7 day holiday in perth this december...?

[planning ahead]

am planning a week long holiday with hubby and 5 year old daughter...
perth is an option...

seeking advice on what to do and where to stay...
have done the net search bit... would like to hear from people on the forum who have been there and done that...
thanks...

[Cairnhill]

I was in Perth last December. I stayed in Perth for 2 days & 2 nights. Subsequently, I rent a car and drove down to Margaret River.

Perth is a very small town so 2 days is more than sufficient to get around. We stayed in Sheraton, which is comfortable but look a bit dated. You don't really need a car within Perth itself, and you should be able to walk to everywhere, or simply catch the bus (which is 3-4 bus-stops away from most places). The weather is great but do remember that it is summer in Perth, so expect a lot of houseflies.

At the end of our 2nd day in Perth, we collected our rented car and drove down to Margaret River. Bring a real map along, even if you have the GPS inside the car. Our GPS is not updated (probably because nobody rented one) so on our way to Margaret River, the GPS shows that we are driving off-road when we are actually on an expressway! The map will keep you on the right direction, while you are on the expressway.

In Margaret River, we stayed in the Smith Beach Resort which is absolutely gorgeous. Its walking distance to the beach as well. If you are looking for food, drive towards Margaret River (about 30-40mins from where we stayed) instead of Yallingup (10mins). There's not much to do there/eat in Yallingup. There is only one cafe/restuarant with limited food options. The rest of the shops closes around 5pm so you have no choice/option for food. Alternatively, you can stay nearer to Margaret River area as there are more restaurants options. There is also a supermarket if you need to get any essential for your daughter.

Once you are in Margaret River, you can get a winery map so you can simply drive around to every vineyard to taste the different wine. There is also a chocolate factory for your girl.

[margaret river]

i agree with the pp - head for margaret river.  we also stayed in Smiths and it is really great - we even saw dolphins off the shore.  there are plenty of things to do within a short drive, vineyards that cater well for children, caves, petting farms, olive farm, chocolate factory...loads to do.  another option which we will do next time is a farm stay.  i'm not sure where you're from, but if you haven't spent much time in the country this is a great option.  wake up to fresh eggs for breakfast, maybe go and collect them yourselves, feed the chickens, pigs etc.

i really loved this part of australia and will go back soon!  may be quite hot in december though, we were there in october so even though we braved the sea it was quite cold.  Mandura is also a nice place for a night on your way back to Perth. 

[went 2 years ago]

with a 6 year old.  In Margaret River we found the wineries very boring for them, not many we went to had playgrounds or things to keep them occupied.  The Colonial Brewery was great for them as there is a big playground, and they have kid friendly food.

We stayed at Redgate Beach - a group of four villas about 20 mins south of Margaret River. There is nothing there but I loved it as there was no phone reception and my husband had to have a break! :-)   Friends have stayed at Sunflower (?) which has animals to pet at the doorstep, but they said it was "very rustic"

We also went to Freemantle which is a lovely, about 20 mins drive from Perth (and has a good playground down towards the Little Creatures brewery).  Great "pub grub" is available all over town.
We ended up doing a bit of a tour of playgrounds - but managed a fun relaxing holiday too.

I'm with Cairnhill on Perth itself - nice place but the city itself can be "done" in a day. (I admit to spending a lot of time in Target though)

Have you searched on here?  I remember looking before we went away, and as a popular destination from Singapore I am sure it will have come up again.

[Cairnhill]

Just to add a little. Its not as hot in Perth, compared to Singapore. Singapore is also quite humid whereas Perth is not as humid. The only thing I don't like is the number of houseflies around, but it is a common problem in Australia during Summer time.

[More Q's]

Hi, also planning a trip to Perth. Is it worth to visit Rottnest Island and would you stay there overnight? Also travelling with 2year old and 5 year old. Are there places to go for whale watching in Perth?