Perth Holiday - Any Suggestions/Advice/Tips?

twws
thanks!
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twws,

haha.. i actually forgot abt the railway.. kids enjoyed the kangaroos so much at caversham park we spent also 3 hrs there.. by noon it was so so so hot and we jus pop by the tractor museum nearby then head back to rest... too tired for my 2 young kids 7 & 3.. Btw, how old is your boy?.. good for him, must hv had a good time. A pity we missed the train!!! *sign*... next trip perhaps.

Sparkling,
Hertz was a bit exp but was a weekned n we din hv much choice, jus pop in and grab wat's avail. Breakdown of cost: Car A37.62 (after 10% disc) + Ins A31.73 + Veh admin & rec fee A9.00 + GPS A10 = A88.35p/day. Drop off at airport A15.00 (very convenient) + Fuel purchase charge A66.75 (can return with empty tank, much cheaper than outside pump).

Alternatively you can try Avis.. quoted me $315 for 5 days but din get the details.

mngo,
Ya wish we had more time.. was basically jus see and go... and cund't stop in more places. But will be back. Very beautiful and quiet place.. we like it.

Sparkling,
Midland shopping mall, think it's abt 1/2 hr fr city but we stayed only 10 mins away in Swan valley.. very near. Managed to get cheap and good quality kids stuff like swim shorts $7.. disney t-shirts $5-7, gals sweet tights/tops and stuff $5-7, and others. There's some sales in the shops in city too and lucky tat got summer stuffs. Good shopping experience as it's not crowded (at all) and shop at leisure.
 
pink,
my son is turning 4 next mth, my girl is 15mths. the train ride was an eye-opener for him cos he lives and breathes thomas the tank engine. he also loved the old steam trains on display near the tractor museum.
 
Hi All
i'd try to ask quote fr m2000 but i kinda find its inconvenient cos i nid to take a free shuttle to collect the car n reaching there @ wees with 3 kiddos will b such a hassle.

as i book my flight fr jetstar, i find that booking the double upgrade under Avis was a great deal http://www.avis.com.au/car-rental/content/display.ac?contentId=JQ-CAR-RENTAL-4-AU_en-017907 but i wish to know whether anyone has try such promo? cos wanna confirm will the double upgrade b confirm one.when i call avis they sayid it's subject to availabilities but usually they give priority to such bookings...is tis true?

i also find another website n if u happen to hold a maybank credit card , their deals are quite good too....Website: www.avispartner.com.sg/maybank
Please quote “AWD K296801” to enjoy the promotion rates
 
hi,
I booked a car from m2000 3 years back. I arrived after office close and departed after office close. They arranged for me toI collect the car from the airport. (But I think there was an extra charge) They left the car in the airport carpark, and left the keys with the guard. So I just need to collect the keys for the car from the guard. When I returned the car, I locked the keys in the car and park back in the same car park area.
 
hi hopeac
for m2000, tats not the case now...as stated in the contract,once u reach at the airport , u'd to call their staff n then a shuttle bus will cum n fetch at that pt n bring u to the car. as for returns, the lot to park the car is quite far fr the terminal....

anyway how's the weather in perth ? has the airport resume service? n the stoem subside?
 
ryatie,
Just yest i confirmed my booking rental with M2000 after sourcing for so many quote, M2000 is still the cheapest. I try to use disc code (UOB promo) which have 15% disc on Avis and 10% on Hertz, the quote is still more than M2000. I can save $100 with m2000. Yes i do find the collect car part bit inconvenient but can save AUD$100, so no choice lor.

Ya, this morning saw the storm news. Hows is it at perth now? Hope our ladies here whom is in perth is not affected.
 
SC
m2000 quote was the cheapest i'd got too but it was only a diff of aud$6 therefore i chose avis thru jetstar instead bcos of the convenience... hertz more ex too..
 
Hi ladies,
Good to find this thread. I'm planning a Perth / Margaret trip in June with my sis with 4 kids + 1 baby. Do you have any recommended place to go? Which farm stay is good at Margaret River?

Have you heard of this farm?
http://www.margaretriver.com/accom_rates/dunsborough-rail-carriages-farm-cottages/

As we have a big group, finding a farm to accomodate all under 1 roof, seems difficult.

The kids are relatively young. Oldest is 8 years old. We intend to get a 12 seater van to accomodate the whole gang.
 
Hello moms

I just came back from my very short Perth trip. Thanks to Hidora, my vacation is a lot more pleasant because of her useful advice.

I would like to share my itinerary. We travelled by jetstar from Jakarta. The hours are crazy. We arrived in Perth @ 2 am. Checked into Aarons All Suites. There was nobody at the reception but instructions have been given to me. The manager, a Singaporean, gave me a special rate for the 2-bedroom apt. It was definitely a steal! If you guys would like to stay in Aarons, just email me for his contact.

Day 1:
Slept in because we were so tired and I didnt want to overtire my two toddlers. We took it really easy. We did our groceries @ Woolworths which was opened @ 8 am. It's pretty near the hotel. The location is really quite convenient, as compared to Mantra on Hay.

After that, we collected our car from m2000 which was a short distance away. The service staff are professional and many Asians rent from this company.

Visited Kings Park

Dinner @ Northbridge

Day 2:

Swan Valley Tour + Caversham Wildlife Park

Dinner @ the Korean restaurant recommended by one of the forummers. It's excellent! Very authentic! We ordered a lot that evening (spicy fish egg soup, hot plate squid, hot plate spicy pork, dumpling, corn tea) Yummy!

Supper: Snow Crab @ Billy Lee. We were told to try the snow crab. It was fresh but unfortunately, the method of cooking wasnt impressive.

Day 3:

We moved to Mantra on Hay because Aarons was full on that day. Gosh, Mantra on Hay is so far from the pedestrian mall. Fortunately, there are some good eateries and supermarkets nearby. I like the food from Munch Terrace. They serve Singaporean and Malaysian food. Good for me since I don't particularly enjoy western food. I tried the belacan fried rice and curry chicken. Very good, I must say. The owner also does a pertty good version of Mee Pok. The noodles is great.

Morning: Breakfast @ Bachettta in Cottesloe.

We toured the city on CAT, It was a good way of seeing the city, especially for kids who love to be on the bus.

Late afternoon - Lotterywest Family Area, Kings Park. The kids enjoyed the area very much. They did a lot of imaginary play. There was a fire engine and a boat where they would play pirates.

Sunset @ Cottesloe (Blue Duck). We like Cottesloe so much that we went there again for the second time on the same day.

Day 4:

Morning @ Freo. I had breakfast at one of the many cafes in Freo. Tried fish and chips and salt and pepper squid @ Ciserello. The food tasted particularly nice with the wine I ordered.

Noon: Harbourtown Shopping. Didnt buy much. just managed to buy a few items from Cotton On and some books.

More shopping in the city

Midnight: Took a flight back to Jakarta. The flight departed at 240 am. One of those crazy hours.

I love all the outdoor activities in Perth. The hail storm was an eye-opener for us. We were in the car for the whole duration.
 
missk
u were there during the hailstorm time! wow.... u guys must be so lucky to see it!.

was yr car damaged and did u guys have to endure without power?
 
missk
that hailstorm must hv been a great experience!!

mantra is almost at the end of hay street, we liked it there as its much quieter & there's a playground nearby for my kids.
hows aaron all suites? we wanted to try on my last trip but eventually we still went back to mantra
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missk,
it must have been exciting and scary at the same time to be in the middle of a hail storm! i left perth just 2 days before the hail storm.

harbourtown - i managed to visit the mall too, left empty-handed cos the stuff on sale weren't that fantastic nor cheap.
 
hey moms, at first I thought that my car was hit by some stones. Soon, I noticed that it was didn't stop. It's quite an experience actually. I will post some pictures on FB.

mngo: Fortunately the car wasn't damaged. We werent affected by the traffic very much because we proceeded home very quickly. When we went out for supper at 11pm that night, I heard the staff at some convenience stores complaining about the traffic and the damage. How about you? Are you based in Perth?

Chloe: Oh, Mantra on Hay is far from the city eh? But u are right. It's quieter and there were plenty of restaurants around that area. You guys must try Munch Terrace. Not all the stuff are great but the curry chicken is nice! Very comparable to the Peranakan curry chicken in Singapore. I am very Asian at heart so western cuisine doesnt really go down well on me.

Fortunately, there's a CAT bus-stop nearby. So if you want to go to town, just take the CAT. I don't know where to park in the city and also, parking must be pretty EX in the day.

I like Aaron's location better. It's just a short walk from the pedestrian mall. There's a Dome around the corner and also a few nice cafes. The rates are very good so I really can't complain abt the hotel. Let's say that it's value for money. The apt is very spacious. However the drawback is the toilet. There's only one toilet! 3 adults + 2 kids have to share that. It's crazy in the morning when we all have to use the bathroom. Other than that, I like the hotel. The small little kitchen has almost everything, even a peeler! hahhahahaha

Twws, Harbourtown is nothing to rave about yah? I forced myself to buy some stuff> hahahha ... I actually bought even more at the supermarkets.
 
missk
i usually will cook for my 2kids but we adults will ta pao fr munch terrace. my hubby is like u, very asian so if we are back early will just get from there. very convenient.

we dont go to the pedestrian mall coz we drive, we prefer to shop in the suburb as the malls are bigger. but to those who dont drive, CAT service is readily avail just a stone throw away fr the apt.

yes, aaron's location is much better
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but i think they should hv 2 toilets for 2 bedroom type. for mantra, they hv 1 or 2 toilets for 2 room apt, but of coz will hv to pay abit more for the extra toilet which i did as we dont wish to fight to use the toilet in the morning
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missk
yes in perth. but not too much damage though. we only had power failure for a day.

i was at habourtown this afternoon, and left the place almost empty handed . i only managed to get a pair of boots and a belt just before 5pm.
boots = 19.95
belt : 2.95
so quite cheap .
 
chloe: I asked the manager if they have 2 bathroom @ Aarons. He said no. Faint. Oh yes, suburb malls are better but we didnt have time to go around last week
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mngo: hehe... I hope to go back to Perth in Dec. Maybe we should meet up. I hope to stay there for a longer period of time. Do you know of anyone who has a 2 bedroom apt for rent for 2 weeks in Dec?
 
missk : dun think u guys hv the time to meet up!. chances are : tourist will not have enough time to travel, let alone meeting a stranger.
 
missk,

Glad that my info was of some help to you.
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If you wanna meet up with mngo, you gotta meet up with me too since we were supposed to meet up during your last trip here.
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Hi mummies,
I spent my yesterday night, reading the archive of this thread. Was so glad to find so much information on Perth. My husband is worried of bringing my baby (13 months by June) for a long drive trip – we are driving down to MR. Can anyone with baby/toddler share how do they get food for the baby while in Australia? He is at this age whereby too old to drink milk only but too young to eat adult food. So besides cereal, I intend to cook porridge for him in the morning and bring it out. But seems so troublesome. Sigh..

My sis manages to get Joondalup resort at very cheap rates. So we are staying there for first 7 days and farm at MR for 2 days. The SQ flight's timing is all midnight flight. So we will reach Perth morning 6.30am and leave Perth at 1.10am. Hopefully the kids will get too tired and fall asleep in the plane. Keep my fingers cross!

Mngo,
Can ask you what's the difference between Lakeside shopping centre (Joondalup) and Westfield? Where is garden city? Is it near Joondalup? I will reach Perth very early in morning so not sure what to do.

Is manuka honey cheaper in Australia? Any bee farm for kids to visit around perth / MR?
 
Jun
Difference : yes. A LOT. From management to people, location to food, size of mall to size of car park.

if u wanna know where is garden city - u can find from the map. if i tell u the location is at booragoon, will u know?
 
Jun,

There's no manuka honey in WA. Other states yes, but not WA.

Your kid is at a good age for traveling. Instead of porridge, buy some nice freshly baked bread from the bakery and give it to your son. He will appreciate the change of food. Seriously, there are many nice kids friendly food here... Don't have to go through the trouble of cooking porridge and bringing it out.
 
mngo,
Tks, Will google for the location. In your opinion, which one is better to shop - for groceries and clothes/pharmacy? Lakeside (Joondalup) or Westfield? Cos in case can only go for one. But Joondalup is very near where we will be staying.

hidora,
Yes, I also thought of bread. Maybe like cereal bread, pumpkin bread. Then I just buy some organic cereal from the supermarket.
 
hi,
In australia, there are alot of organic bb food which you can find in the supermarket. Get a service apartment so that you can cook.

My daughter was 18th months when we went to perth for a holiday.

Breakfast- Bread, cereals.
Lunch, bb food, rice, baked potatoes (bought outside), biscuits. Fish and chip places, Grill snapper, or just give them the fish meat without the coating.
Dinner, we cooked.

There is a bee farm north of perth. But u need to drive like 1+ hour. If you are going late spring to early autumn, you can strawberry picking.
 
Hi Jun
if ur at joondalup n juz wanna do groceries then lakeside will be a good choice as westfield will be out of ur way....

for food like wat hopeac had mention, its so easy to find food for them n there's also fresh milk for toddlers. But diaper is a lil ex here.
 
Jun,

You can always find out about the shops through their online directory.

http://www.lakesidejoondalup.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29&Itemid=19

I'm not sure which westfield are you talking about as there are 3 of them.. Westfield is a company name like SG Metro. Here's the one near my house for your ref. Carousel

http://westfield.com.au/carousel/

IMO, no need to go all the way out just to shop.. It's like the shopping centres in Sg, Many similarities, little differences.

As for breads, there are many many nice breads here. Just the breads/ pastries from Baker's Delight are a handful to choose from. Even if you eat different types for morning, lunch and dinner, you won't be able to finish the varieties during your stay. http://www.bakersdelight.com.au/WhatWeBake/Products/

Lakeside has Baker's Delight.
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p/s: currently I'm in love with their Mocha Hotcross bun. Available during the easter season. Nice, soft and yummy.

And that's just one shop.. Coles' supermarket bakery is also rather yummy. Their scorns are nice. The supermarket also sell Bellemy's organic apple chips for toddlers, and other types or organic snacks.. Kids don't eat a lot. The snacks, breads and milk feed are enough to make your boy a very happy boy. Not to mention fresh fruits! How can he resist fresh nectarines, peaches, mangos, black grapes that are in season now? Don't worry ye, we have good foods here.
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Thanks for the suggestion. Now I feel more assured that my baby will not starve in Australia. haha... Was contemplating getting a mini rice cooker to cook porridge but maybe not. Will go super market to find food... My friend suggested I buy a few packs of Pigeon instant porridge to standby.

Unfortunately, my baby doesn't like yoghurt, if not he will have abundant choice in Australia. I'm still breastfeeding him but supply is getting low as I work, so less direct feeding and I have started supplementing last week. Hopefully if I direct latch him, milk supply will be sufficient.

Out of curiosity, does Aussie supermarket charge for plastic bags? Cos I heard that many western countries discourage plastic usage and start charging - just like what Ikea is doing.

re: Pemberton
Has anyone tried the Pemberton tram rides. Seem interesting. Actually by June it's winter, a lot of places cannot go. My kids were disappointing cannot go to Penguin Island cos it will be breeding season. And no fruit farms too because it's not the season.

re: Cape Leeuwin Lighthouse
I read in this thread somewhere that below 4yo, cannot go up to the lighthouse? Is it true? Aiya, was hoping to climb up and see if can catch some whales migrating.

Sorry I very loh sor cos it has been almost 2 years since I travel.
 
Jun,

Your friend must have not step inside Perth or AU before... I personally find Perth's yum cha restaurants better than the one back in Sg, or comparable to Tung Lok's standard. And Chinese foods are abundent here. So there's really no need to bring a mini rice cooker or instant porridge lah...Maybe all you need is a little pot to cook porridge for him if you really want to. Rice can be bought at any supermarket.

Maybe he doesn't like yogurt because the yogurt in Sg is not nice at all... After trying out the yogurts here, I find Sg's yogurts super sweet, watery and fake. The yogurts here are yummylious!

Even if he doesn't like yogurt, there are many kids' food (deserts) in the supermarket. And dry fruit snacks. Or get him the sippah straw, so he can have different flavour milk everytime.

Re: Supermarket & plastic bags. I haven't been charge before.

It's true June is not a very good time to come Perth. I hope you will not encounter the winter rainy season when you arrive. I personally feel the best time to come is Spring where it's cooling but not cold, and flowers in bloom everywhere.
 
hidora,
I think my 2 older kids will enjoy the dessert more than the baby. He's kind of gong gong now. Only take (tasteless) porridge and pureed fruits with cereal. Ya, pray hard the weather will be in my favour.
 
hidora, of cos i want to meet you!!!! I dated you so many times the last trip. hahhahahh ... let's do some park outing or whatever....
 
I agree with Hidora.
Chinese food here is abundance.

My son tasted the better milk here, and when we brought him to Singapore, he refused to touch any milk related stuffs there.
 
Hi missk,

I am going to Perth this May 2010.
Can I check with you, how do you travel from airport to hotel Aarons? By the coach bus or you took a cab?
 
Jun,

Here got many puree food/fruits for babies.. Brands you cant find in Singapore and organic some more.

missk,

I invited you come my house, too bad timing couldn't match. We can't meet you at King's Park cos it's late after hb returns home from work and our house is not near to it.
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hidora,
I tried puree baby food from Raffety garden before. But he gives me this look - that I'm forcing him to eat something awful. haha... I haven't tried other brands like Heinz yet. Probably I will buy avocadoes and pumpkin in Australia supermarket as it's his favourite. I will live in an apartment so there is a kitchen for me to cook the fresh food. And like you say, eat whatever we can find. I'm sure he won't go hungry in Australia. Do you know if apartments comes with pots? If not, I will buy one small pot to bring along.

mngo,
I emailed to Cape Leeuwin yesterday. For reference to the rest, this is reply from them:-

"There is an age limit for climbing the lighthouse on a guided tour. Children under 4 are not permitted to climb as there are 176 stairs with gaps in between that the children could fall through. You are also not allowed to carry young children for occupational health and safety reasons. To do a guided climbing tour of the lighthouse costs $15 for adults and $7 for children. To gain access onto the lighthouse grounds is only $5 per adult and $3 per child. On the grounds you can read information boards about the history of the lighthouse and also look through binoculars out to sea where the southern and Indian oceans meet and you may be lucky enough to spot some whales. So there is plenty for the kids to do without actually climbing the lighthouse, but parental guidance is necessary as there are some slippery rocks close by which are very dangerous. "
 
Jun,

I have not stayed in apartment before so not sure if they come with pots. But the supermarkets here sell small pots for cooking porridge. If you really can't find pots in the apartment, can always buy from the supermarket here.
 
Hi Jun
I sort of recalled. We went to climb before. Indeed, the steps were too huge. U know - those round and round metal stairs.
And when you are up the tower, the wind is so strong that can blow one away.
 
Mngo,
In that case, we won't be going up. Because my sis's kids are only 3 and 5 years old. And my mum will be too old to climb up. If I just stay at ground level, is it worth to drive all the way to Augusta? I was hoping to be able to catch migrating whales from far.

Many years ago, I went to Bunbury's dolphin discovery centre, waited for 1 hour and no dolphins. Also went for the dolphin cruise, and no dolphin. So disappointing and waste of $$! the cruise is quite expensive.
 
Jun
If you are going to Margaret River for a couple of days, and you have nothing to do, you may wanna drive up there. We did cos we love scenic drives.
 
Jun,

Your info on the Cape leeuwin is really helpful. I think i'll just stay at ground, maybe hubby go up with or w/o kid. Coz i have one is 4 yrs and another just 1 yr plus.
Thanks, ya!}
 
hidora, ok next time yah ... heehe ...my husband likes it so much that he wants to go back in September.

Dragongal, we took a cab. It was like almost 4am in the morning. I figured we prob wont be in the mood to drive and look for Aarons so we took a cab instead. Our luggage could fit the taxi very well. We brought 2 big + 3 small + 1 pram. hahhahaha ... A lot for 4 nights right?

Chinese cuisine
The Asian food is fab because they hire great chefs from their respective countries. One thing to take note is their opening hours. Quite a few restaurants close for a short break before dinner. I was affected because my sons take dinner super early (hehhehhe). Other than that, loads of Asian restaurants.

I was recommended Travin (Vietnamese restaurant) at Brisbane Street.

The Indonesians congregate @ Winthrop and Applecross or South Perth. That's all I know. Dunno abt the Sgporeans and Mysians though.
 
Jun, dun worry too much about the food. You can cook simple porridge before you set off for the day. In that way, your child can eat some home-cooked food. But if it gets too stressful, then abandon the idea. Just get some chicken and vegetables from a supermarket nearby which was what I did. Somehow, the chicken stock tasted awesome in Australia. Issit the ingredients? heheeh
 
Ok need some advice from you guys. I have shortlisted three places to stay for my next trip to Perth. They are

1. Inglewood
2. an apt in Derby Road (Shenton Park)
3. another apt in Bagot Road

Which is the best area? They all cost about the same price (less than Aud $200 per night). I hope to be near restaurants and supermarkets. Preferably they are within walking distance.

thanks in advance
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Missk
is the chix stock u mention packet type?
i normally use chix bones to make chicken stock..

Indo r a rich bunch of folks, therefore the 3 places they congregate are places where house price aint cheap. i used to stay at winthrop for a couple of months. I love tat suburb.

Singaporeans/Malaysians are here : Willetton,Rossmoyne,CanningVale,BullCreek,Leeming,Murdorch.

There are a few chinese cafe style restaurant at willetton (collins road) and the food is nice
 


Mngo,
Only 3 days 2 nights so actually not much time. I love scenic place and will try to go there. We can't see this anywhere in S'pore.

ryatie22
Thanks for the recommendation of Heinz products. I didn't know they have this in Australia. Will hunt that down on my first day. I have more time in Perth area as I will spend 7 days there.

By the way, I was goggling around and found 1 bee farm in Gingin (1 hour north of Perth). Will be contacting them to enquire if visits are welcome.
 

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