The first in our series of classic dog walks straddles both banks of the architecturally challenging East Perth Development. The walk traverses a catalogue of changing environments - sometimes picturesque, sometimes post-modern - as the rural brushes shoulders with the industrial and the suburban. Like all good walks it combines off-lead and on-lead areas. Not the least of its charms, for handler and dog alike, is the omnipresent Swan River. Its drawback is the footpath to the Eastern border. This is shared by cyclists, many of whom ride too fast and seldom use their bells.

There are multiple points of entry to the EPD walk. We chose to access it from Joel Terrace, thus allowing the ever-enthusiastic "Neddy" (Kelpie x Sponger) to take the edge off his pulling power with a free run and swim at Banks Reserve.

Banks Reserve was once an adequately sized free run area. Successive local governments have sought to leave their mark, like a dog at a post, by installing a kiddy's playground, cricket practice nets, a soccer goal post, an amphitheatre and a basket ball practice hoop in what was once exclusively an off-lead area. Surprisingly, the encroachments still leave reasonable room for a dog to run. The topography is interesting, with a sharp hill towards the Joel Terrace end of the reserve, and the river accessible to the East. Care must be taken not to allow dogs to interfere with cyclists on the path that cuts off the river from the grassed area of the reserve.