Expat Travel Mom

A quick flight from Singapore to Perth, a nice break from the busy school year and getting back to nature. We've had so many friends tell us about their amazing time in the Margaret River region, so we were really looking forward to that. While it is a wine region, because we had kids in toe, we couldn't really explore the wine regions as we wanted. But we still had an amazing, and rather relaxing time! We shared our time amongst two Airbnbs, one in Cottesloe and one in Margaret River, in order to make the trip more enjoyable, as constant long drives can get exhausting.

Rottnest Island

A day with the quokkas at the only place you can find them free in the world, Rottnest Island (and some areas of Western Oz), besides a zoo. Super cute. It's a hands off environment, so you can take photos, but no touching. It's so bizarre how they seems to smile and pose for the camera! This was a really enjoyable experience because you're basically left to do what you want to do on the island...no tour, no following groups. Sooooo cute!

Wild Rays on the Beach

Words cannot express how amazing this was. You had me at quokka the other day, but you sealed the deal at wild rays that would play at the Hamelin Bay beach! I stumbled across some reviews mentioning the rays at this beach. I'd never heard of it all of my research prior to our trip, no one had mentioned it, but because my kids wanted a beach day, I was looking for options. And there I found them, reviews people left saying that for some reason, the rays come right up to the beach. No one was feeding them, no crowds existed...we were essentially alone. It was absolutely amazing. Of course always treat nature with kindness and be careful of how much interaction you have.

Animals, a Winery, and a Creamery

Yep, more! We played with an abandoned 1.5 week old lamb, the sweetest bottle raised roo, and many other rescued or raised animals. Gorgeous day at Wonky Windmill Farm. The kids absolutely loved walking around and visiting all of the animals, some being a little to eager to see them! LOL! But, it was a perfect afternoon amongst the animals at the farm. (Update: apparently it's now permanently closed)

Local Flare

On the way back to the Airbnb, we visited a winery for a quick glass and bottle for the evening, and an ice cream creamery...you know, one for the parents, one for the kids. When we got back to the Airbnb, our neighbor knocked on the door, and presented a bottle of wine he offered to share over conversation. The bottle was called The Bogan (IYKYK). We had a really great time, and he even taught us about witchetty grubs, "roast 'em on the fire and it tastes like a Twistie." We'll take your word for it! But that's an example of why we Airbnb. We spent the two hours talking and telling stories. Great times.

Brewery Day

No live animals, only fake cows...and our kids. This was a really nice, family friendly brewery called Colonial Brewing, with lots of playground and sunshine time, a chocolate factory, and coffee roasters. I’ve kinda given up on finding affordable places to eat with families, but, the facilities made up for the prices here...and the food was worth every penny.  We had the fish and chips, the wagyu burger and three kids meals which filled them up plenty (10, 12 and 14).  Great afternoon hanging out and planning.

Gnomesville

I can't explain this destination, I just knew we had to go. I often search Google Maps for off beaten places, and this was one of them! After a beautiful drive through a massive forest, I really thought we were completely lost for a while, we ended up at Gnomesville. Here, you'll find 5,000+ gnomes, to which we added 5 more. People get really creative with the types of gnomes they bring, where they set them up, even the styles. What a trip!

Fremantle Prison

Fremantle Prison, built by convicts themselves between 1852 and 1859 using limestone quarried right there on site, and it operated as a working prison all the way until 1991. It's Western Australia's only UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We really enjoyed the tour here, although it's also heartbreaking and way too real. The kids were surprised to hear about the history, and see some of the various areas of the prison, although nothing made them feel scared or like they didn't want to be on the tour. It's important to understand the places you're visiting, and we try to make sure our kids do as we travel the world.

Dolphins

Our last day involved me finding the right place to dolphin watch off the shore, without paying for a cruise (but yes, you can spend excessive amounts of money for a dolphin watching cruise if you'd like). It turned out to be magical. A pod, complete with a baby, swam and played right in front of us. 

Australia, you've been pretty freaking awesome in the nature department.