FR Berry Walk Trail (FR Berry Reserve)

A short 2.7 kilometre waterfall walk, the FR Berry Walk Trail explores the lovely FR Berry Reserve. Starting at the upper car park, the trail descends to then follow vehicles track to the stunning cascades and waterfall along Wooroloo Brook. Returning back past a jumble of granite outrcrops, the trail loops back to the start through pleasant Wandoo. An easy waterfall walk well worth visiting

Distance: 2.7 km (loop with a return leg)

Gradient: Relatively gentle throughout, with some mild undulations through the forest

Quality of Path: Almost entirely on vehicle tracks

Quality of Signage: Generally well signed, although marker 2 was hidden behind bushes at the time of our visit

Experience Required: No Bushwalking Experience Required

Time: <1 Hour

Steps: Several informal sets on the granite near Wooroloo Brook
Best Time to Visit: Late Winter/Early Spring

Entry Fee: No

Getting There: The trail starts at the upper car park in FR Berry Reserve. From Toodjay Rd, turn left onto Reen Rd and head north for 8.4 kilometres and look out for the sign to FR Berry Reserve. Turn left into the reserve and head to the end of the road. The upper car park is located near the toilet block. The trailhead is located near the barbecue

After completing the Honeyeater Hike in the morning, Alissa and I made the most of the fine Djilba weather by heading north to check out our second walk for the day in the City of Swan. Although I'd heard of the FR Berry Walk Trail a few years ago, its meagre length had made it less of a priority than many other walk in the Perth area, however recent photos of the trail's spectacular waterfall and cascades made its the perfect second course to the Honeyeater Hike.

Starting at the upper car park, the trail immediately head down the road where signage indicates the trail heads along a vehicle track. As with the Honeyeater Hike, this is a trail that is almost entirely on vehicle tracks, which I have to admit is not my favourite kind of trail.

Within the first few hundred metres, the trail crosses a shallow stream across a low bridge that allows walkers to keep their feet dry.

Not long after the crossing, the track reaches a trail junction, with the trail heading either right or straight ahead. Initially, Alissa and I went straight ahead until we suddenly came to markers with numbering that seemed to have jumped quite a fair bit ahead. Knowing that this didn't seem right, Alissa and I headed back down the track and to the trail junction, where a careful search revealed a marker hidden away behind overgrown scrub.

The walking on the side track was quite enjoyable thanks to all the yellow blooms on either side of the trail, and it definitely pays to visit this walk in Djilba (early Spring) to appreciate it at its best.

At another trail junction, marker number 3 was thankfully easier to find and we continued on the relatively flat track with no further navigational issues. 

The terrain to the left of the track was rugged and interesting, with large granite boulders and outcrops giving the area a lot of the geographical and geological interest that the morning's walk lacked.

The main draw of doing the FR Berry Walk Trail is the fact it features spectacular river views during the peak of waterfall season in late August/early September. The moderately fast-flowing water here  is part of Wooroloo Brook - the same brook Alissa and I explored last year with our friend Lou on the partly off-track Wooroloo Brook Walk GPS Route. 

The lovely scenery is typical of the rivers and brooks of the Darling Scarp in the late Winter/early Spring period when the waters are flowing and the wildflowers are in bloom. This is truly the Perth area at in its most beautiful season, and it is the time of year I recommend most people come to visit Perth and get out and about on a bushwalk.

While the waterfall further downstream is the main attraction, some of the quieter moments upstream are just as lovely. With less people around and being able to take it all in with peaceful solitude, Alissa actually preferred this point of the walk to the main waterfall.

This part of the walk ends at the large slide waterfall that is the trail's most photographed scene.

This is a really impressive part of the walk, however Alissa and I found that it was relatively busy at the time of our visit, with quite a few family groups around enjoying the scenery. I certainly couldn't blame them given the perfect weather and stunning quality of the waterfall, but it also took away from the wildness of the experience.

Nevertheless, I was at least able to get a photo of the falls without any Instagrammers walking into shot or hogging the best vantage points, so it is not like it is in that extreme category of Insta-worthy location that is being loved to death.

From the falls, Alissa and I headed back to the earlier cascades to enjoy the serenity for a little while and then return back the way we came to marker 2. the FR Berry Walk Trail is an odd shape; it is basically a loop with a long side trail to the falls. From marker 2, the trail heads into lovely Wandoo territory. As fan of these beautiful, smooth barked trees, I was really enjoying the scenery.

Following the markers around, the loop part of the trail is pleasant and enjoyable even without the major draw of the waterfall and in spite of the fact it is all on old vehicle tracks rather than walk trail. 

Just before a steep ascent, the trail takes a left turn and heads back towards the upper car park. With some nice Wandoo scenery on the ridge above and wildflowers along the trail, this is a lovely end to a short stroll.

While the FR Berry Walk Trail may be fairly short, not be on nice single file walk track and there are some issues with signage, Alissa and I quite enjoyed the FR Berry Walk Trail. Though not a substantial trail, the scenery on offer was certainly better than average for the Perth area, with the stretch along the cascades and waterfall being really quite spectacular. While there are better waterfall walks in the Perth area (Kitty's Gorge, Eagle View and Whistelepipe Gully for example), this is a walk that waterfall chasers should definitely check out and one I'd happily visit again during Perth's waterfall season.