Perth Holiday - Any Suggestions/Advice/Tips?

Hi Mngo,
Thanks so much for the help n advise...tink we decided to drop albany as i heard the 5 hrs drive there there r nothing to see along the way n hence i do not tink my kiddos are along to take it..haha...

We might either stay in pemberton or MR....as for MR do you happen to know of any gd places to stay?

Or any other mummies can u pls advise me on any gd accomodations in MR as well? Thanks alot
 


Hi

Wow - it's so wonderful to find a forum here for Perth! We are planning to visit Perth from 27 Aug for 2 weeks and my iternary is not done yet!

We will spending a few days in Perth city at a friend's but after that we will be on our own (with our 4YO and 6YO). :)

After leaving the city (3 nights), our route will be Albany (2n) -> Pemberton (2n) -> Margaret River (4n)-> Mandurah (1n)-> back to Perth city (1n)

Any helpful advice would greatly be appreciated!

Day 4 - on way to Albany, we will stop by Porongurup Range National Park. Since this is Day 1 after the city, we have nothing much planned here.

Day 5 - we plan to do the whale tour and the museum. again, nothing else planned here, yet.

Day 6 - we will go Torndirrup National Park (for Natural Bridge and The Gap), blowholes

Day 7 - Gloucester Tree Climb, Ancient Empire Walkway, Wind Farm

Day 8 - Tram Ride, Gloucester Tree Climb, Marron Farm and etc

Day 9 - Augusta Lighthouse, visit vineyards

Day 10 - (MR) Animals, cave, berry farm, vineyards, Flinders Bay

Day 11 - Busselton Train & Observatory, sheep shearing(?) Chocolate Factory, etc

Day 12 - (Mandurah) Pelicans, sunset on the estuary, dolphins at Mandjar Bay, Madora Beach Dolphin Swim? Tour

Day 13 - since Penguin Island is not opened yet, i am currently stuck with nothing at Mandurah, back to Perth city

Day 14 - King's Park, watever else in Perth -> SG

Since we will be there late Aug till early Sept, hopefully we will begin to experience warmer days as we venture southward.
 
Hi,
I have stayed at vintage at MR. It is at a good location. It is near the super market. Some units come with a small kitchenette. But you may not be able to do full cooking, but they do provide utensils. I think we used the microwave to cook certain stuff.
 
We will be staying at MR Hideaway. Now, they have a stay 3 get 4th night free promo. We are going there for 4 days. and from all the comments, MR Hideaway looks real good!

Can anyone suggest what else to do in Mandurah?
 
Hi mngo thanks for the suggestion...will go check it out...alot of places i hav checked in MR seems reali exp like a night at aud$400 for 4 adults n 2 kids...faint...or the more reasonable rates ones r fully booked....sigh...do u tink its silly to drive all the way to MR n juz stay 1 night ah??

Hi mogus,
i hav stayed at MR hideaway 2 yrs away too n my kiddos love it...nice environment n clean n all but be sure to rem to put away the dishes into cupboard after u wash them ya on last day coz we got fine by them n they charge our credit card without informing us after we left coz we did washed the dishes but left them ourside to dry off n they consider that as not clearing up n washing the dishes...but the rest is great experience...
 
Hi augbaby - wow! tat's a great tip, tks for highlighting! i certainly do not want to be penalise for washing up lor..

btw would you know there will be any washing facilities (washing machine/dryer) at the premise? does the detergent come with it, or do i have to bring my own? Front load or top load?

Places we will be staying are Albany Havana Villas, Pemberton Farm Chalets and MR Hideaway. Anyone stayed in these places before?

Thanks!
 
Hi mogus,
Hmm i dun seems to recall that there is any washing facilities there coz i dun rem doing my laundry there but to be sure maybe u can check with them. Coz i only rem i did my washing when i stayed in perth at mantra on hays i tink....

Is pemberton farm chalets a farmstay? How much did u pay per night? We r actually considering if we shld stay in pemberton or MR..still reasearching...when will u b going to perth?
 
Hi augbaby

Wwe are going Perth on 27 Aug (Presidential election day) and back on 9 Sept, 2 weeks in all.

Yes, Pemberton Farm Chalets is a farmstay. Check out http://www.pembertonfarmchalets.com.au. We paid $105/night for 2 nights. after that we will head to Margaret River for 4 nights.

By the way, all 3 places replied me this morning about their washing facilities.

They have some washing machines (top load) @ $3 and dryers @ $1 per use. Can bring your own detergent though you can also pay from $0.50, $1 to $3/sachet, charges differ from chalet to chalet and the size you need. No softener provided.

I am going to buy the tiniest pack top load powder tomorrow at NTUC. Mine's a front load. :)
 
Hi Mogus,
Guess wat..haha we ended up booking margaret river hideaway again for our stay in MR...haha..coz after researching alot of places we keen not available and hideaways actually offer a really reasonable rate for their per nite stay plus kiddos love farmstay so well..haha...

Mngo ya decided its silly to drive up all the way and then just stay a night...
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btw any gd recommendations for perth itself? Stayed in mantra on hays the last time n was hoping to try somewhere else then...
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Is staying at fremantle feasible? We be renting a car for the entire duration so wondering if we shld stay in fremantle..any advise?
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Btw how faraway is fremantle from perth central area actually? Thanks so much for yr help
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Any mummies have any gd recommendations for staying in perth?
 
mngo, so actually its ok to stay in fremantle instead of perth rite? N juz travel down? Coz it seems like for the 8 n 9sept the accommodations in perth r like super exp or not available...i m having a headache looking for it...arghhhh...
 
Hi Augbaby - when are you going to Perth and how long will you be in Aust? Sori can't help much abt Perth accomodation.. :-(

anyway, good for you to visit MR Hideaway. I'm really looking to staying 4 nights there. I think this would be my pitstop to wash all my dirty clothes.. keke

Mngo - we are thinking of heading to Porongurup Range National Park after Perth, on our way to Albany. I read that it's 40km north of Albany. think it's a good idea? it should be less than an hour from Albany i guess? i was looking forward to see the balancing rock... i read that the trail will take us about 2hrs to complete. that should wear the kids out. :)

If this is not a good option, would you suggest another place to visit, also to break the journey? tks much!
 
Hi all,

Sorry just a quick check, i am planning to exchange SGD to AUD soon. For 7 days in Perth, is 2500SGD enough for self drive, food and some misc stuffs such as ticketings?

Thanks!
 
Reenie
Bring along your credit card. I am not sure what kind of food you are after? If you are going for a 4.50 hungry jacks then its enough. If you are going for a 50 dollar a plate an adult a meal, then that may not be enough.
 
LOL...thanks mngo!! i understand what you mean!

I am clueless about the food pricing in Perth. I think we will eat out most meal, except breakfast.

Do you have any recommendation on food? Is there any food court or chinese congee stuffs for kids? I guess our meals choices are going to limited with young kids who prefer chinese food :p
 
Reenie
Food courts are found in every mall. Then, every mall will have chinese food in the food court. But porridge/congee is really rare unless you go to places where they specialises in dimsum or asian cuisine.

If you go to North Bridge, there is a stretch of Asian restaurants there.
 
Mngo,

Sounds great, food court should offer a more resonable price..cannot eat in resturant very meal..haha

I will note north bridge for Asian food! Thanks lot!!!!
 
Reenie
Food court prices will be like $8dollars a plate.
Generally , most stuffs here is abt $10 a meal a person .
 
Hi mngo,
I've book my tic to Perth for this year end school hols again. Apart from visiting the Busselton Jetty, think we're just gonna be beach bums this time round. Too lazy to go anywhere.

Any idea which beach has the finest sand and/or child friendly? Can vaguely remember Scarborough, Cottlesloe, City beach. Was thinking of Rottnest Island, but saw your comments about expensive ferry price.

Btw, did u manage to visit d'grilled? Any good? I miss the chips
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. Can't wait to be in Perth again!
 
aly_nat!!
I remember you. And NOPE... we din visit D'grilled at all because we had been spending all our days at canning vale!
Beach wise i really am not sure.

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mngo,
all days in Canning Vale? haha, I guess that's how it is when one is a resident there.

I will probably spend a bit of time up the Swan Valley direction this time round. I've a friend who just moved to The Vines, and apparently, her place is facing a ranch. Can't wait to visit her "mansion" - 6 rooms for a family of 4 n 2 dogs. Simply can't imagine that as I look at the little pigeon hole that I live in now
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No worries 'bout the beach, mate. I'll bum around around when I get there. Hope the weather will be agreeable when I get there
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aly
Yea lor! when i was living in singapore, i was more adventurous. I could travel from east to west, vice versa.
 
Hihi

I'm planning a short trip to Perth in November sch hols for 6 days, want to go a few places, anyone has similar itinerary to share?

1) Gingin Observatory
2) Yanchep National Park
3) Freemantle

Anywhere else is a must go around these places or in perth city itself, given we are going north of perth, too lazy to drive too far.
 
Hi Hazel,
Depending on the interests/age of your travel companions,

1)sand boarding at the Pinnacles can be a lot of fun. Quite a bit of a drive out of Perth, though.

2)New Corcia - Australia's only monastic town. Not the usual Singaporean tourists' destination. You may want to google for more infor. and decide if the trip there is of interest to you.

Freemantle is to the south of Perth city. Hope the above helps.
 
Hazel:

The Esplanade at Freo is pretty popular. Near the big park so kids will love it.

Freo is one of the must-see places in Perth. It has the Freo Markets open during the weekends, the nice coffee strip and of course, Ciserellos Fish & Chips. Or even Kailis is not bad.

Even Subi markets has closed down a large part so you should go and see the Freo markets.

There's a big train station there too so if you aren't driving and taking trains, very convenient. Oh, and you can take the ferry to Rottness Island for a day trip. Very fun and family-friendly!

Ai @ http://sakuraharuka.blogspot.com
 
Hello Mummies,

i just returned from my perth trip and i want to say a big THANK you for those who has helped me along the way, especially MNGO!
 
Hi,

I travelled to Perth 2 years ago and got a lot of information here, esp from the 'long time' resident mngo.... however, now I'm thinking of planning a trip to melbourne and can't find a similar site that is as helpful as this. Anyone has any recommendation for melbourne site?

Actually I was pondering whether to go to Perth again or to another state. We really enjoyed our Perth trip and had lots of good memories but my hubby was saying if we go perth again, it might not be as enjoyable cos our expecations is not the same anymore. Anyone who went perth a few times can comment?

In fact, other than perth, I am not sure what other state I would like to go.... had been ding-dong-ing between gold coast, melbourne and adelaide. Can recommend a state that is relaxing with lots of nature and kids stuff (2yr old and 5yr old)? I went to freo, cottesloe, kings park, caversham, MR for my previous trip... still thinking of it day and night hahaha....
 
Oh yah, I remember I requested for some maps from some tourism site previously. But this time I can't seem to find any site offering free maps. Anyone can help to 'refresh' my memory on how to get the maps and brochures?
 
Hi

I'm planning for a 9 day Perth trip in mid-August. As this is my first time traveling to Perth and I will be bringing 2 toddlers (ages 2 and 5) along, I would really appreciate if anyone can share with me your itinerary, place to stay/visit, things to look out for.

Thanks very much!
 
Hi jovanmum,

I went to Perth in Dec 2010. At that time, it was only me, my hubby with my 2.5 yrs old girl. I am currently planning for another trip for next year, with my 5yr old daughter and 2 yr old son.

The last time we went, we stayed at Mont Clare apt at Perth city. All of us loved the apt. It is clean and well-designed and the kitchen is good for me to cook meals for my daughter.

We also went to Margaret River and stayed at Sunflower farm. The farmstay is good in that they have MANY MANY animals at that farm (more than most other farms, I think).

But 1 problem I had then was that when I wanted to cook at the farm apt, I realised the water was yellowish in colour. There is a water dispenser in my apt but I'm not sure how long it has been there as I could see some small particles floating inside. Luckily, the kiasu and kiasi me brought a few bottles of tap water from Perth city and we use it for cooking purposes. For washing, we used the 'yellowish' tap water then rinse with the 'colourless' tap water. I didn't realise that the supermarket sells mineral water in like 10L bottles until the last day of my stay at Margaret River.

For my next trip, I intend to base at Bunbury and stay at Kerriley Farmstay and then explore the area from there. I plan to go to Applecross Fun Park, Yalligup Shearing Shed. Also hope to go for fruit picking but I think they don't allow people to pick fruits now, so til now not able to find a place to go for fruit picking.

Will also go to Margaret River again.

At Perth city, this time round I am looking to stay at a beachfront apt at Frementle. I really love the beach there and can imagine how nice it will be if we can sit at the balcony every morning to enjoy our breakfast and look at the beach, enjoy the sea breeze.

I din do much real shopping then. Only shopped at supermarkets almost every other day. Haha.... but me and hubby are not shopaholics so it doesn't matter to us. We prefer supermarket shopping....
 
Hi Shelyn

Thanks for the reply. I have booked my air tickets and will be travelling to Perth in August and coincidentally my boy and girl are 5 years and 2 years respectively too! I have a strong feeling that your girl's birthday and my boy's birthday should be quite close haha. My boy was born in May 2008.

For this trip, we will be staying in Fremantle for 3 nights, Mandurah 1 night, MR 3 nights and Perth City 2 nights. My accomodations are Esplanade Hotel (Fremantle), Seashell Mandurah (Mandurah), Vintages Accommodation (MR) and Rydges Hotel (Perth CBD). I have read about the yellowish water from one of the postings (I think could be yours!). Had initially wanted to choose a farm stay but worried about the cleanliness and animal smell (if any). But we probably will drop by sunflower farm for day visit. Unlikely that I will cook as I guess I will not have the energy since it will be tiring with 2 kids to handle haha...

Did you rent a car? Which car rental company did you use?

Hmmm...I thought that you have decided to go to another city like Sydney or Melbourne?
 
Hi jovanmum,

my daughter was born on 28 April 2008 and my son on 27 Aug 2011.

Yes we rented a car from Hertz (i think...) with the GPS. Have you rented your's? I 'ordered' my car online before the trip. If you are doing the same, remember to indicate that you are collecting your car from international airport. I did not indicate and also did not provide flight number as I had not booked my flight then. End up, my car was at domestic airport... I had to take a cab there to collect and it's quite a long drive from international airport (maybe it felt far for me then as I was feeling kan jiong already haha...)

My husband was also saying that we should go melbourne instead of perth again... but I find it easier to do research on perth since now i'm more familiar with the various towns etc... when i read up, I know what they are talking about. Whereas for Melbourne, everything seems so foreign to me and don't really know where to start. There's no thread on Melbourne like Perth. This thread was really helpful when I was planning my perth trip.

But then again, we might really go Melbourne next year. Though I've already more or less decided on my itinerary for next Perth visit. Really looking forward to my next OZ trip.

August is a nice month to go.... I'm sure your family will enjoy your trip. You can see all the colour flowers at that time. My job only allows me to go in June or Dec... sigh...
 
hi Shelyn,

if you are looking for a place with more nature stuff, maybe can consider Tasmania. It is a beautiful state and I think most Singaporeans don't really think much about it cos it is a lot further than most of the other Aus states.

I lived in Tasmania for about 3 years, then moved to Perth for another 3 years. Tasmania would be gorgeous in December, and you get aircon weather instead of the hot summer in Perth. Can do fruit picking (pick & eat!), horse riding, go to the beach, eat fresh oysters off the beach, Saturday markets..etc. Really laid back state. =)
 
Hi Shelyn

My boy was born on 22 May 2008 and my girl 18 Aug 2011!

I have not booked any car yet cos I am not sure which company allows me to pick up at Fremantle and return at Perth City. Just e-mailed the hotel to ask and Avis was recommended. Do we need to indicate that we need GPS and car seat when booking online? Is there additional charges?

Actually I'm worried that it might be too cold in August since it is still winter season. Are you a teacher?

I have been to Gold Coast, Melbourne and Sydney many years ago with friends and it was really enjoyable. We did a guided free n easy tour. Perhaps you could start off with looking at those itinerary offered by tour agencies to have a rough idea where are the places to visit and plan from there?
 
I brought my 2 yr old boy to Perth last year in Sept. Australia is quite particular about children's safety in the car, so they will provide car seat upon request. I think is free but the car seat can be quite dusty. So, good to bring along some spray sanitiser to spray the seats. As for GPS, what we did was to download this App called Navfree into iphone and used it to navigate ard in Perth. Of cos we had the back up battery to charge the phone cos sometimes we could be on the road for long.

When we were there in Sep, weather was good as in it was like air con temp in the day. but night is really cold at about 10 deg c. I suppose it's colder in Aug then.
 
Hi Jovanmum,

Yes you need to indicate that you need GPS and car seat. Otherwise, you might run the risk of 'out of stock', which nearly happened to me at the International Airport when I wanted to get my car. Luckily, there is 1 GPS which was just returned when I went to domestic airport to get my car. So it's really a blessing in disguise.

and yes, I'm a teacher, and my husband too haha...


Enitsuj,
Do you have any recommendation on where to go at Tasmania? My family is more towards nature stuff, playgrounds and laid back style, similar to what you described Tasmania to be. Is there any recommendation on which area to go to for the 'kampong' and farm style? and any good apartment to stay at the city area?
 
Hi all,

I'll be going to Perth during December for holiday with 2 kids age 5 and 7 years. Understand that the temperature will range from 15 degree to 30 degree.

Just wondering if my children will feel cold if they were to just wear short and t-shirt during night time.
 
Hi jaspeng,

I think it will be quite cold at night. When I was there 3 years ago, night time was freezing cold for me and we had to turn on the aircon to 'heater mode. It will be even colder if you are travelling out of the city. I was at Margaret River and it was very very cold at night... I was shivering when I went to the toilet at night. But that's based on my 1-time experience. Maybe those with more experience might want to add on.
 
Sorry to bring up this good thread :)

Just check is there any particular reason most of u take car rental from hertz ?
 



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