The shop showcases some beautiful Western Australian arts and crafts for sale.
Highlights of the 2020 Wildflower Festival
In such beautiful surroundings, there were photo opportunities everywhere one looked. Here are just a few of my photos.
More things to do at the Wildflower Festival
Looking for suggestions for things to do in Kings Park, apart from looking at wildflowers? The park has many paths for people of all abilities, and for wheelchair access. Children enjoy this park. This short list is just the beginning of things to do.
- Eat yummy food in one of the restaurants and cafes
- Picnic on the grass under a tree
- Walk on the Treetop Walk
- Watch the play of fountains on the Women’s Memorial Lake
- Follow the creek down from the lake to the bottom of the hill. Play Pooh Sticks on one of the little bridges. Find frogs and tadpoles in the pools.
- Explore the bush by following one of the many tracks from main areas.
- Ride a bike
- Play in one of the exciting playgrounds
- Take a guided walk and learn about the flora and fauna or some Aboriginal culture or the history of the Park
- Visit the Aspects of Kings Park Gallery and Shop
- Spend time at the War Memorial.
If you live interstate or overseas
Put a visit to Kings Park on your list of things to do when you come to Perth. It’s lovely all year round. If you are here in September, there’s the added bonus of the Wildflower Festival.
Yes a must each year. We are so blessed in WA. enjoy nature.
Thanks, Maureen. We really are lucky.
It looks a great place and I know I would thoroughly enjoy the Flower Festival.
Yes, Sue, I think you would love it.
Lovely Maureen Helen. Really great that you enjoyed it so much and most of all I loved your list of things to do at Kings Park. Pooh sticks is my favourite. I took my Goddaughter’s Mum there today for her Birthday and we had the little 3 year old, Aria in tow. It was a splendid morning but we spent so long playing on the slides and swings that they had to rush home to pick up my Goddaughter from school. It is amazing how time goes so fast when we are there.
I am with you all the way in that Kings Park is the best gift to the City and we are so fortunate in so many ways. Counting my Blessings and Kings Park is a great place to count them : )
Thank you for your lovely comment, Tricia. I keep finding excuses to go to Kings Park, not that I need them. I think I’ve been there three times this week
- once to Zamia Cafe and one other time to walk. Love it. I've been trying to remember when the part we now call the Botanic Gardens was first developed. I know I had a photo taken on the grass by what is now the Women's Memorial Fountain. I. It was at least 58 years ago, because I was very pregnant with my second child.I'm glad you go to the playgrounds. Such wonderful places to entertain children.
It’s one of those places i always take my overseas friends to visit when they arrive in Perth ….sadly this year that won’t be happening … but I started walking there during covid lockdown and found allsorts of little tracks I didn’t know about. Beautiful. And of course now that the grandies are home from Houston it will be fabulous to take them back to the playpark by Zamia Cafe. Love that pic of you amongst the Everlastings by the way!!
Thanks for your comment, Rachel. The park is always lovely, and there are so many little tracks everywhere. I think there’s a brochure showing them all, but it’s fun to find your own. The playgrounds are good fun, as well. Have you tried the Rio Tinto Naturescape park in May Drive? Its a proper adventure park, with its own sets of rules which I love. I know your grandies would enjoy it, as well. Different from the one near Zamia Cafe and just as good.