Top Tips For Travelling In Perth And Margaret River With Kids
This writer road-tripped as a family of five and found that with the right prep and an adjusted mindset, the holiday could be truly relaxing.
By Ng Mei Yan -
“You are holidaying with three kids? Without help? For 11 days?”
My husband and I have often faced concerned reactions from friends when we share our travel plans. We have three children—two boys in lower primary and an almost 18-month-old. We know the adult-to-children ratio tips the wrong way.
Over the most recent June holidays, we headed out to Western Australia on an 11-day trip to Perth and Margaret River with kids. These are, hands down, some of the most family-friendly places in the world. It’s our second time because we desperately needed to escape the Singapore cityscape and dial down the pace of life.
Travelling without help is the way we’ve always done it. We have come to enjoy the flexibility and freedom of moving around in our little tribe, even though it means we can’t ever outsource care unless there is a kids’ club or a trusted nannying service.
We (adults and children) enjoyed ourselves tremendously, though not without a couple of boo-boos along the way. Here are some of our best tips that will help you and your clan have an awesome time, including must-visit playgrounds and types of lodging, like we did!
This may sound like a no-brainer, but it begs a mention.
Swamped with work, we did not realise until two days before departing that we needed to get an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)—a form of tourist visa. Thankfully this could be speedily settled via an app.
But there was something worse: my husband couldn’t find his driving license up until the last minute. (Cue dagger eyes because I had no desire to be the designated chauffeur on this self-drive trip.)
Also, flying as a group of five isn’t cheap. Stalk airline websites half a year in advance if you can to watch the moving fares and catch promotions.
Meticulous planners may get uncomfortable, but it is best to go with a very loose itinerary or none at all. Make a list of places you wish to visit and pair up the ones that are located close to each other (and by close, we mean within a half-hour drive). With a toddler in tow, we could only visit one to two main spots each day. Plus, wet weather could throw plans into disarray—it stormed for a full two to three days on our trip. But this is all good because, all that free time can be spent chilling out at the Airbnb, which brings me to my next point.
One of the best things about going to a place like Australia is that there is abundance of land. Picking a large rental house (single level, so you don’t need to worry about tots tumbling down the stairs) with a fully equipped kitchen, highchair and baby cot will make your life so much easier. Plus, the kids get to expend their energy running in the backyard.
The house we rented in the Margaret River region came with books, toys, games and even a playground out back so there is no lack of wholesome entertainment for the young ones while you sit back and sip on the local vino. (And no, the lodging I just described isn’t a rarity; in fact, there are plenty of such rental options available in both Margs and Perth.)
While the apartment we stayed at in Perth didn’t accord as much space, the ocean view made up for it. Also, we were a two-minute walk from the nearest supermarket and eateries so we could still get our essentials when it rained.
The journey between Perth and Margaret River averages around 3.5 hours. On certain days, the drive to or from sightseeing spots also took up to an hour.
Timing long drives during our toddler’s naptime (midday) made for a peaceful ride. However, none of the local radio stations seemed to satisfy any other one of us in the car, and refrains of “are we there yet?” were starting to induce eyerolls. So I quickly put together the most eclectic playlist ever on YouTube Music including pop hits, Disney movie songs and even *drumroll* Baby Shark and Cocomelon ditties—we need to be fair, right?
With a significant age gap between our boys and the toddler, we had to tailor the sightseeing to suit everyone. The baby carrier came in handy when we had to visit places that involved lots of stair-climbing like the Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse and Mammoth Cave—this accessible show cave has beautiful limestone formations and actual fossils.
When in Margaret River, a farm visit is also a must-do; animal feeding is fun for everyone of all ages. And the outdoor timber maze at Yallingup Maze & Mini Golf was great at helping the boys burn off energy and stimulate their mental faculties.
There are also tons of places in Perth suitable for littles. The many museums like the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, Maritime Museum and Fremantle Prison are great for primary schoolers. Our boys also had a ball (and froze their bottoms off) swimming in the sea in the Australian winter.
But ask them to name a favourite place and the kids will probably choose Whiteman Park, in particular the Pia’s Place playground located within. This all-inclusive lush play area comes with endless nooks and structures for fun and exploration, including a flying fox, pogo swings, balancing logs, lookout spots, a tall “lighthouse” with a twisty tunnel slide and so much more.
Whiteman Park is huge so you will need more than a day to cover everything here. Other than playgrounds, the park offers vintage train rides and several museums. And located right next door is the Caversham Wildlife Park where you can get up close with koalas, roos, farm friends and even 50 species of reptiles.
Most restaurants and wineries welcome kids, but the reverse isn’t quite true. Here’s a baseline for the days you really want to kick back and actually have a proper conversation with the other adult(s) at the table: find a place with a playground.
In Margaret River, our faves include:
Swings & Roundabouts Cellar Door and Restaurant at Yallingup
Its huge outdoor yard with a very impressive rustic playground is a clear winner in our book. Plus, it offers a grazing plate for the littlest and the freshest crudo my husband and I polished off the plate. We could have spent more hours here if we didn’t have to put our youngest down for a nap.
Eagle Bay Brewing Co
The generously sized kids’ ham and cheese pizza was a hit, and mummy here enjoyed their delicious bubbly rosé and dukkha.
Cheeky Monkey Brewhouse
Its shaded playground was wet the day we visited because of rain, but there were a couple of arcade game machines in a corner of the restaurant to keep our boys entertained. Adjacent to the restaurant is the Burton Creek Cellar Door where the adults can do a round of wine tasting—their shiraz liqueur is a must-try.
Over in Perth, we particularly enjoyed breakfast at Cup & Co at Floreat. Its huevos rancheros scrambled eggs were our highlight and the kids enjoyed their waffles with berries and syrup. Located right next to the café is a park where the rope structures were fun and challenging enough for primary schoolers.
If you start to miss Asian food like we did, simply head to the malls. At the Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre, the biggest mall in Perth, you can find familiar names like Ippudo, Nene Chicken, Zhang Liang Malatang and even Gong Cha.
Mei Yan is a mother to three boisterous children and two furry felines. She maintains her sanity with kopi siew dai, Reiki and Tarot reading, and hopes to pay off her sleep debt in this lifetime. Hit her up @alittlepastbedtime to chat about all things motherhood and making sense of the world in chaotic times.