Section 4 - Bickley to Kalamunda

Heading west along Walnut Road, turn right into Aldersyde Road. This is quite a challenging climb but the excellent views are well worth the effort.

The Packing Shed is situated on Loaring Road and includes tearooms (open Friday to Sunday and public holidays) that serve meals. Brookside Winery is also located in this area. The complex includes a bed and breakfast facility with wine tasting on weekends and public holidays.

The Packing Shed entry road traverses a stone bridge.

Despite its proximity to the city, Bickley has retained a genuine rural feel. A number of cottage industries have sprung up in the area producing handcrafted furniture, chocolates and various artistic pursuits. There are also a number of commercial orchards and some of these have small roadside stalls where you can buy whatever produce is in season. The elevation and cooler nights provide farmers with the necessary chill factor to grow fruit such as apples and pears.

A number of orchardists in the Bickley area sell their produce direct to the public.

Mundaring Weir Road is quiet during the week but can be busy on weekends and public holidays.

Continue climbing on Aldersyde Road until it ends and then turn left into Mundaring Weir Road.

A fairly challenging four kilometre uphill ride takes you back to the Kalamunda townsite. This is a major commercial centre for the Hills region and provides a wide range of shopping facilities and services. The Visitors Information Centre at 11 Headingly Road or Shire Office at 2 Railway Road are both excellent places to find out more about the many attractions to visit and things to do in the region.

Bushwalkers are particularly well catered for and the Shire of Kalamunda has produced a series of free walk trail brochures to highlight the best local examples. The walks have been graded in terms of difficulty. Their names give some indication of the natural delights featured such as Rocky Pool, Whistlepipe Gully, Lion's Lookout and Palm Terrace.

These trails meander past granite outcrops, quarries and waterfalls, taking the visitor through ancient jarrah and marri forest that provides a water catchment zone for the Perth metropolitan area. In spring, walkers will have the added experience of a brilliantly coloured carpet of wildflowers.

The Kalamunda area is also home to a fascinating range of birds, mammals and reptiles. Look out for the western grey kangaroo, the timid black-gloved wallaby, bobtail lizards, blue wrens, galahs and large white-tailed black cockatoos.