Perth Family Holiday Guide

Just think about how wonderfully strange life would be if you stumbled across a city packed with so many family-friendly natural activities that your kids never had a moment to think about Barbie, chat sites or video games consoles sitting in the hotel room. Welcome to Perth. Who knows, by the time you leave, they may even be tempted to encourage conversation.

Day 1: Whoever said never work with children and animals never took the kids to Perth:

• Take a 45 minute flight up to Monkey Mia to have breakfast with the dolphins.
• 30-minutes drive out of town you’ll come across the Caversham Wildlife Park – home to 200 of Australia’s coolest looking creatures such as emus, cassowary, dingoes and Tassie devils.
• A Pony for the Day tour may inflame your child’s need to have one on the backyard, but the grooming and saddling up lesson before a ride and lunch out in the bush may be the reality check you’ve been searching for.
• At Nero’s Italian Restaurant they are sticklers for large servings and small prices, and your little Michelangelo’s can even sketch out a crayon masterpiece on the butchers paper clad tables.

Day 2: Entertainment, thrills and laughter to make even The Wiggles green with envy:

• Make a day of it at theme park Adventure World on wet and dry rides for all age’s giggles, from the Tunnel of Terror and Terminator X laser tag to the Kids Cove area for toddlers.
• When Tarzan has bunions on his hands he swings by the scenic river cruise for a leisurely ride up the Swan River to the Perth Zoo for a cup of Venus Fly Trap tea with the lizards, snakes, elephants and lions.
• Where better to house Australia’s largest aquarium than in Australia’s largest state. The AQWA is swimming with living coral reefs, rays, turtles and more—daring divers can even swim with the sharks.
• Babies, toddlers, kindys and schoolies all love Stickybeaks Playground and Café. Up until 5pm you can enjoy an impromptu picnic in the playground, crawl around in the play pen and explore the dinosaur themed park. And the kids can join in too.

Day 3: Australiana Day with a dollop of red, white and blue:

• Have a family jam session in nearby Fremantle at a one hour didgeridoo lesson, which includes how to create animal sounds and mastering circular breathing.
• Jump aboard a trip to Rottnest Island on a high speed ferry to see coral reefs, and the most unusual quokkas and bobtail lizards.
• Spend the afternoon clipclopping around Swan Valley on a Vineyard Meander Horse-drawn Wagon Trail where you ride in a Clydesdale-drawn wagon – the kids gobble down fresh nougat while you sample a few premium WA wines.
• It’s a big “How ya’ll doin’ cobbers!” at an Australia’s Lone Star restaurant (various locations in Perth), where they serve up Texan style (and size) meals like Amarillo cheese fries, steak and ribs. The kids can choose from the extensive kids menu, fill in the puzzles on their placemats and even join in the hourly boot-scooting.

Recommended Perth Family Hotels:

• With an on-site playground and pool, the fun doesn’t end when the day’s done if you’re staying at the Country Comfort Inter City Perth hotel.
• Budding beach babes can explore the sands and shore when you stay at the Quality Resort Sorrento Beach, exactly 76 steps from the sand, complete with on-site Italian restaurant to pacify any signs of the hunger monster.
• If your kids are at an age when sharing the bathroom with mum and dad is so gross, try the Aarons Hotel Perth —all rooms have ensuites and there’s a playground to keep younger siblings out of their painstakingly primmed hair.

See the list below for more Perth Family Hotels.