Yanchep National Park – Kangaroos and Koalas Spotting

Yanchep National Park was in our Must-Visit/To-Do list during our WA visit. However, it won’t be wrong if I say that our trip to Yanchep was somewhat accidental. In fact, on the said day, we planned to visit strawberry farms for strawberries picking. The farms were relatively far, out-of-the-way and at an hour drive from Perth. Our bad luck, when we reached there, we were told that farms remain close during weekdays for public strawberry picking and open on weekends only. An hour one-way drive in an isolated and deserted area was apparently wasted :/. We, three friends with our families, immediately discussed for an alternate and all agreed to go to Yanchep park as it was nearest amongst our all other Must-Visit destinations.

It took almost half an hour to reach Yanchep from strawberry farms. Our disappointment of failing in strawberry picking was being replaced with pleasure during the way as the path was extremely scenic. A curvy road amid lush green plains and tall trees made us feel fresh. We had almost two hours before sunset when we reached Yanchep park. Therefore, we had to stroll around hurriedly. Actually it’s a huge park and deserves a full day of exploration.

The entrance fee was 12 AUD per vehicle. Parking was not far from park entrance.

The main attraction of Yanchep park is kangaroo and koala spotting. These wallabies move around freely in the park and perhaps, are accustomed to human interaction.

We were excited to see, first time, kangaroos in their natural habitat. They were grazing near our parked cars.

There were some tracks for cycling.

The park also had a lake. Swimming was not allowed in the lake and rightly so, as the lake water was stagnant, looking muddy and full of fungi.

However the lake was definitely enhancing beauty of the park.

And there we saw many friendly kangaroos. We went closer to them, just few feet away and it seemed that they were not bothering our presence.

We also saw a baby kangaroo in a kangaroo’s pouch. Can you spot it?

I didn’t understand the purpose of these ledges at lake edge but the spot was picturesque.

We saw several bird species including colorful parrots chirping and flying from tree to tree. But our kids were more interested in ducks. Despite our repeated advice, they continued chasing duckies.

Next, we went for koala watching. This area was barricaded and had a raised walkway.

Koalas were difficult to spot as most of the times they keep resting on tree branches and blend with the surroundings. However, in few minutes, we spotted one and then another and another.

Many other trails as well as a crystal cave were yet to be explored. However, it was getting dark now so we had to return. I must say that it’s at least a full day activity if one really wants to fully explore the park.