2.5 Week Holiday in Perth

DublinGuy11

So myself, my wife and 2 kids (11 and 7) are going to visit a family member in Perth later this year. It is a long way to travel for 2.5 week holiday, we have made our peace with that travel aspect though, given we want to visit family. So the question I have is, while I have been to the east coast, I have actually never been to Perth before. Nor have I been to Oz with my kids before. We obviously want to make it as memorable a trip as possible for the kids. With that in mind, could anyone please provide recommendations on must sees, the best places to see/visit and places to go with kids whilst we are there in Perth. The family member we are going to visit doesn't have kids so wouldnt be as familiar with the best family friendly places to visit. From a quick review, Rottnest seems like a must. But any further recommendations are really welcome. Thanks.

Peregrinus

The Perth Region Tourism Organisation has a very good website which (among other things) has a page with a long list of kid-friendly and family-friendly sights and activities in and around Perth: https://www.destinationperth.com.au/things-to-do/family-fun/ . Check it out. There are far more things on it than you will have time to do, but you should be able to make a selection of ones that will particularly appeal.

Rottnest is a good idea. If you can manage it, stay a night or two; the island is completely different in the evenings after the day-trippers have gone home on the last ferry. Sadly, getting there and staying there are both ruinously expensive.

Mellor

Are you Deadset on the whole trip being in WA?

It may be that it's more about spending time with family, or perhaps as you've see the east. But in generally, most people agree that Western Australia / Perth A is the most boring State/City combo.

That's not to say that there's nothing to do. It's simple that Australia is huge and there is a load to see and do. Perth suffers form small city big / big state combo.
If you're flying into Sydney/Melbourne I think it would be crazy to not spend some time there with kids and/or family. But if isolated to Perth/WA there is still lots to do. Rottnest, Freemantle, Margaret River (or Swam River/Valley). Optus Stadium is considered one of the best in the world. If the kids like sports I'd definitely get a game in there.

Peregrinus

Perth is a long way from anywhere else in Australia that's bigger than Perth. Perth to Sydney is a transcontinental flight, more than 4 hrs flying time in one direction and more than 5 hrs in the other. It's priced acccordingly. Which means that you can have a two-centre Australian holiday, spending fair amount of time in Perth and a fair amount somewhere else, flying out to one side of the continent and home from the other. But it doesn't make a huge amount of sense to think of a predominantly Perth-based holiday with a side-trip to Sydney or Melbourne.

While we don't know the OP's intended route, if he has booked flights from Dublin to Perth it is not likely that he has been routed through Sydney or Melbourne on either leg unless he specifically asked to be — it would add many hours of flying time.

All this means that, if you want a more cosmopolitan, urban experience than Perth can offer, you do need to factor that into your planning from the get-go, and think in terms of a two-centre holiday with a triangular journey — e.g. Dublin-Perth-Melbourne-Dublin.

But if you just want a holiday that's not undiluted Perth, then think of going in the other direction — less urban, less cosmopolitan. Perth is a good place from which to take a side-trip of a couple of days to the desert, or to surf beaches, or to spectacular reefs, or wine-producing regions, or primeval forests, or goldfields. These are all much more accessible than Sydney or Melbourne. Not all of them are child-friendly — I can't see kids getting exciting over traipsing around wineries. Camping in the desert, though, would be pretty special.

StrawbsM

Head up the coast to Monkey Mia and Shark Bay. It’s a 7 hour drive but do an overnight stop to break it up. I did it during their summer but you stand in the shallow water and the dolphins swim up to you. There’s also a tour and the sharks are right under your feet.

Few good stops on the way up that I’ll find links for

https://www.sharkbay.org/place/monkey-mia/

StrawbsM

This was great craic. Hired quads and messed about in the dunes. Buy some cheap kids body boards and slide down the dunes. 90 mins north of city.

https://www.lancelin.com.au

Definitely do a day in Fremantle and visit the prison and walk around the town. Theres a massive brewery there on the port for refreshments and lunch.

Scarborough beach in the city is a must and watching the sunset from here is unreal. Depending on when you’re going there’s a sunset food market and a DJ pumping tunes out on the beach. Don’t miss this if it’s on! You’ll probably want to go the following week too.

Dave_D_Rave

I would head down the coast as opposed to up the coast from Perth just because of travel distances alone down south is a little less mileage.

Hillarys Boat Harbour - Man made open pool as such you can sit get food and drinks while kids are in poo very family orientated with amusement park.

Perth Beach Crawl - Cottelslow, Scarborough, City Beach all beatiful beaches along a 30km strech posibly rent bikes nice bike paths along this route

1 Day trip Swan Valley - Cheese, Chocholate and wineries (45 mins from Perth) guided tours avalaible

1 Day Freemantle prison tour - seconding the above good Irish connections there

1 Day Trip Rottnest Island - Island off coast with all strange kind of creatures

If making your way further south then the below might be worthwhile

1 Day Busselton - Water adverture (remmber Total Wipeout that course is on the jetty)

3/4 Days Dunsborough / Margaret River - Nice relaxing beaches in Dunsborough Margaret River has the wineries day tours good fun.

Down further South there is more beaches all lovely but you have probably enough of them by the time you get to the above. Lots of mining towns nothing top see here not worth travelling to