Margaret River, Perth with kids

After spending a few days in the February heat of Perth with toddlers, we were ready to head down the coast, heading to Margaret River region known for its wines. Traveling with young kids, wineries are not the first attraction that comes to mind – but the Aussies are geniuses in family time and indeed, there are many kid-friendly wineries in the region. And of course, lots of other great family activities!

We stayed at Birchfield Farm, a mere 10 minutes outside of Margaret River town in the middle of fields full of hopping kangaroos – yes, yes! It was a perfect countryside experience with friendly donkeys, pigs and even an alpaca. Fresh eggs to pick from the coop and a helpful host. The cottage we stayed in was built from straw bales and was refreshingly cool inside.

Where to go in Margaret River

This is wine country with a family twist. Our favourite was probably Watershed, but there are vineyards literally at every bend of the road and most seem to be kid friendly with play areas, etc.

If you’ve had enough of wine, Colonial Brewing Co has a great playground, as does Cheeky Monkey Brewery.

Margaret River Chocolate Company was one of the kids’ favourite. Other than the obvious, they also have a large green area in the back, perfect for running out all that sugar.

We drove down to Cape Leeuwin, where Southern Ocean and Indian Ocean meet for some great views. And of course stopped on the way for beaches. We did visit one of the famous caves in the area but honestly thought the entrance fees were a bit steep.

On the way back we stopped in Busselton to see the heritage listed jetty. The little train that rides to the end of the 1.8 km jetty was a hit, as was the cool underwater observatory at the end. Simmo’s ice-cream will always be remembered not for its fantastic range of flavours but from an all-time mother of all tantrums. As a result of which 3 out of 4 ate their ice creams sulkingly and one sat by the rubbish bins 50 meters down the lane.

As I said earlier, the area is perfect for road-tripping – the distances are short and the views are just amazing. Kids are welcome everywhere and it’s easy to find a spot for a break on a playground, beach or park – Margaret River particularly seems to be optimised for family travel!