Adventure 20 - The one where I we explored The Interior

Where: Bold Park

When: December 2016

My Adventure Companions: The Giant Baby, Velcro Dog and BOB (to be clear, BOB is not a person, he/it is a running pram)

“Are they following us?”

I was taking a little breather after I had turned off the main trail in Bold Park when the couple who I had just passed turned off as well. To be honest, I felt a little annoyed. As much as I like Bold Park, first thing on a Sunday morning it gets a little busy and I was hoping to get some trail time to myself today. Bold Park is only 10 minutes from our home so it is one of the more frequent places I visit for a bit of wilderness. I tend to follow the exterior loop, the Zamia Trail, and as a result I don’t really know any of the interior trails. Today I decided that it was about time I got to know them as well.

The Zamia Trail is packed lime stone, which is great for running and just about acceptable for a running with a stroller like BOB (both my boys seem to love a little bumpy ride sometimes). After my first turn on the main drag, the trail was also packed lime stone. However, after the next turn off the trail slowly turned to sand and then a hill appeared. I would have struggled running up that on my own but with a stroller there was no chance I was making it. So my run turned into a slow, sweaty slog. I got less distance done that I was aiming for but I’m pretty sure I worked just as hard as a regular run, if not harder, pushing The Giant Baby up all those hills today.         

Comments from Mini Monkey: ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya-ya (whilst bouncing up and down in BOB on the trail)

Website: http://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/bold-park

Opening Hours: Never closed

Cost: Free 

Adventure 8 - The one with a few extra kilometers

Where: John Forest National Park

When: September 2016

My Adventure Companions: None (yes, you read that right. None).

“Uh oh, which way now?”

On our first hike ever together, my hiking buddy had pointed out another nice walking trail in John Forest National Park. I have been meaning to check it out for a while and, as my brain wasn’t feeling very inventive this week, I decided to visit John Forest for a second weekend in a row. I knew where the start of the tail loop was and how long it was but was relying heavily on the signage to get me around. When the signage disappeared I had a momentary panic and then remembered that this is why I had bothered to bring a hydration pack with me (mainly to carry my massive phone around with me). My GPS track showed that I had, much to my surprise, nearly completed the loop and all I had to do was turn right and trot a few hundred meters back to the car park.

The Wildflower Trail is a five-kilometre loop, which peels off near the start of the Eagle View Trail. It is wide and smooth enough to take an all-terrain stroller and looks like a good location for a future Hike it Baby hike. True to its name, there are lots of wild flowers in an array of bright colours; sprays of purples and blues and yellows and whites. Whilst the car parks were full to busting, I was delighted to find this section of the trails largely deserted.   

Even though I’ve not done much running recently, I must be doing something right as I felt pretty happy about adding a further two (very flat) kilometres to my run to go and see the National Park Falls again. It must be all that toting around of The Giant Baby as he’s getting rather heavy now. This was a nice little test to see how my legs are faring up in preparation for the Perth Trail Series this summer and they seem to be doing well.

Website: https://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/john-forrest

Opening Hours: main gate open 24hrs per day

Cost: $12 per car.