We looked out the window at the blue Swan River in Perth Western Australia. In other countries we would hunt down the local river or waterway to walk, experiencing river life. Right in front of us was a spectacular river, the heart of Perth. During Covid, with travel limited, we decided to walk the Swan River. We put on our hiking boots and off we went. We walked from Fremantle to Guildford and back to Fremantle. It was 100kms and took us 11 days. This is the route we took and some information about the river as we went.

Although we live on the river, there are so many parts of it that we don't know about. We love exploring places on foot and much of the Swan River is lined with walking and cycling trails. It is also a fun way of exercising and enjoying the outdoors.

What we learnt while walking the Swan River, is how many special places there are along the route. There are narrow sections of tannin-stained deep water, wide estuaries with white sandy beaches, and suburban parks for river side picnics. We learnt about the how the indigenous people lived along the river and its important to their lifestyle. We learnt about the early days of settlement and how Perth grew around the river.

We realised that the Swan River is a very special place that we need to look after and an asset to Perth. Whether sailing, fishing, kayaking, picnicking, swimming, water-skiing, watching drone shows and fireworks, touring the Swan Valley wineries, going to the zoo or watching the sunset, it is place where we come together as friends and as community. Whether you live north or south of the river, it remains the centre of our city.