Secret Gnome Garden — Attraction in Cottesloe

This is a charming place to visit, but it has a solemn backstory. Many of the gnomes in the garden actually used to be human men with their own wives and children. Some of the men used to be very successful, with careers in business or finance or engineering on St George's Terrace. However, the men each fell on hard times and lost all their money, no longer able to feed their families, and some even forced to leave their homes. A strange spirit visited the men and said, "I will make you a deal: I will make sure your wives and children have enough money to be happy and healthy for the rest of their lives: food, clothing, education; they will want for nothing. However, the cost is that you must become a gnome and come and live in the hidden gnome garden forever." The honourable men, full of warm-hearted concern for their deprived families, all agreed to the spirit's bargain. How could they say no? One by one, with tears in their eyes, they said goodbye to their wives and sons and daughters before the spirit shrunk them down to gnome height and put them in the garden where they are now. You will see big ones and little ones, some colourful and some a bit dull, all a bit different just like the men they used to be. It's not always nice being a gnome: sometimes birds peck at you, sometimes dogs wee on you and sometimes rascals pick up and kick and break you. Nonetheless, for the gnomes, it is a worthy sacrifice, knowing that their wives and children will be taken care of for as long as they live. As for the other creatures in the garden, such as the fairies, they are...

Quirky, not creepy or scary, place that's an alternative 'playground' haven for kids. Plenty of chairs for adults to sit in while the kids explore (you can see from one end to the other) in shade. Sand pit, low branching trees to climb, teepee, lots of Knick knacks and soft toys placed around the trees and ground to look at. There's a charity box for donations to a children's cancer charity if you want to donate in return for visiting. 'Ponds' are not much bigger than bird baths in size. I don't think I've seen anything like it before! Brilliant work by the creators,...

For some reason kids are enthralled by this place. It's a small, albeit creepy, community run garden with a lot of weird and wonderful gnomes and kids toys.

It's a great place to stop before heading down to the beach and it will keep toddler aged kids entertained for a good while.

It's completely shaded and has a bunch of tables and chairs to sit at if you want a rest or wanna...