Catz,
Paiseh, me remembered wrongly. Parking at Kings Park is actually free, except for the one beside the information centre which have maximum time limit of 1/2 hr for visitors popping by for information..
And it's actually quite difficult to find parking space in the city centre cos it's usually very crowded, unless u go some with multi-storey carpk ard NorthBridge area. And how much it costs depends on where u park cos different places will hv different parking fees even though it's in the city centre. But generally, it usually cost $1 for 45mins or so. Compared to Sydney, I think shld be much cheaper?
U visiting Swan Valley? If u are, Caversham Wildlife Park will be very intersting for ur kid as they'll get a chance to cuddle & hold koalas as well as feed other wild animals like kangaroos, lambs & koalas. There's also a Swan Valley Wagon Trial which will be fun for the whole family too.
Other must-visits at Swan Valley incl. The Margaret River Chocolate Factory, the Oggies Ice Cream cafe, where they sell delicious hand-made ice-cream as well as Edgecombe Bros- for their wines & unique home-made jams & marmalades..etc. Oh ya, the passionfruit butter jam there is really gd. U can't find it elsewhere..
And the muscat wine is also very cheap.
At Fremantle, remember to try out the Fish & Chips at Cicerellos, it's really gd! The seafood there like prawns & lobsters are also extremely fresh! And the E-shed markets there will be a gd place to get some souvenirs back.
In Perth City centre, The Harbourtown Shopping Centre at Wellington St is also a popular & cheap place to shop. There, designer & branded goods can be up to 60% off..
Further down from Perth, u can also visit fruit orchards like Raeburn Orchard at Armadale or The Old Goldfields at Donnybrook since u driving south. Can handpick some fruits in season for urselves, really fun.. =)
U can also bring ur kid for the Dolphin Watch/Swim Tour at Rockingham (just 35 mins drive from Perth), where they'll get to see & interact with wild bottlenose dolphins. Will certainly be an experience for them. My gal really enjoyed herself there..
Further down at Busselton, there's also the famous Busselton Jetty which extends 2km out into the Indian Ocean. There's an underwater observatory at the end where u get to see different species of marine life deep down in the sea below. Kids will love it too.. =)
And further south at Balingup, there's a lavender farm there which is only opened from Sep to Apr. The lavenders will be in bloom then, very pretty. There's also a Lavender & Berry farm at Pemberton near to Margaret River. Also a very nice place & with lots more things to see. Besides lavender, u can also see raspberry & blackberries. U can also handpick them when in season, which is from Dec-Mar.
For caves, there's a famous Lake Cave at Margaret River, only 20mins drive south. They're opened daily & have guided tours to bring u in. Stunning views inside, really beautiful. And it's suitable for people of all ages..
Here's the link for these places:
1) Caversham Wildlife Park-
www.cavershamwildlife.com.au
2) Swan Valley Wagon Trial -
www.swanvalleywa.com
3) Old GoldFields -
www.oldgoldfields.com.au
4) Raeburn Orchard -
www.visitarmadale.com.au/orchards.php
5) Fremantle Markets -
www.fremantlemarkets.com.au
6) Rockingham Dolphins -
www.dolphins.com.au
7) Busselton Jetty -
www.busseltonjetty.com.au
8) Balingup Lavender Farm -
www.lavenderbalingup.com.au
9) Lavender & Berry Farm (Pemberton) -
www.lavenderberryfarm.com.au
10) Lake Cave -
http://www.discoverwest.com.au/western_australia/margaret_river_caves.html
-
www.margaretriver.com/pages.asp?code=101
Oh forgot to mention, there's also a Tumbulgum Farm at located at Mundijong, just 40 mins drive from Perth. Many activities u can do there, will be interesting for the whole family. Like watching & participating in sheep shearing, milking cow, hayride, tasting traditional billy tea, BBQ lunch.. etc. For more info, u can visit:
www.tumbulgumfarm.com.au
Lastly, if u need any further info abt other places or attractions, can always visit
www.westernaustralia.com. There's also distance charts & an online interactive map to help u plan out ur routes in advance, very useful..
Hope it helps!