Categories > Guides and Tips
It’ll be a smooth ride with this guide to the Zig Zag Scenic Drive in Perth!
- Things to Know
- Things to Do
- Drive and unwind
- Have a picnic or spot wildlife at Gooseberry Hill National Park
- Scale rocks at Statham Quarry
- Discover hardy flora at Zanthorrea Nursery
- Cycle through the Railway Heritage Trail
- Relive the past at Kalamunda History Village
- Where to Eat
- Embers Woodfired Pizza Restaurant
- Mason & Bird
- The Best Drop Tavern Kalamunda
The ‘scenic’ in Perth’s Zig Zag Scenic Drive isn’t there to trick tourists who’ll do anything for that sought-after ‘panoramic road’ high. Snaking through Gooseberry Hill, this one-way route is downright jaw-dropping.
True to its name, there are tons of hairpin bends, each throwing ever-changing scenes. One minute you’re getting roughed up by bushlands, the next, you’re cruising hillside with the open skies overhead.
If that’s right up your alley, make a beeline for the guide below. We’ve zigzagged here numerous times, so we have an idea or two about where to have fun and dine.
Things to Know
Map
Operating Hours: Daily – 11 am to 8:30 pm
Drive from the Perth CBD: 30 mins (28.4 km)
Length: 3.5 km
Things to Do
Drive and unwind
From itsashleighjade
If we’re heading to Zig Zag Scenic Drive, you can bet it’s for a leisurely spin. It’s every bit as scenic as advertised.
The Swan Coastal Plain’s great outdoors and Perth’s cityscape converge here, resulting in an ever-changing scenery of skylines, bushlands, and wildflowers, if in season.
However, you can’t treat it like a Fast & Furious race track; there’s a 40 km/h speed limit. Yes, that may sound too slow, but the road has sharp turns, sudden gradients, walkers, and cyclists—plus going Sonic-like would totally miss the point of this former railway route.
You must also note that there’s no off-road access, campsites, or toilets, so plan accordingly. On the upside, there are designated areas for stopping and taking in the vistas, just look for the pull-over signs.
Have a picnic or spot wildlife at Gooseberry Hill National Park
From _annabelclaire_
Address: 1 Zig Zag Scenic Dr
Contact Details: +61 8 9290 6100
Operating Hours: Daily – 24 hours
Website
A golden hour picnic at the 33-hectare Gooseberry Hill National Park is our go-to way of pausing and recharging. Yeah, it might lack modern visitor facilities, but the unspoiled panoramas of the Swan Coastal Plain more than make up for it.
The place is crawling with Aussie critters as well, particularly birds like kookaburras, honeyeaters, and cockatoos. Running into a family of wombats or kangaroos isn’t far-fetched either, especially in the late afternoon.
Flora-wise, jarrah and wandoo trees cover most of the park, with some Darling Range orchids blooming between September and November.
Scale rocks at Statham Quarry
From live2eat
Address: Ridge Hill Rd, Gooseberry Hill
Contact Details: +61 8 9290 6100
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Fri – 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
- Sat to Sun – 10 am to 4 pm
Adrenaline junkies get their fix at the historic Statham Quarry, once used for acquiring blue stone used to pave the city’s streets in the 1900s. Nowadays, this Darling Scarp location is an abseiling and rock climbing hotspot.
Almost anyone can have a crack at this well-developed crag, though you must ring up the digits above first to obtain a code from the Department of Parks and Wildlife. The code is needed to unlock the gate leading into the quarry runs.
Once you reach the crag, there are over 20 climbs to choose from, with a max height of 30 metres (100 feet). The Spine is the easiest with a difficulty score of 14, while the hardest is a toss-up between Carbon Dogs and Hammer & Tongs, both at 25.
Discover hardy flora at Zanthorrea Nursery
From zanthorrea_nursery
Address: 155 Watsonia Rd, Maida Vale
Contact Details: +61 8 9454 6260
Operating Hours: Daily – 9 am to 5:30 pm
Website
We didn’t have to jet off to a far-flung backcountry to see some of the globe’s most hardy plants—a trip to Zanthorrea Nursery sufficed. Over 600 varieties of Australian natives bloom here, and they’re eye-catching beyond being full of grit.
The standout from our visit was the slender boronia, which is known to flourish in SA. It has pink ‘stars’ for flowers, which become more dazzling come spring or winter.
What’s more, there are award-winning display gardens that’ll probably inspire landscape painters. These flowery patches follow many themes, like informal, outback, and water style—meaning each corner showcases a different brand or shade of natural beauty.
Cycle through the Railway Heritage Trail
From lanternerouge
Length: 26 km
Estimated Time: 2–4 hrs
Type: Return
Elevation Gain: 217 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Why stop at the Zig Zag Scenic Drive when part of the Railway Heritage Trail weaves through it? This bike trail is fit for easy rides or walks, but you should also prepare for gentle climbs, compacted gravel, and a downhill finish at Williams Road.
Like most parts of the drive, the route is picturesque too, chiefly the initial run between Williams Road and Railway Road. Along these sections, sheoak, marrah, and jarrah trees line up, and if you’re as fortunate as us, you might spot several karaks!
To fully soak in the railway age’s charm, though, we recommend heading to John Forrest National Park, about 22 minutes away from the drive. There, you can pass through the heritage-rich (and spooky) Swan View Tunnel where torches and bravery are a must.
Relive the past at Kalamunda History Village
From domiclee
Address: Railway Rd, Kalamunda
Contact Details: +61 8 9293 1371
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Wed – 10 am to 3 pm
- Thu – 12 pm to 3 pm
- Fri – 10 am to 3 pm
- Sat to Sun – 10 am to 4 pm
A Kalamunda History Village stop is another way to experience Perth’s golden past. The interactive exhibitions here authentically depict the way of life back then, particularly in industries like orcharding, timber cutting, and quarrying.
The buildings will also make you feel like you actually travelled to years gone by. There are seven 1895-built buildings, two National Trust-listed railway stations from 1903 and 1921, a WWII boarding house, and a settler’s cottage.
To top it off, the place houses a preserved Locomotive G118, the very steam train that once ruled the Kalamunda Line and the Zig Zag Scenic Drive. It ran for around 49 years, primarily hauling timber from Canning Mills.
Where to Eat
Embers Woodfired Pizza Restaurant
From embers.northumberland
Address: 169 Railway Rd, Gooseberry Hill
Contact Details: +61 8 9293 3663
Operating Hours: Wed to Sun – 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, 5 pm to 8:30 pm
Pricing: $$
Website
To bookend your cruise at Embers means sharing fire-kissed grub with your mates. We know because that’s a perennial part of our Zig Zag itinerary, and it never misses.
We clean up the pizza first, usually margherita and calzone, both done the classic way. Sometimes, however, we ruffle a few Italian feathers by ordering Hawaiian, jazzed with mild mozzarella and fresh ham.
Mason & Bird
From masonandbird
Address: Zig Zag Cultural Centre, 7 Williams St, Kalamunda
Contact Details: +61 456 664 349
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Tue – 8 am to 1:30 pm
- Wed to Fri – 8 am to 8 pm
- Sat to Sun – 8 am to 2 pm
Pricing: $$
Website
Oozing with rustic identity courtesy of its timber mill-inspired design, Mason & Bird catches eyes with a rammed-earth and ochre-heavy look. However, it’s the brekkie and brunch staples that keep folks returning, our bunch included.
The menu is extensive, with crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, and chicken salad as the undeniable crowd-puller. If it were up to us, though, everybody must try the vegetarian burger with smoky-earthy fritters—a healthy way to fill up.
The Best Drop Tavern Kalamunda
From settyboots88
Address: 18 Haynes St, Kalamunda
Contact Details: +61 8 9293 2993
Operating Hours:
- Mon to Thu – 11:30 am to 10 pm
- Fri – 11:30 am to 11 pm
- Sat – 11:30 am to 10:30 pm
- Sun – 11:30 am to 9 pm
Pricing: $$
Website
Pub belly-fillers done the old-fashioned way—that’s The Best Drop Tavern’s secret to staying talked-about despite opening way back in 1973. The Tudor aesthetics and hefty portions also help boost its pull.
Our last trip had us tucking into their $26.50 plate of New Zealand hake fish and chips. The flavour is close to cod, but the tavern’s fish of choice carries sweeter undertones and softer meat, beer-battered for that malty oomph.
