Prescribing Blue Space - Waterfalls, babbling brooks, fountains and slip n slides
Places to visit in Perth and beyond for inner peace and wellbeing
Blue space prescribing includes being around cascading water. Research shows being around waterscapes helps with stress. We are lucky in Perth to be surrounded by such beautiful Indian ocean beaches and the Swan River. I specially love Fremantle port as there is both within close proximity. The beaches here have fine white sand and blue clear water which invites a walk, swim, picnic, dog, kitesurf watch and some have saunas that overlook the ocean to sustain the colder weather.
I specially love waterfalls and Quinninup falls in the Margaret River area makes for a special place. There’s pindan red earth that strikes color contrasts so spectacularly and plenty kangaroos around. Lesmurdie Falls and 60 foot falls close to Perth are favorite spots I recently visited after the frequent rains. Perth is usually very dry so I was keen to see these waterfalls at their best. These are places that make you feel something larger than yourself in absolute awe. Awe adds to your sense of well feels! Research certainly encourages more of it for people’s wellbeing.
The magnitude of water falling makes me feel so alive and energised. To be able to stand under or behind one is very impressive. I have been fortunate to stand amongst waterfalls at Niagara Canada, Interlaken Switzerland, Austrian Alps, Waterfall Way Bellingen, Minyon and Protestor’s falls Byron Shire, Emma falls Kimberley, Wentworth falls Blue Mountains and Edith Falls Northern Territory.
As spectacular as waterfalls are, it’s seasonal and often not as accessible in a city. The babbling brooks and fountains are plentiful around and just as special to me.
Here in White Gum Valley there is Booyeembara Park where there is a babbling stream that runs through some Sheoks. It’s small but a place where many of my friends like to walk through. It’s the little cascades and flurry of water washing over and around rocks that brings joy. A recent trip on a section of the cape to cape walk North of the Wilyabrup cliffs in Margaret River was a brook that was babbling with the ocean waves crashing in the background. This meeting of waters and their sounds was not one I hear too often. A warm day bending over to splash my face and cool my arms was bliss.
Fountains are a memory from my childhood visiting family in Singapore and Malaysia there were always fountains to amaze me at the shopping malls. I have still yet to see the Jewel rain vortex which is a 40m high indoor man-designed waterfall in Singapore airport. I was fortunate to see on my first trip abroad the fountains in the small village of Aix En Provence. There are 250, I walked the cobbled streets and discovered the grandest to the simplest being equally captivating. Here in Kings Park Perth there is the Pioneer Women’s Memorial Fountain which makes for a surprise spray when you forget it’s coming as it shoots up a very tall height. There are also small cascades flowing closeby throughout the water garden where small and big kids race their chosen leaf or sticks
The slip n slides are a memory from the 1980’s where a sheet of plastic attached to the hose whereby the sides had the water running through with small holes for the water to cascade into the centre which was soapy. As kids we would slide belly down the slope in sheer excitement ! Sliding fountains of heaven !
Summer is around the corner and the blissful waters await. This sunburnt country girt by sea is very special.
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