The best of Western Australia with kids

Jam-packed with otherworldly landscapes, natural wonders and opportunities for adventure, Western Australia is full of surprises. Whether you and your kids want to surf waves and sand dunes, explore the outback and experience ancient Indigenous culture, or see critters like dolphins and quokkas up close, WA is your state.

Margaret River and surrounds

Bring your appetite (and sweet tooth!)

Margaret River, three hours south of Perth, is famous for its wineries, craft breweries and gourmet produce. It's easy enough to find somewhere that caters for kids too, like Eagle Bay Brewing Co opens in new window with its big outdoor space and child-pleasing menu. Young foodies will love the Margaret River Chocolate Factory opens in new window, while Simmo’s Ice Creamery (in nearby Quindalup) boasts not only 60-plus flavours of ice cream, but a mini-golf course and adventure playground to burn off that sugar rush.

Pick a beach – any beach...

The south west's culinary charms are matched only by its sublime beaches. Some are best suited to seasoned surfers, but others – such as Meelup, Smith and Gnarabup Beaches – offer perfect swimming conditions. Make a day of it at the Busselton foreshore opens in new window, where calm, shallow waters, a shipwreck adventure playground, picnic areas and the famous Busselton Jetty make it a family favourite.

Caves for the kids

Need a break from the sun? Go underground! Mammoth Cave, Lake Cave and Ngilgi Cave are just a few of the 100-plus prehistoric limestone caves opens in new window dotted around the Margaret River region. Kids will be spellbound by this mysterious subterranean world, which you can explore at your own pace or with a tour guide.

The great West Australian road trip

If you’re flying into Perth as the starting point for a long road trip, there are some unmissable family experiences in store for you. From the dramatic Pinnacles Desert opens in new window about two hours’ north of Perth, to the wilderness of the Kimberley 20 hours further on, with its idyllic swimming holes, gorges and sprawling outback stations: get set for the Outback like you’ve never seen it.

Paradise is made of this: Monkey Mia and Ningaloo

WA is brimming with wildlife experiences you simply can’t have elsewhere. Swimming with the dolphins at Monkey Mia opens in new window – they visit every day, so you’re sure to see them – will top your list. At Ningaloo Reef opens in new window – every bit as breath-taking as the Great Barrier Reef, and less crowded – you can get up close with tropical fish, turtles, manta rays, humpback whales and whale sharks – they’re here in greater numbers than anywhere else on earth.

Experience the outback at Karijini

For stunning freshwater pools and waterfalls, some of the world’s oldest rock formations and dramatic gorges, the two-billion-year-old landscapes of the Karijini National Park opens in new window in the Pilbara defy description. Camp in an eco-resort owned by local Indigenous people and soak up this remarkable part of the country, far from mod cons and digital distractions. Your kids will treasure the memory for the rest of their lives.