The sun shone bright, the cool crisp weather was calling and I ever so desperately wanted to get out of the house and take advantage of another wintery day here in Perth where instead of rain coming from the sky we saw sunshine. So off to Araluen Botanic Park we ventured! If you haven’t been to this beautiful gem before, please do me a favour and plan your next trip here! In the middle of all the hustle and bustle of Perth is a magical wonderland of floral and wildlife. Situated on 59 hectares of native Australian bush land, each precinct of the gardens is home to a different plant species meaning you will mostly never see the same flower blooming each visit here! The first thing I always notice whenever I visit this park is how peaceful it is out here. The sound of traffic is completely drowned out. I cannot even begin to explain how peaceful and tranquil it is. I have ventured out here a few times by myself before with Noah when he was very young and each time I come it feels like a brand new visit. With each new season comes new floral’s so you will always see the park in a different light. In the summer the Chalet Healy Cafe is transformed into a purple dream with beautiful flowing wisteria covering the rooftop. I have been here and have seen it in person and trust me it is just as dreamy as you can imagine! If you could find yourself catapulted into the dreamiest of old school romance movies, this cafe would be in it. I highly suggest checking the Araluen Botanic Park website to get some information on what will be flowering on your visit as everything is all listed on there. On our visit today we mostly saw a lot of lush greenery and a few little pink floral’s but not a lot of brightly coloured flowers. Summer, Autumn and Spring seasons are your best bet for a colourful visit. Make sure to plan a visit during the springtime for the annual renowned tulip festival. Over 100,000 tulips come to life and the park is filled with the most colourful and vibrant backdrop you would have ever seen!
Chalet Healy Cafe
Park information
362 Croydon Road, Roleystone WA 6111
(08) 9234 2200
∘ Normally Araluen is open to the public Monday – Sunday, but due to COVID restrictions they have had to limit their hours to 9am – 4pm SATURDAY + SUNDAY ONLY for the moment. Also closed CHRISTMAS DAY. The normal opening hours of the park are seasonal as well ( meaning once COVID restrictions are lifted the time the park closes changes during the year please check website to keep up to date )
∘ There is an admission fee for entry to Araluen. Although it does not state on their website, I can only assume this is to help with maintenance and up keep of the park. I didn’t find the cost too outrageous, however in saying that is has increased since the last time I have visited. But, for free roam of the park and facilities for however long your heart desires I found it to be quite reasonable. Pricing is listed on the website HERE
∘ When you arrive you will be asked to pay before you enter the grounds. Also on our visit today cash was not accepted as payment only eftpos so as time goes on and more COVID restrictions are lifted, if you want to stay up to date on any information regarding the park and payment info, I highly suggest you call or visit their website before you go. As per the Araluen website ( and due to COVID restrictions) you are asked to register your details before you enter the park. They are only welcoming 300 people into the park at this moment so I highly suggest you get in contact and book with them before you go to secure a spot. You are also provided with a map of the grounds once you have paid to enter. Map also available to view online HERE
∘ There is a gorgeous wooden cafe on site called the Chalet Healy Cafe which serves a variety of different food and beverages. On our visit today it was unfortunately closed due to COVID restrictions (and being winter) however the Araluen website does update their information regularly so hopefully it wont be long before we see them opening their doors again. The cafe is wheelchair and family friendly with plenty of room to sit inside or outside whilst overlooking the park. Cafe is open from 10am – 3pm and in the cooler months they even have a beautiful log fire inside to keep you nice and toasty and warm! If you are still after a hot drink on your visit during winter there is a coffee van onsite to do this. Cafe menu may change due to seasons but view most recent one HERE
∘ Electric BBQ facilities are available at the park free of charge to visitors. Wood fired BBQ’s and firewood are available from May- October. Even better bring your own picnic like what we did today! There are plenty of wooden benches to sit on (and bin facilities) situated around the park. We managed to find one and had a quiet little area all to ourselves the whole time we were sitting there eating!
∘ There are four public toilet locations situated in various locations on the grounds which all have disabled and parenting facilities
∘ There is a train that runs seasonally (springtime) on the grounds for a small fare. I haven’t seen the train on any of my visits to Araluen so I would suggest to get in contact with them if you are requiring a price beforehand and payment methods
∘ Download “Whats flowering at Araluen” HERE
Chalet Healy Cafe
On the grounds
Where we sat and had our picnic lunch
General info
∘ You will be doing A LOT of walking so I highly suggest wearing comfy shoes. There are a lot of areas on the grounds that can also get quite muddy so you might want to consider what type of footwear you plan on wearing on the day. My suggestion? Nothing too fancy!
∘ There are water fountains situated in various locations on the grounds, however these were unavailable for use on the day we visited ( I would say due to COVID )
∘ Make sure you bring lots of your own water if you plan on doing a lot of walking/hiking. There are a lot of steep hills and stairs and trust me, you will get puffed and thirsty really quick!
∘ You must clean up after yourselves, no brainer guys! The volunteers who help out at the park are not there to do this for you and there are plenty of general waste facilities located around the grounds for where you need to dispose rubbish
∘ Araluen is a NON SMOKING venue
∘ The grounds at Araluen are both wheelchair and pram friendly. I have never had any issues walking around the park before when I have had to take Noah in his pram
BBQ facility area
