Day Trips From Perth: Honeymoon Pool + Black Diamond Lake in Wellington National Park

Wellington National Park, home to Honeymoon Pool and Black Diamond Lake, is just over two hours south of Perth and the perfect trip to make for a day (or a weekend!) out of the city. I’d class both Honeymoon Pool and Black Diamond Lake as swimming spots that every water baby needs to adventure to.

On a Sunday morning we packed up our little car and took off, four girls and a ton of music for our first of many day trips from Perth. First stop – Honeymoon Pool!

Honeymoon Pool is a wide swimming hole that rests beside Honeymoon Pool Campsite – a tranquil camping area surrounded by lush green trees and the swimming hole that is essentially a wide pool of the Collie River. The water at Honeymoon Pool is a dark, jungle-green color in the sunlight and the perfect place for an ice cold refreshing splash in the water.

When we arrived, there were a few families and friends set up for camping over the weekend but for the most part, the campsite was quiet and we basically had the pool to ourselves apart from one other group brave enough to jump in! Once we’d had all we could take of the icy water, we settled on the stones further down the river with a spot of sunshine to warm up and dig in to lunch.

Bellies full and bodies defrosted, we piled back into the car and drove up to nearby Black Diamond Lake – a must see for it’s unusually turquoise (and definitely warmer) water. When we pulled up, the sun was shining, the top of the lake was sparkling a bright blue and we couldn’t get in fast enough. With a sandy bottom and calm water, Black Diamond Lake is perfect for a good old swim, floating, canoeing, kayaking, SUP, etc.

The lake was actually an open cut coal mine back in the day and at some parts still has high limestone cliffs that people have used for cliff-jumping. Unfortunately, these cliffs have recently been deemed dangerous and warnings state that anyone who jumps from the cliffs are taking a serious risk. Instead of risking the cliff jump, there’s an old tire swing hung from a tree branch on the far side of the lake that you can have a swing on into the water and take that insta-worthy photo.

All in all, Honeymoon Pool and Black Diamond Lake make for the perfect day trips from Perth. If you have the time, I would definitely recommend setting up camp at Honeymoon Pool for just $10 a night and enjoying the National Park for a full weekend. Apart from fun swimming holes, it’s a good spot for bush walking and scenic drives like the one through Wellington Forest.