Weir View Walk
Beelu National Park
Directions - The Weir View Walk starts at the Perth Hills Discovery Centre near Mundaring Weir. To get there, take Great Eastern Highway from Roe Highway up into the hills and turn right onto Mundaring Weir Road when you reach the centre of Mundaring. Follow this all the way into the valley, taking a left turn onto Allen Road at the bottom of the hill, continuing on to the car park at the end of the road. The trail head is located on the first building to the right as you enter the Discovery Centre from the car park.
The Hike - The Perth Hills Discovery Centre near Mundaring is a lovely space to visit and with the Bibbulmun Track passing right through it, forms a nice spot to park up and experience a day hike. It is also the site for the WA Hiking Expo that has been held in 2021 and 2023, and while I was enjoying the festivities in 2023, I had a look at the trail map attached to one of the buildings. I had a little laugh as the Paten's Brook Walk Trail is still shown on there as an official trail, despite DBCA removing all the trail markers and denying Perth hikers an established trail because "it went through a water catchment area" (even though it was an official trail they most likely had a part in building or approving).
At the risk of getting this one also stripped of all its trail markers too, I vowed to return during the winter or spring of 2023 to hike this one and add it to the website you're currently visiting. With wisdom teeth surgery putting me out of action, following a week in Exmouth in June, by the end of the week of recovering at home I was itching to get out and walk in the Jarrah Forests of the Perth Hills. Figuring that the short Weir View Walk was the perfect candidate, I could also stop in to visit Michelle at the Trails Hub Cafe and my favourite nursery (Zanthorrea Nursery in Maida Vale) to add to my growing native garden. On a beautiful Makuru day, I drove out to the Perth Hills Discovery Centre and set about meandering around the short 1.4km loop. With the sun shining, I wasn't in any hurry to get this one completed, so had a look around the compound of buildings and tried to figure out where the trail went if I didn't want to go past the large undercover area.
After wandering through the large open space where the hiking expo, I eventually found the official trail, turns out it goes right through the middle of the buildings and along the path there. Now on track, I passed through a wooden gate after what looked like a revegetation effort, although with some species that didn't exactly match the surrounding forest. Now entering something that looked much more natural, you join a wide vehicle track that goes through the Jarrah Forest for a short time. Watch out for the right hand turn that takes you onto single track, as it could be easy to just keep on walking. The single track was a welcome change, as I was only expecting this to be the case when you follow the Bibbulmun Track section of this loop. With the grey trunks of the unburnt Jarrah glowing nicely, and the mass of Balgas through this section, it was a pleasant way to get to what makes this trail a worthwhile experience, the views over Mundaring Weir (hence the Weir View Walk name).
Walking up and over the smallest of hills, I was scanning the undergrowth for early wildflowers and found some Karri Hazel, Golden Buttercups and Holly-Leaved Hovea nestled next to the trail. Crossing a couple of vehicle tracks, the single trail goodness continues as you meet up with the Bibbulmun Track and descend down towards the party piece of this trail. After negotiating a series of wooden steps that offer glimpses of Lake CY O'Connor, the views really start to open up as you approach the wooden lookout. The surface of the lake was a deep blue during my visit and with the lookout facing south, it will always have glorious lighting for photos of the lake. This was a memorable spot when I passed through here on the Bibbulmun Track and it had lost none of its magic on a return visit. Staring out over towards Mundaring Weir and the other side of Lake CY O'Connor, it's a shame that the Water Corp refuses to budge on allowing walkers into the water catchments, while allowing mining and forestry to run rampant.
With so much potential in this area, including a great multi-day loop around the lake from Mundaring Weir, perhaps things might change in the future. Prying myself away from the lookout, I climbed the stone steps and started the return journey back to the Perth Hills Discovery Centre. Following the Bibbulmun Track waugyls, along with the light blue Weir View Walk markers, the trail continues to be excellent as you weave along the contours of the hill. Feeling a little isolated and protected by the main hill, it does give a sense of being far away from anything man made, like the Discovery Centre. Passing a granite outcrop, this is another great spot to stop and admire the views over the Helena River Valley, although they are a little limited by the nearby forest. Heading up the hill, I passed a well mannered scout group that were out for a walk, as I was busy photographing more wildflowers including a Prickly Bitter Pea. Shrub Violet and Lomandra nigricans. Joining a vehicle track for the final part of the walk, the lighting through here had a lovely glow to it and the forest provided a calming scene. Back among the buildings of the PHDC, I was happy to be back out in nature, even if it was a brief jaunt.
Final Thoughts – With so few trails left from the Perth region to add to the website, it's been a while since I added a new Perth hike. This one had not been on my radar until I saw it at the Hiking Expo but I'm glad to have come back and walked it.
With the demise of the Paten's Brook Walk Trail, there aren't many circuit trails around the Mundaring Weir area to utilise what is a lovely location. At 1.4km, this isn't worth travelling all the way out here for but if combined with other walks or a lunch at Mundaring Weir Hotel, then it's an enjoyable experience through the forest.
Maybe one day we'll get more trails in the area, but for now we must treasure the ones we have.
Get out there and experience it!
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