Dog Parks of Perth – Whiteman Park
Whiteman Park opens at 8:30 and closes at 5:30, so it’s not my normal go-to park during the summer months. It does have some lovely spots for dog walking, on lead except for the enclosed dog park. There is an enclosed area for small dogs and another for larger dogs.
If you’re going bush, be aware that there are kangaroo ticks around so give yourself and your dogs a good check when you get home.
No such problems in the grassed and groomed areas. For this walk we took the path around Mussel Pool, which has some lovely little bridges over the current pretty sludgy water. The path is good so you’re ok with buggies, bikes and strollers. Most of the way round has dappled shade. There are water stations around for you to fill up bowls for your pooch.
If you’re picnicking there are also heaps of tables and stretches of grass. Water out for bull ants (a summer theme). These can also be booked if you’re bringing friends.
Dachshund shenanigans
One of the things I love best about photographing the Long Dogs walks is the dogs who remember me. Granted this is usually because I have hot and cold running treats and things that go squeak. Star of the show this month was Lola, but she wasn’t the only one to give my face a big smooshing.
A tiny new chocolate drop was a fan favourite – I don’t think his feet hit the floor for more than a few minutes at a time before someone scooped him up for snuggles.
We had a bit of a traffic jam on the bridge. With a big crowd and loads of distractions it’s very tricky to get any posed shots so I normally aim for catching candid moments. Don’t forget Long Dog members get special deals if they want to have me all to themselves for a couple of hours.
It was fabulous to see a number of first timers, including some recent imports from Sydney. I hope they found the Perth contingent to be welcoming.
Also wonderful to catch up with some fellow long timers. You know who you are.
Getting there
Whiteman Park is about a 30 minute drive from the Perth CBD. there is plenty of parking and you can usually find a spot to be pretty much on your own.
