From quokka spotting on Rottnest Island to exploring the wildness of the Kimberley, these are the extraordinary spots you need to visit with your family. Here are the best Western Australia holiday destinations.
Just half an hour by ferry from Fremantle or Perth, an island holiday in Western Australia awaits. Rottnest Island is known as “Rotto” to the locals.
Rottnest means “rat’s nest”. This is because Dutch explorer, Willem de Vlamingh mistook the island’s marsupials as rats in 1696. Now, the quest for a selfie with one of its adorable quokkas is the main attraction. You can even take a free guided walk into the natural quokka habitat to get a great snap.
The island boasts a staggering 63 secluded white sand beaches along with 20 bays. Turquoise-hued waters encircled by protected coral reefs are ideal for snorkelling. You may even spot dolphins, turtles and the puppies of the sea – New Zealand fur seals
The Basin is one of the best swimming spots due to its soft white sand and schools of fish. Its energetic marine life makes it a submarine playground that your kids will adore. With no cars on the island, the only way to get around is by hop-on hop-off bus or hiring a bike. Segway tours are a great way for kids aged 12 and above to explore some of Rottnest’s hidden treasures in a fun and eco-friendly way.
The island boasts plenty of accommodation from camping to luxury apartments perfect for families.
Nestled among the bush along the WA coast, the Margaret River region packs a hefty holiday punch. The laid-back and lovely region incorporates Busselton, Dunsborough, Margaret River and Augusta. It is renowned for producing some of Australia’s best wine. For wine tasting without any whining, many of the vineyards are set up with child-friendly entertainment.
Beyond grapes, the region boasts a treasure trove of remarkable natural attractions. Amid the brightest jewels in Margaret River’s tourism crown are breathtaking national parks for hiking and exploring, a labyrinthian limestone crystal cave network under the surface of Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge and some of the country’s best seasonal whale watching. For water babies, there’s beaches with dazzling blue water and some of the best big-wave surfing locations in the world.
Or see the Margaret River from a whole new perspective… by horseback with a Jesters Flat tour. The Saddle Club is great for little learners. The 2.5-hour session includes grooming, saddling and bush riding. Or opt for an amble through the trees of the world-famous Karri Forest on the Boranup Forest Ride.
A visit to the Wooditjup (Bramley) National Park is a must, as is a whale watching tour or snorkelling experience in the clear, turquoise waters of Geographe Bay. Then don’t miss the famous Busselton Jetty that stretches almost two kilometres into the bay. Families can take a train along its length where an underwater observatory awaits.
Getting there: The Margaret River is 280 kilometres south of Perth. Approximately a three-hour drive.
Australia’s Coral Coast is a 1,100-kilometre cornucopia of wild wonders. Within this region there are a number of awesome Western Australia holiday destinations.
There’s Shark Bay World Heritage Area and Ningaloo Reef – the largest fringing reef in the world, the ethereal landscape of the Pinnacles Desert, epic dunes of Lancelin, the vivid pink Hutt Lagoon and the ancient river gorges of Kalbarri National Park.
Visit the dolphins of Monkey Mia or swim with whale sharks. Families can snorkel across pristine reefs teeming with marine life and spot sea turtle hatchlings during nesting season. Younger kids can explore the wonders of the reef by Sub Sea Explorer, a semi-submersible glass bottom boat.
In Kalbarri National Park, the Kalbarri Skywalk provides stunning vistas of the Murchison River Gorge’s rust-red cliffs and bushland from high above. The culture and stories of the Nanda Traditional Owners are showcased at the facility. Visit from June to November to see humpback whales migrate along the coast, newborn calves in tow.
Cervantes is a town on the Coral Coast. It is home to pristine beaches, blindingly blue water and reefs teeming with marine life, and makes the ideal base for exploring some of Western Australia’s best-kept secrets. Hangover Bay and Kangaroo Point provide the perfect playground for swimming, snorkelling, diving, boating and fishing.
Above the water, the small fishing town is also the gateway to the Pinnacles Desert in the Nambung National Park – all ages will be gobsmacked by the otherworldly landscape of limestone spires that awaits. And, if you’re visiting in late spring, tiptoe through the wattles, quandong, yellow tailflowers, and banksia that accompany wildflower season.
Getting there: Cervantes is 200 kilometres north of Perth.
The Kimberley is a colossal and complex landscape of rugged gorges and sparkling waterfalls peeking out from patches of rainforest. It is the most remote of these Western Australia holiday destinations and one of the world’s great wilderness areas. Whether your kids are off in space or down to earth, they’ll find something to spark joy here. Including exploring one of the world’s largest meteorite craters at Wolfe Creek.
Hike over the surreal landscape of the beehive-shaped Bungle Bungles. Explore ancient cave systems and rich Indigenous culture. Cruise the vast inland sea of Lake Argyle or speed through Horizontal Falls in a high-powered jet boat. And then put your feet up by the fire at your cattle station campsite for a well-earned break.
Broome is a centre of adventure. As a beachside oasis, it’s the perfect place to recharge and relish a dose of family togetherness. Bordered by the impenetrable coastline and a sea of desert, the ‘pearl of the north’ is what you and the kids make of it.
Broome has the iconic Cable Beach camel rides, vibrant Indian Ocean sunsets. Broome has famous sunsets that fade into a ‘Staircase to the Moon’. The town also has a fascinating pearling history and a quirky Chinatown city centre. Families can take to the air to see fascinating phenomena like the Horizontal Falls on a scenic flight.
Getting there: Broome is 2,200 kilometres north of Perth. Direct flights are available.
Follow in the 130 million-year-old footsteps of dinosaurs on the Broome coastline. A visit to the Dinosaur Coast – following the coastline from Broome and Roebuck Bay north to Cape Leveque at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula – allows you to literally take a step back in time.
Follow the tracks of the dinosaurs that roamed coastal marshes and swamp forests during the Cretaceous period. The most diverse collection of dinosaur footprints in the world can be spotted at low tide around Cable Beach, Gantheaume Point and Reddell Beach.
Explore these incredible fossils with local Yawuru guide, Bart Pigram. He will find the perfectly preserved dinosaur tracks while sharing the Dreaming stories of the Djugun-Yawuru people of Broome. Or perhaps you’d rather explore the tidal flats of Roebuck Bay by hovercraft. Either way, it won’t be hard to imagine the prehistoric battles of the sauropod and a T.Rex-like predator on Broome’s shores.
Karijini National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks on Australian shores. The park is located roughly 5.5 hours’ drive from Karratha and ten hours from Broome. From the deep gorges and rugged terrain reminiscent of the desert, to the stunning pools and waterfalls perfect for a cool dip, Karijini is one holiday in Western Australia your family will never forget.
The area is home to a huge range of plant and animal life; from wattles to spiky spinifex, and animals roaming about will have your little ones giggling with delight. For an especially unique accommodation experience, opt to camp or stay at the Karijini Eco Retreat in one of its deluxe tents or eco-cabins. You’ll get that sense of adventure as you explore during the day, but then retreat at night and feel right at home with all your creature comforts.
This lively port city is located just 30 minutes south of Perth where the Swan River meets the Indian Ocean. Soak up the culture in an eclectic city with the melodies of buskers and the scent of coffee in the air.
The kids will love the Western Australian Maritime Museum to learn all about Fremantle as a major port city. They can also explore the gangway which brought many a migrant onto Australian soil and see a restored Swan River ferry.
Don’t forget about a stroll down to Bather’s Beach where you can join the locals and take in the stunning view as the sun begins to set and be sure to stop for brunch at Bib & Tucker to check out the resident rooftop bees.
Esperance is one of Western Australia’s most remote and dreamy towns. It boasts a coastline of rocky headlands, steep cliffs, pearly white sand and hidden ocean pools that are the envy of the world.
Here, gin-clear waters lap gently at the edge of boulder-strewn beaches. It is so laid-back that even kangaroos sunbake on the beaches, and dolphins loll in the glassy ocean.
It is surrounded by numerous national parks and nature reserves. Including the pristine Cape Le Grand National Park and Lake Hillier, a bubblegum-pink lake on Middle Island, located to the east of Esperance, that’s best viewed by scenic flight.
Kids might like to add a visit to the Historic Museum Park Period Village, a collection of small historical buildings that now house little shops, and Esperance Stonehenge, the only full-size replica of the original in the world.
Getting there: Esperance is 969 kilometres southeast of Perth.
Dotted with everything from wineries, craft breweries, art galleries and studios to mountain biking, wildflower-covered forests, rolling pastures and rich history, there’s a little something for everyone in this WA gem. Just under two hours from Perth, the Ferguson Valley is a haven of quirky family fun.
While hitting its bushland walking trails, wheeling down its beginner and advanced mountain bike trails, or leisurely exploring its vineyards are all reasons enough to visit, it is a population of playful gnomes that lives deep in the Ferguson Valley that will get the little ones excited.
You’ll find more than a rumoured 10,000 of them climbing logs, lazing by creeks, rocking with bands and living their lives amid the bush. Make your visit to Gnomesville even more special for the kids by bringing your own gnome to add to the epic collection.
Getting there: The Ferguson Valley is 173 kilometres south of Perth.
This article on the best Western Australia holiday destinations appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.
Main image: Conto Spring Beach, Margaret River © Tourism Western Australia
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