With the land here found to be ideal for growing a variety of fruit, more settlers arrived in the 1890s … especially when the Zig Zag railway line, which transported timber from Canning Mills to the main line at Midland Junction, was established.

The best place to get a real sense of what life was like for those early residents is to visit the truly fantastic Kalamunda History Village.

Built on the site of the old Upper Darling Range Railway Station, the village boasts many original buildings, including the school house, post office, a settler’s cottage, a blacksmith’s shop, and many more. There’s even a ‘G’ Class locomotive of the type used on the Kalamunda line.

There are plenty of great bushwalks in a region that is full of fascinating flora and fauna.

The town itself is delightful. There are a number of great cafes and restaurants, some fascinating specialist shops, and the apparently-haunted Kalamunda Hotel is a great place to eat and drink. Also worth a look is the largest stained-glass window in the Southern Hemisphere at the Kalamunda Library.

The Kalamunda Farmers Market is held every Sunday morning, and the Kalamunda Artisan Market on the first Saturday of each month. There are also monthly night markets during the summer months.

The iconic 1,000-kilometre walking trail, the Bibbulmun Track, starts here and stretches all the way down to Albany on the south coast. There are plenty of less demanding walking options in the area, including the Railway Heritage Trail, the Zig Zag Scenic Trail, the Rocky Pool Walk, the Mason and Bird Heritage Trail … and many others, too.

Just out of Kalamunda, there is a short walk that leads to the lookouts at Lesmurdie Falls which offers stunning views of the city of Perth.

There is no shortage of beautiful national parks in the Perth Hills where birdwatching, bushwalking and wildflowers are big attractions. These include Beelu National Park, Kalamunda National Park, Gooseberry Hill National Park, and Korung National Park.

The nearby Bickley Valley is also developing quite a reputation for its wineries, cider makers, and distilleries … and, with many of them offering food as well, a winery drive makes for a great day out.

Just 10 kilometres or so southwest of Kalamunda is the Perth Observatory which is a great place for grey nomads to learn about those magnificent night skies they’ve been so enjoying.

Unfortunately, there is no real caravan camping in Kalamunda itself but there are a number of van parks just a few kilometres out of town, including Crystal Brook Caravan Park, Advent Park, Banksia Tourist Park, and Discovery Parks – Perth Airport.

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