Big Summer, Short Drive: Family Escapes Near Perth

The best family holidays don’t always need a long haul up the highway. Within two hours of Perth, you’ll find dolphins, dunes, forests and calm-water beaches, plus caravan parks that are holidays in themselves. Less time in the car means more time for fun, and more money left over for ice-creams. Here are five easy summer escapes, starting right on your doorstep.

Greater Perth: Holiday at Home

Who says a getaway needs a long drive? Perth has some of the state’s best family parks, and with the van set up, your own city feels like somewhere new.

In the northern suburbs, Karrinyup Waters Resort is a holiday in itself, with two shaded jumping pillows, four playground areas, and heated lap and children’s pools. South of the city, Discovery Parks Woodman Point is close to the beach and the Ammo Jetty, with a pool, bouncing pillow and playground, plus pedal carts, stand-up paddleboards and e-bikes for hire. For a taste of the Swan Valley, BIG4 Perth Midland Tourist Park sits right on the valley’s edge, with a seasonal heated pool and family chalets.

From your base, meet kangaroos and koalas at Caversham Wildlife Park, walk underwater through the tunnels at AQWA in Hillarys, or snorkel the reef-protected shallows of Mettams Pool. Woodman Point is around 15 minutes from Fremantle, so catching the ferry to Rottnest for a day of quokkas and quiet bays is easy. Keep an eye on the city’s free events too: Free Flicks for Kids screens in the Northbridge Piazza into early November, and the Perth Multicultural Festival takes over Elizabeth Quay on 14 and 15 November.

Mandurah: Crabs, Dolphins and Giants (about 1 hour)

Mandurah is made for families, with calm waterways, friendly dolphins and plenty to do for free. Once crabbing season reopens in the Peel-Harvey Estuary, there are few better ways to spend a summer morning than wading the shallows with a scoop net.

Hop aboard a dolphin-spotting cruise, set sail on the Pirate Ship, where kids can steer the boat and fire water cannons, or hire a self-drive BBQ boat for a floating family picnic. Back on land, hunt for the giant wooden sculptures of the Giants of Mandurah trail, or let the kids loose at Hall Park’s free playground and skate park.

Stay at Mandurah Caravan & Tourist Park, a family-run park less than 50 minutes from Perth, with a heated pool and water slide, a jumping pillow and a playground. Keen crabbers will love Miami Holiday Park, tucked between the Peel Estuary and the ocean, with crab cooking facilities, kayak and paddleboard hire, and its own jumping pillow.

Dwellingup: Into the Forest (just over 1 hour)

Swap the beach for towering jarrah forest in Dwellingup. Lane Poole Reserve covers some 55,000 hectares, with calm river paddling, rock-scrambling and swimming spots. At the Dwaarlindjirraap Day Use Area, a 108-metre suspension bridge is a highlight for little legs.

Adventurous kids aged four and up can tackle the high ropes and flying foxes at Treetops Adventure, while younger ones will love the pump track opposite the visitor centre and the nature playground at the Forest Discovery Centre. On weekends and in the school holidays, the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway rolls through the forest on heritage steam and diesel trains. Hire kayaks, canoes or mountain bikes from Dwellingup Adventures to make the most of the river.

For a true bush holiday, camp beside the Murray River in Lane Poole Reserve. Nanga Mill is the reserve’s largest campground and has room for caravans. It’s first in, first served and popular on summer weekends and school holidays, so arrive early. Or book ahead at Charlies Flat, a smaller riverside campground with individual sites, through Park Stay WA.

Lancelin: Dunes and Island Days (about 1.5 hours)

North of Perth, Lancelin’s giant white sand dunes are free to explore, and sandboarding down them is a rite of passage. In summer, go early in the morning, before the sand heats up. Climb the Lancelin Lookout for 360-degree views over the ocean, town and dunes, then cool off at Main Beach or Back Beach. Paddle out to Lancelin Island, about 500 metres offshore, to spot seabirds and seals, or teach the kids to fish off the jetty. For a rainy-day detour, the Gravity Discovery Centre and its Leaning Tower of Gingin are about 40 minutes away.

Experience Lancelin Holiday Park has a heated indoor pool and spa, a big jumping pillow and a playground, close to the beaches and dunes.

Bunbury: Wild Dolphins and Free Fun (about 2 hours)

Bunbury’s star attraction is its wild bottlenose dolphins, which often visit the shoreline at the Dolphin Discovery Centre in the mornings. Inside, there’s an aquarium and a touch pool, and from November to April you can join a swim tour to meet the dolphins in the water.

Bunbury is also packed with free family fun. The calm water and nautical playground at Koombana Bay are perfect for little ones, while the Sykes Foreshore splash park and the mangrove boardwalks and lookout at Mangrove Cove fill an afternoon easily. Feed the kangaroos at Bunbury Wildlife Park, then let the kids burn off energy at the inclusive playground next door at Big Swamp Parkland.

Discovery Parks Bunbury Foreshore sits on a peninsula with sheltered swimming beaches, a pool, a jumping pillow and a pump track. Across town, BIG4 Bunbury Riverside Holiday Park, opposite the Collie River on the Eaton Foreshore, has two pools (open September to April), a jumping pillow, a playground and a games room.

Before You Go

Summer school holidays book out fast, so lock in your park early. Pack plenty of water, sunscreen and hats, and plan outdoor adventures for the cooler parts of the day. You’ll find more parks across the region through Caravan & Camping WA.